Although They Never Actually Went Away... Tutima Are Back.

I suspect that 2013 will be a fortuitous year for Tutima.  Images and details of four new collections to be unveiled at BaselWorld are emerging and first impressions are more than positive.  This is the industry's busiest week, so cherry-picking through these new models is a must, therefore for now I can feature only one, the superb Tutima M2 NATO Chronograph, with its cool tagline "Nothing Can Shock It".

The NATO Chronograph is the official watch of the German army, so as you'd expect such a piece will be penned to be strong, readable and usable, yet what Tutima's design department have come up with has all the requisite features required to give it military-kit credentials but is also ultimately rather stylish too.

With regard to their new M2 collection, Tutima say "The details make the difference" - they're not wrong, on this piece a deeply recessed black dial falls away from a pearl-blasted bezel.  Broad markers and hands add to the robustness and are liberally lume-coated, even the red tips will glow long after dark.

There is balance it its dial layout and subtleties to be appreciated, the barely-there crosshair small seconds, the dominant and slightly quirky 12-hour totalizer and the diminutive 24 hour display,  all are perfectly proportioned and all are perfectly placed.

Inside, the Tutima Calibre 321 has the security of an anti-magnetic shell and it replaces the previously used Lémania Caliber 5100 - a futher evolution for the M2 portfolio.

The titanium case measures 46.5mm across and features neatly tucked-in ribbed rubber pushers on the side.

2011 marked a return to the Glashütte region for Tutima with a new state of the art Manufactory.  Today, in addition to the unveiling of four new collections they also launched a marvellous new website.  These are important milestones for Tutima, which I believe will bring them back to the forefront of their genre.

The Tutima M2 NATO Chronograph will be available with either titanium link bracelet or leather strap.

More details and history of this meritorious family-owned watchmaking company at the new Tutima website here.