The Swiss may get a lot of credit for their watchmaking prowess, but don’t forget that the Germans are legendary for mechanical engineering. If you think cars are their only covetable export, think again.
Tutima is the premier German watch company. They rose from the town of Glashütte, the cradle of the German watchmaking industry. If you’re a fan of tough, functional tool watches, then you’ll want to learn more about Tutima’s M2 Seven Seas 6151-01.
A follow-up to a classic watch
For Tutima aficionados, the old DI 300 dive watch was something of a fan favorite. Handsome, durable, and constructed of lightweight titanium, the DI 300 gained a cult following and sold many watch collectors on the merits of German timepieces.
While not a direct descendant of the DI 300, the M2 Seven Seas will appear welcomingly familiar to those who follow Tutima’s product lines. Collectors had been demanding a new and affordable dive watch from Tutima for years, and the Sea Master was built to meet that demand.
Let’s take a look at the Seven Seas 6151-01 and see if it measures up to its spiritual predecessor.
A tough case with a soft side
One of the more upscale features of this watch is also the easiest to overlook: the case. You may be accustomed to stainless steel watches, but titanium cases are growing in popularity, especially among sport watches. And for good reason.
Titanium is around thirty percent stronger than stainless steel, and it weighs less. It doesn’t corrode or rust, which is especially good news for your dive watch. The titanium case of the 6151-01 has been “pearl-blasted,” a light abrasive process that ensures a smooth finish. Even the edges of the case, although angular in appearance, have been rounded off. You’ll never have to worry about this watch snagging on your shirt cuff.
The watch dimensions—44 mm in diameter, 13 mm thick—are not unusual for this type of tool watch, but the watch is nevertheless on the large side. But, again, thanks to the lightweight titanium case, raising your watch to eye level won’t feel like doing a bicep curl.
Military-grade durability
There’s a reason the German army relies on Tutima chronographs. The M2 series is dedicated to unsurpassed functionality and reliability. Although they’re handsome watches, you might say that Tutima subscribes to the old adage, “form follows function.”
Even for a dive watch, the Seven Seas 6151-01 is unusually durable and pressure-resistant. It has been rated to withstand an astonishing 50 bars of pressure—roughly equal to 500 meters in depth. To put this in perspective, your garden-variety dive watch is rated for about 20 bars or 200 meters. So what’s the recipe for this extraordinary resistance? It takes several ingredients:
- Titanium construction
- Screw-down crown
- Screw-in caseback
- Unusually thick sapphire crystal window—3 mm
A familiar look with some updates
So the watch case is super-strong, light on your wrist, and almost silky to the touch. How does it look?
The shape of the Seven Seas is certainly reminiscent of the DI 300, but where the DI 300 featured a completely circular case, the Seven Seas has flared-out corners, producing a nearly hexagonal overall shape.
The comparisons to the DI 300 don’t end there. You’ll notice the Seven Seas features a similar, sharply-sloped chapter ring. Arabic numerals are printed along the circumference. Next to each number, on the face of the dial, are applied stick indices. It may seem redundant to place a stick index next to a numeral, but the oversize sticks are painted with “SuperLumiNova” paint and shine far brighter than the tiny numerals would. Tutima designs their watches for maximum readability, and it shows.
Speaking of readability, the sapphire crystal window is anti-reflective on both sides to reduce optical distortion. The dial is a color Tutima calls “velvet black,” which seems to be code for plain black. But with the white numerals and hash marks, the plain, high-contrast black really works.
The minute, hour, and sweeping second hand look as if they were lifted directly from the DI 300. These are lumed and shine just as brightly as the hour markers. At three o’ clock you’ll find your standard day/date window, and enclosing it all is a unidirectional bezel calibrated for sixty clicks. The bezel is slightly updated from the DI 300. Where the DI 300 had more of a coin-edge bezel, the Seven Seas is almost gear-like in shape and feel. The large dot at the “zero” position of the bezel is lumed as well.
M2 Seven Seas Movement
As you might expect from a German watch of this quality, the movement is top-notch. At the heart of the watch is the Caliber Tutima 330 automatic movement. It has 25 jewels for unmatched precision—compare with many similar watches, whose movements often have just 21 jewels. The rotor is antique grey with 750 gold seal. Fully wound, the power reserve is 38 hours.
Band
The 6151-01 comes with a black Kevlar band with red stitching. Adding to the streamlined look of the watch is the fact that there are no protruding lugs—the band is flush with the watch case itself. The band fastens securely with a titanium deployment clasp. With its lightweight construction and comfortable band, you just might forget you’re even wearing this watch.
Final words
If you’re a Tutima follower, you’ve likely been waiting for a sporty tool watch like the Seven Seas 6151-01 for a long time. A spiritual successor to the popular DI 300, this watch impresses with its rugged construction, astonishing durability, and surprising comfort. If you already have the DI 300, there may not be enough new features here to justify the expense, but if you’re new to the dive watch market and willing to invest, you may want to give the Seven Seas a look. If the band or dial don’t suit your fancy, Tutima also offers the 6151-02, 6151-03, and 6151-04, which feature small cosmetic differences such as ocean-blue dials or H-link straps.
To have a look at Tutima’s entire watch range visit their official website here.
Tutima the premier German watch company? I think that would definitely be A. Lange & Sohne, not Tutima…