Mühle-Glashütte Terrasport watches

The Mühle-Glashütte Terrasport is the pilot's watch line of the Glashütte maker. Glashütte had been known mainly for pocket watches since 1845, and it began making more wristwatches in the late 1930s, as precise, legible pilot's watches. Mühle says the name fits on both counts: the Terrasport keeps time as a classic pilot's watch and goes back to the start of wristwatch production in the town.

The design follows pilot's-watch practice. Dials are high-contrast black or cream, a triangle replaces the numeral at 12, the seconds hand and the 12 o'clock marker are red, and the losange (lancet-shaped) hands are luminous. Mühle notes that pilots wore chronographs, navigators large observation watches and other crew smaller three-hand watches, and the Terrasport range takes in all three. In the references, LB marks the leather strap and MB the bracelet.

The Terrasport II is the plain three-hander, 40 mm across and 10 mm thick. Mühle's current version has a date and its own version of the automatic Sellita SW200-1, fitted with the company's woodpecker-neck regulator, plus sapphire crystals front and back, a screw-down crown and a 20 mm bracelet. The Terrasport I is the 44 mm, 10.4 mm version, and the Terrasport III scales the idea down to 34 mm. The Terrasport IV GMT, at 42 mm, adds a second time zone.

The Terrasport I Beobachter recalls the observation watches Glashütte made for aircraft navigators, worn on the forearm over the flying overall; those often measured around 50 mm, against the Beobachter's 44 mm. It also runs on the automatic SW 200-1 with the woodpecker-neck regulator. The Terrasport I Chronograph shares the 44 mm diameter but is 13.6 mm thick. Mühle's current version runs on its automatic MU 9413, a movement with a Glashütte three-quarter plate and a 62-hour power reserve, and gives the chronograph hands red tips.