Mühle-Glashütte, German watch and instrument manufacturer since 1869, are more recently known for their mid-level nautically themed sports watches.  Their S.A.R. Rescue-Timer, an automatic, 1000m water-resistant watch designed with input from the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (Der Deutschen Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger, if you will), is an excellent example of what Mühle does well, blending over engineered German design sense with a utilitarian modern aesthetic.  Now, the brand have released a special edition of their S.A.R. Rescue Timer to commemorate the fifteen year anniversary of their collaboration with the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service.  The new Mühle-Glashütte S.A.R. Rescue-Timer Bronze is a limited edition, 42.5mm bronze-cased watch powered by a Sellita SW 200, which Mühle have modified. 

Although not a radical redesign as much as a special edition, the new Mühle Glashütte S.A.R. Rescue-Timer bronze differentiates itself most prominently from its predecessor in case material, which is now an aluminum bronze alloy, a material which is used to build ships’ propellers and which honors Mühle’s nautical heritage.  Case size is also slightly larger with the new bronze model at 42.5mm wide by 13.5mm thick compared to 42mm by 13mm on previous versions such as this one.  Also interesting here is the dial color, which is now a totally luminous creme color.  Complimenting the fully lumed dial are black, non luminous hour markers and hollowed-out black baton style hands which are the same type as on the regular S.A.R. Rescue-Timer.  A black PVD-coated crown completes the bronze and black color scheme. 

Additionally, a new Bund-style olive green canvas and leather strap adds some novelty to the Mühle-Glashütte S.A.R. Rescue-Timer and Mühle have elected to also include their natural rubber strap with its excellent deployant clasp now in PVD to match the rest of the watch.  Other elements of the S.A.R. Rescue-Timer like the rubber bezel ring, thick anti-reflective sapphire crystal with its distinctive inner date cyclops, and the Mühle-Glashütte modified Sellita movement remain unchanged. 

Both the new bronze version and original utilize the Sellita SW 200-01, essentially the same movement as the ETA 2824.  But Mühle take things a step further by adding their own rotor, finishing, and woodpecker neck regulation.  Woodpecker neck regulation makes for an easily regulated movement which is also much more resistant to sharp shocks than the mechanism in a traditional SW 200 and fits the tool watch design concept of the Rescue-Timer. 

The new Mühle-Glashütte S.A.R. Rescue-Timer Bronze is an excellent example of creating additional interest and value in a core offering by changing things up and offering it as a limited edition.  Special editions like this, especially in the case (it’s a pun!)  of bronze as a case material, have been repeated around the watch industry as of late with Tudor’s Black Bay Bronze (hands-on) as well as Eterna’s KonTiki Bronze Manufacture (hands-on here), for example, both speaking to patina-developing, bronze-hungry enthusiasts.  Fans of Mühle-Glashütte should find a lot to like with the S.A.R. Rescue-Timer Bronze with its eccentric lume-dialed, bronze-cased design on a watch which has proven itself in the tool watch arena since 2002.  The Mühle-Glashütte S.A.R. Rescue-Timer Bronze will be available in a limited edition of only 150 pieces and will retail for €2,200.  muehle-glashuette.de