A manual wind classic chronograph with a white and shiny enamel lacquered dial surface, railway minute track, beautiful black arabic numerals, bluish hands, stainless steel case, made in Glashütte, Saxony, Germany. “Not bad … yes, sure, I am fine with it, I will take one.

Holy shit, that costs as much as a year’s salary, a used car or a small flat?” I guess that’s not going to happen after all. Instead, I will go out for a good dinner, console myself, look out for other collecting passions and try to stop thinking about watches from the Glashütte region in Saxony. “Wrong, why?” “Because there is the Union Glashütte 1893 Johannes Dürrstein Edition Chronograph.”

The reference number of this watch is as long as a sentence or many average German words: D007.459.16.017.00 (there is something of James Bond in it). If you like to impress other people with your knowledge of reference numbers, you are perfectly equipped with this. But it is worth being taken into account. The Union Glashütte 1893 Johannes Dürrstein Edition Chronograph either in stainless steel or in 18k rose gold is a vintage inspired modern watch.

Handaufzug, Chronograph, Date Window

To my taste the Union Glashütte 1893 Chronograph is a large and good looking watch. Johannes Dürrstein is the Founder of the Union Glashütte company (in the year 1893; today Union is part of the Swatch Group). The Union chronograph is very similar to the beautiful 1815 flyback chronograph (second execution “Empty Dial”) from A. Lange & Söhne also made in Glashütte. The Union chronograph however, costs a fraction of the amazing neighbour and can be purchased without any waiting time.

You can see the manual winding movement cal. UNG-59.S1 through a glass caseback. The movement is based on the Valjoux 7760 and equipped with a silicone (silicium) hairspring for today’s taste to achieve anti-magnetism. And this is very practical because our smartphones, tablets and notebooks or some of our backpacks are fully equipped with strong magnets and the hairspring of our watches are really in danger in this neighbourhood. The 1893 chronograph is available in stainless steel (3.100,00 Euro) and also in 18 k rose gold (11.000,00 Euro).

A little superfluous and for some people also a little annoying are the many words written on the dial of some watches. On the Union dial we can read “Handaufzug” – (German for manual wind) and “Chronograph”. In my opinion the dial might look even better without this. A big pro: the design of the date(-window) is very well solved. It has no frame, the background colour is as white as the dial and the typo fits very well to the overall design of the Union watch. You can clearly identify and read the date without disturbing the overall dial-design. So many other brands fail in this task.

Yes or No?

If you flip through the following criteria, you might find the answer to the “Is-the-1893-Union-Chronograph-Johannes-Dürrstein-Edition-the-Right-Watch-for-me-Question”:

1 You like German watches made in Glashütte, Saxony, Germany.
2 A clear white enamel-looking dial is the perfect design for you.
3 You like large size modern dimensions for a classic wristwatch.
4 You prefer manual wind movements over automatic calibers.
5 Your budget does not allow Glashütte Original, A. Lange & Söhne or Moritz Grossmann.
6 You need a date indication on your modern wristwatch.
7 You are done with dive watches and sports chronographs.
8 You like traditional German brands.
9 You are “Ok” with 21 mm lug width for finding strap alternatives.
10 You do not always need “10” reasons to decide on a watch.