Glashütte Original SeaQ: The Best Luxury Dive Watch On The Market?

The Glashütte Original SeaQ debuted in 2019 alongside the German watchmaker’s then-new “Spezialist” family. The collection has grown to include the SeaQ Panorama Date, the smaller SeaQ 39.5mm, and the SeaQ Chronograph. I believe the SeaQ was the first new dive or sports watch from the brand since the Senator Sport Evolution from 2009. Inspired by the vintage Spezimatic Type RP TS 200 from 1969, the SeaQ has gone on to become one of the most lauded luxury dive watches out there. These are true luxury watches, though and they come with matching price tags. Still, the Glashütte Original SeaQ is one of the best options out there for someone with high standards but doesn’t want to join the sea (pun intended) of Submariners and Seamasters out there.

There’s a funny quandary that reveals itself when looking at the SeaQ Panorama Date in comparison to the smaller SeaQ with the standard, less sexy date window. You can have the bigger case and the panorama date window or you can have the smaller case without the panorama date window. But, since you can’t have both, I made sure to add a section at the end with a brief comparative rundown of the SeaQ with the smaller 39.5mm case. 

Glashütte Original SeaQ Case

Let’s start with the SeaQ Panorama which comes in at 43.2mm wide and 15.7mm thick with a 51.4mm lug-to-lug measurement (with 300 m of water resistance). Yes, that’s a big boy and anyone with a smaller (or even the smaller size of medium) wrist is going to have a hard time making this one work. As for the thickness, a lot of it can be attributed to the fact that both the dial and case back sapphire crystals are domed. Personally, I am a huge fan of Glashütte Original’s sapphire crystal due to its dramatic angled edges and remarkably straight upper surface. This allows that excellent and fun distortion affect to be in full display while dial legibility when facing it straight on is unhindered and aided by the use of double-sided AR coating.

The quality of the SeaQ Panorama case finishing is top notch. The ceramic bezel is one of the best being produced in this price range (and above) though it takes operating it in person to fully appreciate the tactile feel that is partly due to the use of ceramic teeth. Another area where I give this watch a lot of due credit is for the crown and how well-done and impressively finished it is. There is alternating brushing and polishing throughout the case as well as beveling and even mirror-polishing done on the bezel’s coin edge.

You can get the SeaQ Panorama on either the matching steel bracelet or a rubber strap (21mm wide lugs). The three-link bracelet is really nicely done though it does add some heft to an already substantial watch but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s very nicely finished with nice and broad polished center links flanked on either side by narrower brushed links. There is also the brand’s screw adjustment system on the back of the bracelet for easy sizing and the clasp has a push button system for micro-adjust. This is something GO has been doing way before it was cool from luxury watch brands. That said, the tropic style rubber is really nice and, though I can’t personally speak to the fabric strap, I have heard good things.

Glashütte Original SeaQ Dial

Beneath that double AR-coated domed sapphire crystal you get an excellent view of the SeaQ dial. The lumed arrow and pencil-style hands are really well-finished and contrast very nicely against the “radiant blue” and “varnish reed green” dials you see here (it’s also available in black). Around the circumference of the dial you’ll see the applied Arabic numerals and rectangular indices which are nice and large, adding some real presence and sense of high-end finishing.

And, of course, there is that big Panorama Date display at 4:30. This is a very German touch (Lange is another brand known for their big date displays) and it’s hard not to love it. In fact, these displays are the rare case where even the staunchest “no date” partisans will be tempted to come to the dark side. And how could one not be tempted? The large display is done with two concentric discs located on the same plane, making for a seamlessly elegant and, well, big date display.

Caliber 36-13 Movement

In addition to the big date display, this is where the SeaQ Panorama Date justifies much of its lofty price tag. The Glashütte Original Manufactory Calibre 36-13 is a robust movement that is also finished to the nines with just about everything being done in-house. First off, it operates at 4 Hz and has a whopping 100-hour power reserve that likely laps any competitor you can think of. The skeletonized rotor is done in 21k gold and actually manages to look good enough while also staying out of the way of the movement beneath, which is something many (honestly most) automatic movements fail at.

There are Glashütte stripes throughout the rotor as well as the 3/4 plate. Nearly everything is finished beautifully, from the snailing done on the wheels to the anglage and black polishing throughout the bridge. And who can leave out that show-stopper of a swan-neck regulator. Everything is done in the traditional, old-school Glashütte method but there is also the use of a silicon hairspring for anti-magnetism. The 36-13 really is the perfect synthesis of old and new coming together to make something truly special.

Glashütte Original SeaQ 39.5mm

As I previously mentioned, I am going to briefly get into the Glashütte Original SeaQ in 39.5mm for a basic comparison of the two. This smaller SeaQ measures 39.5mm wide and 12.2mm thick with a 47.5mm lug-to-lug measurement and a reduced water resistance of 200 m. Finishing and dial furnishing is quite similar though, again, you have a standard date window at 3 o’clock which is nice and legible but does not have the drama of the Panorama Date. The bracelet is similarly done to it’s larger sibling including that excellent clasp with the easy micro-adjust system.

Besides the date window, the movement and case back is where you’ll notice the most significant difference. Here we have enclosed case back, albeit one finished to a degree you don’t often see with embossed logo and trident insignia. The movement itself is the in-house Caliber 39-11 which, actually, has excellent finishes even if you can’t see them. This includes the skeletonized rotor and 3/4 plate done with Glashütte stripes as well as the beautiful swan-neck regulator, beveling, and mirror polishing throughout. Performance is a bit of a let down though as it operates at 4 Hz but with just a 40-hour power reserve.

Competition And Final Thoughts

The Glashütte Original SeaQ is a refreshingly unique take on the luxury dive watch and one that you really don’t see out there very often. German watchmaking is no secret anymore but it really nice to see a non-Swiss diver competing at this level and outperforming just about every other watch in its category. As I mentioned previously, these don’t come cheap but they’re also not remotely overpriced for what you get. The smaller Glashütte Original SeaQ 39.5mm is $10,300 on strap and $11,300 on the bracelet while the SeaQ Panorama Date will run you back $12,900 on strap and $13,900 on bracelet. For comparison, the Rolex Submariner Date costs $10,650 and the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean on bracelet is $7,400. While these are the two more mainstream luxury dive watch options, I would say the Blancpain Fifty-Fathoms is a better comparison point which is priced at $17,100 in steel. And if you're interested in the SeaQ Chronograph, you can read ours right here.