Water Sports Lover: Reviewing the Tutima M2 Seven Seas

Anyone who wants to wear a sporty, sturdy, watertight watch like the Tutima M2 Seven Seas doesn’t have to justify his decision by explaining that he sails regularly or frequently takes diving vacations. Sporty timepieces are purchased by all watch lovers, those who enjoy wearing them at their desks or at business meetings as well as those who take them on camping trips or trekking expeditions. Everybody loves sports, regardless of whether they participate themselves or prefer to watch the pros do it. And a sporty watch is an expression of this attitude.

That’s why the Tutima M2 Seven Seas is a functional instrument for extreme situations and, at the same time, a successful accessory for everyday use. Extreme situations? Really? Yes, because Tutima combines a 3-mm-thick pane of sapphire and a titanium case with a sandblasted surface that’s comparatively resistant to scratches. And if it does get badly scratched, then this Glashütte-based brand can easily remedy the problem by sandblasting it again. People who love water sports can take this timepiece along when they dive, kite surf, ride the waves, or – as this model’s name and the engraving on the back of its case suggest – sail the world’s oceans. And while they’re experiencing these adventures, the ETA 2836 movement, with its elaborately crafted Tutima rotor, will stay nice and dry. The strap won’t suffer any damage, either, because it’s made of waterproof Kevlar.

All of these advantages, plus high contrast on the dial in the daytime and good nighttime legibility, add up to an attractive overall package, which is even more appealing thanks to its affordable price of $1,900*. There are, however, a few flies in the ointment. The unidirectional rotatable bezel is difficult to grasp securely, despite the fact that it’s equipped with grooves and notches. The small crown is inconvenient to unscrew and screw shut again. And purists may be peeved by the minutes hand, which is too short and doesn’t match this watch’s image as a precision instrument. On the other hand, the rate test showed praiseworthy accuracy. Our tested timepiece gained only 3 seconds per day on the timing machine and on the wrist. The individual values in the electronic measurement test diverged by no more than 4 seconds, which is also an expression of conscientious fine adjustment in the factory. Tutima gives divers, sailors, desk jockeys, and armchair quarterbacks an accurately running, sturdy, self-consistently designed and affordably priced sports watch with the desirable Glashütte/Sa. quality seal. But Tutima doesn’t give them absolute perfection. If that existed at all, this watch would cost considerably more. SPECS: Manufacturer: Tutima Glashütte, Altenberger Strasse 6, 01768 Glashütte/Sa., Germany Reference number: 6151-01 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, day of the week Movement: ETA Caliber 2836 “Elaboré,” automatic; 28,800 vph; 26 jewels; stop-seconds function; rapid-reset mechanism for the date and day-of-the-week displays; Incabloc shock absorption; fine adjustment via index; 38-hour power reserve; diameter = 25.6 mm; height = 5 mm Case: Titanium with flat sapphire crystal with nonreflective treatment on both sides, unidirectional rotatable bezel, screwed crown, fully threaded screw-in back made of titanium, water resistant to 500 meters Strap and clasp: Kevlar with titanium safety folding clasp Rate results (deviations in seconds per 24 hours): Dial up +3 Dial down +3 Crown up +5 Crown down +1 Crown left +2 Crown right +4 Greatest deviation of rate 4 Average deviation +3 Average amplitude: Flat positions 269° Hanging positions 273° Dimensions: Diameter = 44.4 mm, height = 13 mm, weight = 96 grams Variations: With blue dial ($1,900*); with black or blue dial and titanium bracelet ($2,300*) Price: $1,900* SCORES: Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): 9 Operation (5): 3 Case (10): 8 Design (15): 13 Legibility (5): 4 Wearing comfort (10): 9 Movement (20): 11 Rate results (10): 9 Overall value (15): 13 TOTAL: 79 POINTS Top photo by Nik Schölzel; bottom photo courtesy of Tutima. * Prices are subject to change. Merken