Built for the lifeboat crews
By Tom Hargreaves, Falmouth, Cornwall ·
Here's a watch I actually respect, because it was designed with the German maritime search and rescue service, the DGzRS. Those are the people who go out in the North Sea when everyone else is heading in. Proper sailors. Not models on a yacht.
And you can see the brief in the design. The bezel has a thick rubber ring around it so you can grip it with wet hands or gloves, and so it doesn't get chipped against railings. The dial is about as plain and readable as dive dials get. 42 mm, 13.5 mm thick, 20 mm lugs, rated to 1,000 m with a closed back.
Inside is a Sellita SW200-1 that Mühle have worked over with their own modifications. 38 hours of reserve, which isn't much, but it's an easy movement to get serviced.
The price is $2,500 to $2,800. Fair. The bracelet is solid and the clasp works.
Two complaints. The rubber bezel ring will perish eventually, especially with sun and salt, and you'll need a replacement from Mühle. And the look is not for everyone; it's chunky and functional and a bit agricultural.
Which, if you work on boats, is the point. If I were crewing an RNLI boat, and plenty of the Falmouth crew are mates of mine, this is the one I'd hand them.