Post by mamas on Apr 28, 2008 10:19:14 GMT -6
Introduction
A while ago when the new Steinhart Nav B uhr limited gold edition was announced i had my doubts.. I felt that the very ethos of the B-Uhr as a tool watch would sit uncomfortably in gold. And then i saw the pictures and knew i had to have one, this was much more subtle than i had imagined it to be and appear to exude class throughout.
Steinhart recently announced release of this limited edition (with 333 pieces produced) which is based on their succesful Nav-B Uhr.
The watch was shipped in a mahogany box of very high quality similar to their recent LE B-Uhr replica with a modified centre seconds unitas 6497. It has a plaque with the serial number of the watch and mine is number 4 of 333. It comes with 2 straps of very high quality and a gold starp changing tool.
Dial
The dial of this Nav B -Uhr is slightly different from the regular Nav B-Uhr in that it is completely sterile, without Steinhart's name on it or the model number. This makes the dial appear far more uncluttered in my view. The hands are similar in size / shape to the other hands but are plated in gold, rather than blued. The gold colour is very subtle and not in your face, it is a yellow gold and i would say doesnt look too 'gold' in real life. Again the dial work is excellent as one would expect from Steinhart and even under a loop the lume work is superb.
Case
Unlike the regular producton Nav B Uhr the case has a polished bezel but the remainder of the case is brushed. The polished bezel certainly adds a touch of class to the watch, making slightly less tool as a watch but without going over the top and making it too bling. As usual the case work is excellent and it is unbelievable that they can make a watch which exudes quality at such a price. The crytsal is a saphire crystal and gently slopes across the surface of the watch. As a comparison i have included my other Steinhart flieger with modified centre seconds unitas with a sand blasted case. The case back is SS and has the limited number engraved on it. It is a pity that the writing is not black, as i feel that would certainly improve the appearance of caseback although this is a minor point. The caseback crystal is also sapphire.
Movement
The movement is a unitas 6497 which has been plated in gold. It has blued screws and geneva stripes as decoration. The movement is absolutely stunning and the gold plating contrasts well with the blued screws. This is finished to the very highest standards and is a pleasure to watch.
here is a comparison shot with my other Steinhart:
Conclusions
Those in the market for such a watch will think whether to buy this or the regular Nav B Uhr (110 euro / $170 usd less). For the extra price are included an extra strap, a very high quality wood box aswell as a strap changing tool. I actually think that this Gold LE looks better than the regular Nav B Uhr, the gold is subtle and the watch exudes much more class. I would therefore heartily recommend this piece.
Final Thoughts
At the price of 460 euro / $715 the value for money of this piece is second to none. If this cost double the price i would have had no problems paying for it. Of importance to me is also the interaction with the manufacturer. Gunter Steinhart is a pleasure to deal with and a pleasure to buy his watches and support his business. I emailed him to say that the straps which came with the watch werent really my taste (i already had 1 anyway) and he let me choose any other strap i wanted.. and even though these cost more than the original ones he didnt charge me a surplus. He even sent me a complementary pen set as this is the third flieger i have bought from him.
He once told me that he could probably sell his watches for much more now that they have gained in popularity, but he wanted to sell good quality watches to collectors at a very fair price which i believe he has more than done so in this piece. There are not many watchmakers like this anymore.
A while ago when the new Steinhart Nav B uhr limited gold edition was announced i had my doubts.. I felt that the very ethos of the B-Uhr as a tool watch would sit uncomfortably in gold. And then i saw the pictures and knew i had to have one, this was much more subtle than i had imagined it to be and appear to exude class throughout.
Steinhart recently announced release of this limited edition (with 333 pieces produced) which is based on their succesful Nav-B Uhr.
The watch was shipped in a mahogany box of very high quality similar to their recent LE B-Uhr replica with a modified centre seconds unitas 6497. It has a plaque with the serial number of the watch and mine is number 4 of 333. It comes with 2 straps of very high quality and a gold starp changing tool.
Dial
The dial of this Nav B -Uhr is slightly different from the regular Nav B-Uhr in that it is completely sterile, without Steinhart's name on it or the model number. This makes the dial appear far more uncluttered in my view. The hands are similar in size / shape to the other hands but are plated in gold, rather than blued. The gold colour is very subtle and not in your face, it is a yellow gold and i would say doesnt look too 'gold' in real life. Again the dial work is excellent as one would expect from Steinhart and even under a loop the lume work is superb.
Case
Unlike the regular producton Nav B Uhr the case has a polished bezel but the remainder of the case is brushed. The polished bezel certainly adds a touch of class to the watch, making slightly less tool as a watch but without going over the top and making it too bling. As usual the case work is excellent and it is unbelievable that they can make a watch which exudes quality at such a price. The crytsal is a saphire crystal and gently slopes across the surface of the watch. As a comparison i have included my other Steinhart flieger with modified centre seconds unitas with a sand blasted case. The case back is SS and has the limited number engraved on it. It is a pity that the writing is not black, as i feel that would certainly improve the appearance of caseback although this is a minor point. The caseback crystal is also sapphire.
Movement
The movement is a unitas 6497 which has been plated in gold. It has blued screws and geneva stripes as decoration. The movement is absolutely stunning and the gold plating contrasts well with the blued screws. This is finished to the very highest standards and is a pleasure to watch.
here is a comparison shot with my other Steinhart:
Conclusions
Those in the market for such a watch will think whether to buy this or the regular Nav B Uhr (110 euro / $170 usd less). For the extra price are included an extra strap, a very high quality wood box aswell as a strap changing tool. I actually think that this Gold LE looks better than the regular Nav B Uhr, the gold is subtle and the watch exudes much more class. I would therefore heartily recommend this piece.
Final Thoughts
At the price of 460 euro / $715 the value for money of this piece is second to none. If this cost double the price i would have had no problems paying for it. Of importance to me is also the interaction with the manufacturer. Gunter Steinhart is a pleasure to deal with and a pleasure to buy his watches and support his business. I emailed him to say that the straps which came with the watch werent really my taste (i already had 1 anyway) and he let me choose any other strap i wanted.. and even though these cost more than the original ones he didnt charge me a surplus. He even sent me a complementary pen set as this is the third flieger i have bought from him.
He once told me that he could probably sell his watches for much more now that they have gained in popularity, but he wanted to sell good quality watches to collectors at a very fair price which i believe he has more than done so in this piece. There are not many watchmakers like this anymore.
thanks for sharing this with us!
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