The Tutima Patria collection has been the German brand’s representation of traditional Glashütte watchmaking with its emphasis on gold and high finishing since 2011. At Baselworld 2019, Tutima updated its highest-end collection with the Patria Admiral Blue, a more accessible option with a case made of stainless steel.
At first glance, the deep blue dial made of enamel and the cool tone of the stainless-steel case seem almost casual, nearly antithetical to the conservative style the Patria is known for; however, Tutima has kept tradition at the forefront of its horological approach by using a gold-plated, manufacture-made movement with all the typical Glashütte decoration.
Other than this new case dressing for the Patria, much of the watch carries over from previous iterations. A small-seconds subdial with a snailed finish is located at 6 o’clock, the diameter remains at 43 millimeters, water resistance is specced to 50 meters, and the movement is manual-winding Caliber 617, which allows for 65 hours of running autonomy when fully wound. Caliber 617 is a fairly interesting movement in that it is based on the more complex Caliber 800 first used in the Hommage Minute Repeater. That movement was stripped down to its most basic functions — central hours, minutes, and small seconds — to power the greater Patria collection.
The movement’s traditional Glashütte three-quarter mainplate has a golden finish; the hand-polished, skeletonized balance cock boasts hand-beveled edges, the oscillator beats at 21,600 vph, and is paired with a Breguet hairspring with terminal curve. Additionally, the wheels on the dial are equipped with a special locking mechanism on mirror-polished steel springs as well as featuring traditional Glashütte sunburst decoration. The pierced balance cock is skeletonized and its beveled edges are meticulously polished by hand. Gold chatons hold the three ruby bearings in place. All of this is visible through the sapphire crystal exhibition caseback.
Back on the dial side, the blue enamel dial is the result of several individual applications that are polished by hand one at a time. Tutima is known for crafting its hands in-house and that remains true with the Patria Admiral Blue. The hour, minute, and small seconds hands are all made of stainless steel, as are the faceted hour markers, to match the case material. The fluted crown is placed snug in between a sloping crown protector Finally, Tutima has placed the Patria Admiral Blue on an attractive, hand-stitched alligator leather strap that matches its dial color.
The Tutima Patria Admiral Blue is priced at $5,900.
