I think Muhl Glaschutte sit in a really nice sweet spot in terms of design and quality. They are not cheap but build quality is superb and they have a very tasteful and cohesive design language. In my opinion the design and quality do justify the price which is certainly not a given for luxury watch brands. I have a Teutonia Sport II KS and it is a beautiful watch which I adore. It's more elegant than a tool watch but feels much more solid than a dress watch.
I first ran across MG when I passed a watch store in Rostock, Germany ... it was closed at the time, but I started finding out about the brand, and they're well-priced and made ... and who doesn't like a woodpecker? Take care and be safe, Bill 😷
Love Terrasport II with the cream dial. The Sellita SW 220-1modified with the woodpecker regulator is a definite upgrade, but I'm not sure what they mean by "branded oscillating weight.' On the balance? Do you know, Teldryn? Take care, Bill
@@watchartsci "branded oscillationg weight" refers to the in-house rotor in Mühle automatic movements, as far as I know. Another point about these MU movements: I have read that Sellita actually told Mühle to give their modified SW500 their own name, because with the introduction of the Mühle three-quarter plate in 2008 there was enough own innovation in the movement to make this appropriate. I have found this information in an article about Mühle in a German online watch magazine called "Neue Uhren" but it is only available in German.
The MU9413 is a Mühle Caliber, because they replace and overhaul at least 60% of the original Selitta Movement. I think the Terrasport 1 Chronograph is actually good value for the money. I own some Mühle watches and love their mostly sporty understatement. It‘s actually the ideal every day watch for watch lovers, who don’t need to show off their Rolex everywhere and know about the value, because most people actually won’t recognize it compared to the typical Swiss luxury watches. I do like the Swiss watches, but it’s a way different competition for the small German watch making industry.
Hi Alexander, so if Mühle (or anyone else) does at least a 60% modification of a Sellita; it's considered brand-manufactured. As long as they detail what those modifications are, I'd go along with that. Take are and stay safe, Bill😷
Alexander, do you have the S.A.R? I'm very interested in this one. As an ex soldier I want a very tough watch aside from my G-shocks which can handle the knocks and won't need an annual service.
@@ohcaptainmycaptain3019 unfortunately the SAR Rescue Timer or Chronograph are not the type of watch I‘m interested in. But with the built in woodpecker adjustment (an evolution of the swan neck regulator, used in most Lange&Sons movements) all Mühle movements are quite robust. The watches in the SAR collection are super robust and permanently, every day tested by the German SAR rescue team. So if you like a robust, functional watch with an automatic mechanical movement, the SAR watches deliver what you need in an affordable price range.
@@watchartsci just picked up a Segal st3600 with the winding Pinion that has the center screw . It was in a parnis 44mm pilots watch $42 on eBay new unused . Apparently this type of winding pinion design is as good as the ETA original . No issue with lateral movement with torque from the keyless. Runs at 4sec deviation . Happy with this. it also seems that there's an issue with Chinese parts being swapped out into ETA movements on service because of difficulty to achieve original ETA parts. Is this something you have noticed? in my research it also seems that some ETA parts are being moved into the seagull movements on repair. I have this watch as a desk clock at the moment winding it everyday and it will be interesting to see how it works as time goes by.
I wear the MG Lenova Chronograph pretty much every day. I thought it was an in house movement when I purchased it until I saw it on watchbase and realized it was a modified Sellita. It looks amazing to me, and I can get a pretty good price on a service which was actually a relief financially. It's hard to find good information on Muhle Glasshute, thanks Bill
My pleasure, Willie. A lot of the SW parts are interchangeable with ETA parts; so finding a watchmaker who can work on a Sellita should be relatively easy and inexpensive. Sounds like you like your Mühle Glashütte ... and that's all that really matters in the long run! Kindest regards, Bill
I’ve been looking at MGs for the past year but only now came across your highly informative video. Thank you! Now I have an opportunity to make an intelligent purchasing decision. Cheers, Bill
I have a Terrasport 2 - a nice honest watch that I got for a very good price and I use as my field watch. The price seems to be creeping up with a new distributer in the UK, but they do still make some interesting watches. I'm considering a Terrasport 3 for my wife - there are so few
@@watchartsci Yes, I have the cream dial on leather. Very nice, though there is to my eyes a slight lume green tinge to the cream. I have no experience of the bracelets, but the metal on the case is nicely milled if that's any indication. The only bracelet I've held from MG is the SAR which is a very sturdy beast!
Hey TexPat, that's one of the most interesting testimonials to the quality of a watch I can imagine-'I wish I hadn't sold it.' Great hearing from you, Bill
Great video Bill. When I saw these watches at WatchTime NY and took a closer look at them, they just didn't impress me that much. As always, like yourself, there is nothing wrong with using ETA or Selita movements, but just be up front about it and say so.
Hi Bruce, I wish I had spent some time at the MG booth, but there were so many others that I was compelled to drool over! I do wish I had spent more time there as well! Cheers, Bill
great compilation of watches to review Bill. we can pay a lot for the case around an ETA so when it came to selecting ETA watches for me, I selected something unusual to each manufacturer that I won't find in high luxury brands. Doxa has a patented bezel. Ball has tritium bulbs. Both about $2500 watches.
Hey Rich Buddy, who doesn't love a Doxa! I have had a love for Doxas ever since that bright orange dial caught my eye. Ball and railroad watches seem to be inexorably linked. Now if I could only talk you into getting a Rolex...😉 Cheers, Bill
Just saw a response to my comment, so went back and watched this excellent video again. I ended up with a Lunova Datum (SW 400-1 movement). Not COSC-certified, but certainly accurate enough. Have not had it adjusted in the two years I have owned it. Great looking watch on the wrist! Dark gray subtle sunburst dial with with Arabic numerals make it incredibly legible. Great "daily driver" - which is what I wanted. Only complaint is that the power reserve is bit lacking - 36 to 38 hours tops.
Just wondering how your Lunova Datum is holding up to the rigours of daily life? I'm seriously thinking about purchasing the day/date version and would appreciate you first hand experience with your Mühle.
First time at your site, Bill. Excellent report and great information! Rarely see such and analysis of movements. Just learned of Muehle Glashuette a few months ago. Have been eyeing an MG Lunova Datum SW200-1 or Tag/Datum with SW220-1 as a daily wear watch.
@@watchartsci Thank you for responding, Bill. May I put you on the spot about the quality of the SW200-1 family? Concerned about their accuracy. Are they COSC certified or certified by the German counterpart to COSC? (I'm a Rolex guy and want something less conspicuous for daily wear that might approach Rolex accuracy but not cost a fortune.)
Hi Bill. Here’s a thought. I can’t think of a more worthwhile trip than to head over to Glashütte for a tour of Lange, GO and Moritz Grossmann facilities. If you were there to curate and guide a number of your paying, loyal followers that would be very special. Thought I’d throw this idea out there.
Hi Gunther, were I fluent in both English and German I'd be tempted. When I went to visit Rolf Lang in Dresden earlier this year, we had to communicate with two of his friends who were bi-lingual in both. Kindest regards, Bill
It seems,to me just more of the same thing. Create a watch use pre-made movements, call them something else, charge whatever they can get away with. I love the exposure you provide, I learn do so much.
Hi Jack, well MG is truthful about its lower priced watches with SW200-1 movements ... but it begins to muddle things once its MU calibers are declared and even more so with MG-Manufactured watches. The good thing is that this forces us to learn more about what makes the watch and deepen our appreciation of mechanical watches. Kindest regards, Bill
@@watchartsci they add their own three-quarter plate. They do not name the base calbiber sw500 on their website, but they list all the modificatons they did themselves. I think that is already more honest than most brands which give you no further information than their own name for a movement that has often not been modified at all.
@@Hans-Georg_BuddneIt wouldn't kill them to indicate that their base movement is a Sellita SW500 and list all of their modifications that shows they're doing more than just dropping in a 3rd party movement. Their prices are already reasonable enough to justify using Sellita movements (which actually aren't bad). Take care, Bill
Hi Moreshwar, check out the link Jeremy Close provided- ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Eh8X7asfKFY.html ) and you'll see an interesting two-tiered watch! Kindest regards, Bill
See your point on the movements an the prices. I'm not so hung up as I use to be as long as the quality really good an the movement is a pretty decent one if I really like the watch an the price isn't ridicules I'll buy it .
Yes, Mark, that's a sensible approach. You like the watch, including the movement, why not? In a way, the sums up my 'sub-collection' of watches with Jaquet 736 movements. Cheers, Bill
Bill, One of the family rose to a high position in the East German watch production apparatus which I take as nothing more than appreciation for talent. I only raise this as a segue into the following question: without the disruption of Communism, what would the Muhle family watch enterprise have looked like today? They have a cool world timer I have seen discounted for $1700. The family business originally specialized in the maritime chronometer field. Best regard, Howard and Minnie the wonder dog
Hi Howard, the deal for families of watchmakers during the Soviet occupation of East Germany was an iffy proposition. On the one hand, according to Soviet ideology,(specifically the edict of the VIII Congress of the United Social Party of Germany) the children of watchmakers could not become 'heretical' beneficiaries of their family positions and so could not become watchmakers-as was the case with Rolf Lang. However, like all dogma, exceptions are often made when necessity dictates. In the case of Rolf Lang, they decided that he could be trained in making precision mechanics and so ended up restoring watches for the Dresden Mathematical and Physics Society which included the watches and other mechanical automata that had been damaged and mostly destroyed in the Dresden bombing by British and Americans near the end of World War II. I would imagine a similar path was taken by a member of the Mühle family without the huge amount of restoration work by Lang. If you have any more details on the Mühle family watchmaking I'd really like to hear them, and I'll have a look myself. Thanks again! Kindest regards, Bill
Erik it has the same architecture as the Valjoux 7750. So it's most likely based on the 7750 or an improvement on it. I've noticed that the SW 400 is growing in popularity. Cheers, Bill
Erik, you're right, but it's another SW based on the same Valjoux.. (Read the 'Description' here: watchbase.com/sellita/caliber/sw400-1 ) This is really interesting-it looks like the SW500 is the chronograph version (which the original 7750 is) and the SW400 is the version sans the chronograph but with the automatic movement. Now that's fun! Cheers, Bill
Interesting company indeed. Muhle Glashutte started out as a producer of precision measurement devices; perhaps wristwatches were a natural progression from that. They also have a history with marine instruments. At least you know you're getting Sellita movements from them, although they do modify them with the woodpecker regulator. I found the Seebattalion GMT, their new Teutonia Sport I chronograph, and the Robert Muhle Moonphase interesting.
Gilberto; thanks for the historical update. By the way, tomorrow's LIVE streaming video is for my friends in Asia-it will be at 0930 (Eastern time) and 2230 (Manila time)... will that be ok for you? Hope to see you then! Cheers, Bill
Thanks for the research, Bill. Very useful. Apropos of nothing I discovered an amusing watch with the features you like: large balance, manual wind, slow beat manufacture movement (1 Hz!) The Antoine Martin Slow-Runner www.hodinkee.com/articles/hands-on-with-the-antoine-martin-slow-runner-live-pics-video-pricing At first I was amused then thought it's actually a cool watch that I'd like to own (if I had the money). The company is defunct now but they made an interesting perpetual calendar too. One of the men behind the company is Martin Braun. That name rings a bell but I can't think from where. Do you know if he did anything interesting before or since? It's too common a name for Google to be much help. Thanks again. Jeremy
You are so right, Lawrence! Those and the Sea-Gull ST 36's are the bread and butter of those in the elite La Société des Horlogers Prétentieux 🙄... cheers, Bill
