Mühle Glashütte

Mühle-Glashütte is a family-run German company with a long history. Founded in the mid-19th century, they first made a name for themselves as a supplier of precision measuring instruments for clocks. Today, they have a reputation for crafting robust, reliable, and modern sports watches fit for service on land, in the air, or at sea.

Their watches have tidy, clean, and, above all, functional designs. Every detail has a purpose and is put under the microscope. It all begins with the materials: The cases are made of durable stainless steel or titanium, and the dial is protected by scratch-resistant sapphire glass. Depending on its purpose, the watches are worn on bands made of stainless steel, textile, rubber, leather, or a water-resistant combination of leather and rubber. Colorful red, orange, or blue accents lend these timepieces a fresh touch.

Mühle's top collections are the ProMare, Teutonia, and Terrasport. While the ProMare series contains fantastic outdoor watches, the Teutonia collection masterfully blends sports and dress watches into one. The Terrasport, on the other hand, is dedicated to classic watches for pilots and navigation.

Other highlights from Mühle's catalog include the nautically-inspired watches in the 29er collection and the tool watches in the S.A.R. series. Mühle developed the S.A.R. collection in collaboration with the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service and rescue pilots from the German Marines. The result is precise timepieces that can stand up to the daily challenges of working on the high seas.

Each watch houses an ETA or Sellita movement, which is intricately refined by Mühle. For example, the manufacturer outfits every movement with their in-house woodpecker neck regulation . This regulation guarantees accuracy even under the toughest conditions.

If you're looking for the perfect watch for both in and out of the water, you're guaranteed to find it with Mühle-Glashütte. With a name like ProMare there's no doubt what this collection's watches are built to do. Mare is Italian for "sea," and this stainless steel watch is truly at home in the water. It is water resistant to 300 m (30 bar, 984 ft) and has a generous coating of luminous material on its hands in indices. The men's watches range from 42 to 44 mm in diameter and are available as a three-hand watch with a date, a three-hand watch with a bidirectional bezel, or a chronograph. Expect to pay between 1,300 and 3,800 USD for one of these timepieces. The 39-mm women's model with a mother-of-pearl dial requires an investment of around 1,900 USD.

The 29er collection gets its name from a type of sailing skiff. These watches are just as dynamic as the small sail boats. The top priority for the design of this 42-mm stainless steel watch was having optimal readability. This is achieved by keeping the dial tidy, coating the hands and hour in luminous material, and selecting the right colors. Mühle has stuck to nautical hues, combining black, white, and gray with different shades of blue. Three-hand models are available with various date displays, i.e., a date window or pointer date. Prices for these timepieces range from 1,300 to 1,600 USD. The chronograph model costs a good bit more at around 2,600 USD.

The S.A.R. Rescue Time, S.A.R. Flieger-Chronograph, Rasmus 2000, and Seebataillon GMT epitomize professional tool watches. Each was developed to meet the demands of life on the high seas. These timepieces are durable, reliable, and practical. For example, the Rescue Time is water resistant to 1,000 m (100 bar, 3,281 ft). It sells for around 1,700 USD. The Flieger-Chronograph (pilot's chronograph) features push-pieces and a crown on the left-hand side, guaranteeing maximum freedom of movement. Plan to spend around 3,000 USD on this timepiece. The Seebataillon GMT demands about 2,400 USD. This will get you a 45-mm titanium watch with a second time zone.

You can dive down to great depths with the Rasmus 2000. This timepiece is water resistant to 2,000 m (200 bar, 6,562 ft) , can withstand magnetic fields of up to 1,000 Gauss, and features a unidirectional diving bezel. You can call this 45-mm stainless steel diving watch your own for around 2,400 USD. If you’d prefer something a bit more exclusive, you should check out the limited edition Yacht-Timer with a 44-mm bronze case. It’s water resistant to 300 m (30 bar, 984 ft) and limited to a run of 500 pieces. Over time, its case will develop a distinct patina, making every watch one of a kind. The Yacht-Timer Bronze Edition sells for about 2,700 USD.

Mühle-Glashütte expertly combines sporty design with the elegance of a dress watch in the Teutonia collection . These watches feature practical functions, such as a day/date display, outsize date, chronograph, or world time display with 24 time zones. There are also chronometer-certified models available. The Teutonia II Quadrant Chronograph is particularly interesting. As its name suggests, this timepiece has a square case, which helps it stand out from the other watches in Mühle’s catalog. Prices for Teutonia watches range from 1,900 to 3,900 USD, depending on the size.

The Lunova collection also oozes sporty chic. These watches come in highly polished stainless steel or titanium. The hands, numerals, and hour markers are all coated in Superluminova and contrast beautifully against the dark black dial. A brown crocodile leather strap completes the look. You can find these timepieces with various complications, including a day/date display or chronograph function. Depending on the model, the Lunova sells for between 1,700 and 2,900 USD.

The Terrasport collection is dedicated to pilot's watches. Pilot's watches are defined by their high level of readability under any conditions, and the Terrasport fits the bill. Its dials are high contrast and clearly structured. Thanks to glow-in-the-dark hands, numerals, and indices, you'll always know what time it is, even in the dark. The satin-brushed stainless steel case comes in three sizes – 40, 42, or 44 mm – and is worn on either a leather strap or stainless steel bracelet. In addition to classic three-hand models, the Terrasport is also available as a chronograph or with a second time zone. Prices for these fine pilot's watches begin around 1,200 USD for a simple model and go all the way up to about 2,800 USD for the chronograph edition.

Like most of the other watch manufacturers from Glashütte, Mühle-Glashütte GmbH nautische Instrumente und Feinmechanik (Mühle-Glashütte GmbH Nautical Instruments and Precision Engineering), as it's properly known, has a long and eventful history. Robert Mühle founded his business in 1869 after finishing his tool-making apprenticeship under Moritz Grossmann. The company quickly established itself as a supplier of precision-engineered gauges and specialty tools essential to the production of watches.

In the early 20th century, Mühle's sons Alfred, Paul, and Max were in charge of the company and expanded its offerings to include tachymeters, rev counters, and car clocks. Their customers included noteworthy vehicle manufacturers such as Maybach, Horch, BMW, and DKW. During World War Two, the German military outfitted their tanks and trucks with Mühle instruments.

Once the war was over, many of their machines were seized and transported to the Soviet Union. The rest of the company was integrated into the Zeiss factories under the name Messtechnik Glashütte (Glashütte Measurement Technology). Robert Mühle's grandson, Hans, founded a new company, Ing. Hans Mühle Feinmechanik (Eng. Hans Mühle Precision Engineering). His own son, Hans-Jürgen, took over that company in 1970. However, in 1972 the company was forced to nationalize and become part of the state-run VEB Glashütte Uhrenbetriebe (GUB, Glashütte Watchmaking Plants). Their official title within the GUB was "Plant Area 7 – Measurement and Control Technology."

After the Berlin Wall fell, Hans-Jürgen Mühle was appointed the director of the newly established Glashütter Uhrenbetrieb GmbH. Mühle eventually left the company in 1994 to found his own company: Mühle-Glashütte GmbH nautische Instrumente und Feinmechanik. At first, the business focused on the production of marine chronometers and clocks. They added wristwatches to their catalog in 1996 and have been successfully producing them ever since.