Tutima Flieger Chrono 1941

Review by Ludwig

Summary

• The Hunt:

  I went back and forth over buying this watch for almost a year. I really liked the history and the classic look, and I am a sucker for the particular style of hands on this watch. In addition, I thought the bracelet was quite attractive and robust. Still, I didn't really need yet another chronograph.

  Then, just as I was deciding that I was a big fan of handwound watches, my local Tutima pusher called me up, and said that the Tutima representative was coming by that afternoon. I drove over to the shop, and after speaking with him, and looking at some of the movements and the overall quality of construction of their watches, I was sold. This is a brand well worth checking out, even though it doesn't seem to be a TimeZone favourite.

  I think I made the fellow's day as I removed my Lange, chucked it into the Tutima box, and proudly strapped on my new chronograph.

  
  
• Am I still happy?

  Yes. This has become one of my favourite chronographs for daily/work/casual wear. (At first, I thought I'd have preferred getting one of the originals, but they are pretty pricey, and I don't think I'd wear a nice vintage piece nearly as often, being afraid of bunging it up.)

  
  
• Would I buy it again?

  Indeed I would. I'm even considering some of their other classic-styled chronos, for applications where I need more than 30 minutes of timing ability, though if my brain is working, the rotating bezel suffices.

Specifications

• Movement:
  The movement is modified Valjoux 7760, handwound chronograph. The modifications involve moving the chrono minute register to the 3 o'clock position from the 7760's standard 12 o'clock location. It is 28,800 bph, diameter 30mm, thickness 7mm, 21 jewels (2 more than the stock 7760?) , power reserve ~42 hours. Incabloc shock protection. Bridges are finished with Geneva stripes.
  
  
• Functions:
  • Hours, minutes, sub-seconds at 9 o'clock
  • Sweep second chronograph seconds hand.
  • 30-minute chrono register at 3 o'clock.
  • Coin edge, rotating bezel with red time marker - can be used for measuring elapsed or countdown time.
  
  
• Case:
  Stainless steel, matte-satin-finished, diameter 38.7mm, height 14.7mm. Coin-edge bidirectional rotating bezel with red index mark. Convex domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Movement nicely finished with Geneva stripes. Back is screw-down, large hefty crown is double-sealed. Water resistant to 10 bar. Reference #783-01. (This watch is also available in 18K gold, with strap or 18K bracelet. This model in gold with bracelet is tremendously heavy! Think Royal Oak Offshore....)
  
  
• Strap/bracelet:
  Available with high quality military-style rolled black calf-skin strap and steel buckle, or stainless steel bracelet. The strap is very nice, and, like the strap on their Flieger GMT , I have ordered several additional to use as straps on some of my other, nominally higher-end, military-styled watches, due to the quality construction, nice feel, and low cost. The stainless bracelet is one of the reasons I bought the watch - it has an excellent feel to it, and is of good quality. The bracelet in combination with the watch have a very nice heft. The bracelet doesn't show scratches very much because of its fluid/organic appearance. I recommend that if you purchase this watch, you get the bracelet version, and also pick up a strap.
  
  
• Dial and hands:
  Luminous skeleton-style hands and hour markers - not tritium, but some very bright compound, which seems to fade away after 8-10 hours or so. The dial is a nice black, and has very high-resolution minute chapters. Sub-seconds at 9 o'cloc, the 30-minute chrono register is at 3 o'clock. The sweep second chrono hand is very long, and extends into the high-resolution section of the minute chapters, allowing you to determine timing to the fraction of a second.
  
  
• Warranty:
  1 year, unless you bought it from Nigeria :-).
  
  
• Price: $1980 U.S. list price, leather strap; $2300 SS bracelet, $7600 18k/leather strap; $16800 18k/18kbracelet.

Impressions

• Pros:
  • Style/Looks: This watch just feels "right". It has a great vintage look, and offers a great tactile impressions, especially with the bracelet. It brings a smile to your face when winding it in the morning - smooth, yet purposeful.
  • Legibility/Function: Quick and easy to read, even at night. The chrono function doesn't clutter up the dial like so many others do, but the downside is that you only get 30 minutes of timing. A clever fellow can use the rotating bezel as an additional counter to overcome this, though. Decently accurate (+5 seconds/day).
  • Value: Purchased with a sensible discount, I think this watch is a very good value compared to some. I don't know how to describe it, but it "feels" of higher quality than the price point suggests.
  • Nice box/manuals: I continue to be impressed with the quality of the packaging and literature that Tutima provides, compared to some of their competitors in the same price range. (One un-named company sent me their watch in a $2.00 folding velour box, and the manual consisted of a 1-page Xerox inside a vinyl envelope. I suppose this means I got more watch for my money :-)
    
  
  
• Cons:
  • The crown is a bit large, which may not appeal to all.
  • No date (which doesn't bother me, but is a requirement for many folks.)
  • Only 30-minutes of timing on the chrono, without resorting to Stupid Bezel Tricks. 30 minutes is sufficient for most of the things that I time, I have discovered.
  • Size - this is not a small watch, especially with the bracelet. I view this as a feature.

Manufacturer's Info

• Name: Tutima Uhrenfabrik GmbH
• Address: Postfach 1153, D-27770 Ganderkesee, Germany
• Phone: +49 4221 98830
• Fax: +49 4221 988377
• Email: info@tutima.com
• Web: www.tutima.com

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