Glashütte Original SeaQ Panorama Date

Many if not most watch buyers want to see the date on the dial. It gives them a feel for the month’s passage and the proximity of approaching events. But that little date window almost always detroys the symmetry indeed beauty of a watch’s dial. But not always. Case in point: the Glashütte Original SeaQ Panorama Date . . .

The previous SeaQ positioned the date at three o’clock, using a white numeral, surrounded by a white frame. monochrome-watches.com‘s review was aware of the aesthetic disruption — to the point where they showed the watch with the minute hand obscuring the offending complication. Germany, we have a problem! I mean, it doesn’t get any more [non] obvious than that.

The new SeaQ solves the date window “problem” with a new model: the Glashütte Original SeaQ Panorama Date. In effect, its designers said “You want a date window? I’ll give you a date window!”

Glasshutte enlarged the date window, repositioned it between the four and five o’clock indices, color-matched the date to the indicies, and got rid of the white frame surrounding the date window. Ba-bam!

The Glasshutte Panorama Date’s date is big enough to see at a glance. Across the room? And it doesn’t entirely distract from the SeaQ’s overall design. I say “entirely” because I reckon the SeaQ would still look better without the complication.

Glasshutte made a lot of other changes to the SeaQ line: enlarged the case to a jumo-sized 43.2mm, fitted applied numerals stuffed with [much-appreciated] Super-Luminova lume, increased the timepiece’s water resistance from 100 to 300m and livened it up with galvanic blue and black “sunray” faces. But the big date window is a big deal.

That and the $12k price tag. If I had it twelve large hidden under the toilet tank lid . . . nope. Minimalist watch buyers unite! Your time is at hand. Just not here.