Well it has been well over seven days and sadly (for me) the Tutima Grand Flieger Airport Chronograph finally bid me Auf Wiedersehen and returned home last week. I have spent the last seven days collecting my thoughts and now it's time to sum up.
It is ironic that I wrote about a Hanhart a few night because for a fair amount of time these two brands were often compared to one another. Yes they are both made in Germany and both are known for chronographs and "flieger" / "pilot" watches in particular. But in all honesty while I had worn a few different modern Hanharts, I had NEVER worn a Tutima except for a few moments at BaselWorld. And what I am about to say is perhaps a bit strong, but comparing today's Hanhart to today's Tutima is like comparing excrement to cream. To quote Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction:
it ain't the same (expletive) ballpark. It ain't the same league, it ain't even the same (expletive) sport.
The watches that Tutima are making are of such a superior quality that it is almost not something that is fair to compare. But I come to praise Tutima, not to bury Hanhart ; )
So let's get down to it.
The packaging is actually sensible. It is nice, basic, appropriate. No massive oaken box that will sit in your closet gathering dust. Just big enough to hold your watch and allow it the presentation it deserves.
So let's start with the dial - clean, clear and legible. All too often with a 3 register chronograph the "face" of the watch is so crowded and registers so randomly placed that they essentially nullify each other. Not so with the Grand Flieger Airport Chronograph. The three sub-dials provide a 30-minute counter and 12-hour counter (top and bottom), as well as the constant 60 second indicator Sweep second counter at 9 o'clock. The date has been sensibly located on the inner portion of the dial so that it does not impose itself in the 3 o'clock marker - unlike too many other watches.
The dial color has been described as "Velvet black" and I would say that is a fair descriptor. The hour indices are classic, balanced and were visible day or night.
On to the movement - and this was a wonderful treat!
The movement is designated as the Cal. Tutima 320 per the Tutima web site. It is a self-winding chronograph providing hours, minutes, seconds and date. The center counter is a constant sweep with 30 minute and 12 hour counters at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock respectively.
The time keeping was very good, with a slight deviation of approximately 18 seconds over a 48 hour period. Otherwise it was spot on. Aesthetically the movement is beautiful. The rotor is finished in antique grey, and adorned with a gold Tutima seal.
The movement boasts 25 jewels and 44 hours of power reserve.
It measures 43 mm in diameter and is an appropriate size - not overwhelming, but also not too small. To quote that other well known watch fan - it is "just right". The case is water resistant to 20 ATM, has a bidirectional rotating bezel, and a screw-down crown.
The finish is smooth, clean and precise. No rough edges, no nasty "half-done" surfaces. This is a thing of true quality.
The crown is smooth and the setting sequences are precise and function without any hesitation or slipping.
The strap is a perfect match to the watch. This is a classic watch, but not a "show pony" - an exotic strap of alligator would be too much. Black padded leather with white stitching. It was a wee bit stiff at first but broke in quite nicely. The deployment clasp is a very nice touch and adds something a little special to an already wonderful watch.
it ain't the same (expletive) ballpark. It ain't the same league, it ain't even the same (expletive) sport.
The watches that Tutima are making are of such a superior quality that it is almost not something that is fair to compare. But I come to praise Tutima, not to bury Hanhart ; )
So let's get down to it.
So let's start with the dial - clean, clear and legible. All too often with a 3 register chronograph the "face" of the watch is so crowded and registers so randomly placed that they essentially nullify each other. Not so with the Grand Flieger Airport Chronograph. The three sub-dials provide a 30-minute counter and 12-hour counter (top and bottom), as well as the constant 60 second indicator Sweep second counter at 9 o'clock. The date has been sensibly located on the inner portion of the dial so that it does not impose itself in the 3 o'clock marker - unlike too many other watches.
The dial color has been described as "Velvet black" and I would say that is a fair descriptor. The hour indices are classic, balanced and were visible day or night.
On to the movement - and this was a wonderful treat!
The case is well proportioned and the finish work is clean and precise.
The finish is smooth, clean and precise. No rough edges, no nasty "half-done" surfaces. This is a thing of true quality.
The crown is smooth and the setting sequences are precise and function without any hesitation or slipping.
So in case you haven't pieced it together yet, I have to say unreservedly that this is the best chronograph and one of the best watches that I've worn in some time. Tutima was out of the spotlight for some time, and I think that given what they have been offering lately, that was time well spent. The new Tutima watches are worth every penny in the asking price. A beautiful, high-quality watch at a fair price.
And here is the stat-sheet, straight from Tutima:
| Modern Flieger Chronograph for the 21st century. | |
| Movement | Cal. Tutima 320 |
| Case | Stainless steel |
| Dial | Velvet black |
| Band | Leather strap with folding clasp |
| Diameter | 43 mm |
| Height | 16 mm Movement details: Automatic movement chronograph. Rotor antique grey with gold seal. 25 jewels. Polished screws. Power reserve when fully wound 44 hours. Functions: Date display. Hour, minute, small second, Chronograph 60-second counter, 30-minute counter and 12-hour counter. Sweep second counter. Officially certified German chronometer according to DIN norm 8319. Case details: Water-resistant 20 atm. Bidirectionally rotating bezel with luminous marking. Domed sapphire crystal anti-reflective on both sides. Screw-in crown. See-through back with sapphire crystal. |
Hi,
ReplyDeleteGreat review. I´m really stoked by this watch but a bit scared by the $5,700 price tag. As an alternative I have been looking at the Airport Automatic 6101-01 which is more reasonably priced at $3,000 but only an automatic. Hmmm...