Sternglas Lumatik Watch Review | Bauhaus Beauty (or the Beast)?
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Sternglas is proud to announce that they are not a luxury brand - and they don't want to be. Rather, they prefer to prioritize good design for a fair price - definitely a philosophy I can get behind. They are also a company that is refreshingly transparent about its components' sources - combining a mixture of Swiss, Japanese, and Chinese suppliers of movements, components and assembly, with German Design, Strap manufacture and Quality Control.
Credit: cdn.shopify.com
It's also refreshing to note that Sternglas has done its due diligence in selecting suppliers based not just on their price or technical prowess, but also on high standards of healthy and safe working environments, fair wages, and workers' rights. (Spaghetti Scametti should take note!)
In terms of aesthetics, Functionalism is a guiding principle in the German Bauhaus design language - which Sternglas leans into heavily. It makes sense then, that Sternglas expanded their functional repertoire to include low-light legibility, thanks to the dual-tone luminova of the Lumatik range.
Sternglas Lumatik Review
Available on several different straps, the Lumatik series features a fully polished stainless steel case, with either “Elegant Beige” or light blue dials. The well-sized 38mm case is rounded in profile and has small modern lugs. A double-domed sapphire crystal sits above a relatively large dial aperture - thanks to its thin bezel.
On the reverse, a display sapphire caseback showcases Miyota's 8315 automatic winding movement. The caseback uses 6-screws to fasten to the case which is unusual and I can imagine might cause some serious headaches if you over-tighten and thread one of the tiny screws. Water resistance is a modest 50m - which is ok for a dressier watch like this.
Dial
On the pearlescent dial is a printed black 1/5th sub-second scale skirting the exterior of the display - seconds are highlighted with elongated markers - very Bauhaus. Printed Orange lume pips are bordered in white and complement the printed, lumed 3-dimensional effect Arabic hour numerals.
At 6 o'clock sits a basic date window with black text on a white background. The simple, pencil-shaped handset is painted in matte black, with orange lume infills for the hour and minute hands, and a red painted section at the end of the seconds hand. The push-pull crown is engraved with the Sternglas logo, and manually winds up the power reserve in position 0, changes the date in position 1, and hacks the seconds for time setting in position 2.
The case is functional without being too flashy - there aren't any bevels or contrasting finishes to speak of, it's just a rounded case, displaying a circular dial.
Strap & Dimensions
Where it does get a little flashy is with the white canvas strap with dark leather accents and branded genuine leather backing. The strap is made in Germany, feels supple from new, and seems to be of good quality. It's perhaps a little too flashy for my taste, and the tone doesn't really match either the very beige dial or the bright white hour numerals.
The watch sits quite prominently on the wrist, and wears larger than the 38mm case diameter might suggest thanks to the minimal bezel and wide open 35mm dial aperture. For reference, my 39mm Explorer has a 32mm dial aperture, so you can understand how much real-estate this design brings to the dial. The numerals are relatively small for the large expanse of dial face and text is reserved to just 3 lines. The large swathe of negative space accentuates the feeling that this watch is larger than it is.
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Case Diameter: |
38.3mm |
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Case Thickness (Incl. Crystal): |
13.3mm |
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Lug-to-Lug Distance: |
42.5mm |
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Face Aperture: |
35mm |
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Accuracy: |
-20/+40s/d quoted (Measured 7s/d) |
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Water Resistance: |
5atm/50m |
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RRP: |
€499EUR |
What I liked
The 3-dimensional effect of the printed numerals was quite effective when combined with the pearlescent sheen of the dial. When the dial picks up light and appears brighter, the black 'shadow' of the font contrasts with the lighter background and frames the numerals well. When the dial appears darker, the whites of the font become more dominant and highlight the text. It's a neat effect and makes the dial readable in those two extremes.
Regardless of the level of finishing of an automatic movement, I very much enjoy being able to view the escapement working away through a display caseback. This Miyota movement has geneva-stripe style decoration on the main plate and a very clear view of both the balance wheel, pallet fork, and escapement wheel. Often the pallet fork is obstructed in lower-end movements, but you can see it flicking backwards and forwards quite easily within the 8315. The finishing is still relatively basic, but the magic of a mechanical movement is always interesting enough to capture the attention for a second or two.
Using the uprated Miyota 8315 with 60-hour power reserve over the 8215 (42 hours) is something Sternglas celebrate. Indeed - the reason the "60" second numeral on the dial is printed in red rather than black, is to recognize the 60-hour capability of Miyota's longest-running movement - a fun little easter egg. Such a lengthy power reserve is particularly useful for a watch that may be used more as a work/office watch during the week, and left in the watchbox over the weekend. 60 hours gets you from Friday afternoon to Monday morning with plenty left in the tank to keep it accurate.
What I didn’t like
The 3-dimensional font of the hour numerals didn't feel as minimalist as I expect Bauhaus dials to be. My wife said the watch looked cheap because of the numerals - as if they were trying to be something they're not. I think she's onto something there. They're quirky, but they didn't suit the overall aesthetic of the watch.
When the dial is square on and it's neither reflecting nor absorbing light, the small size of the Arabic numerals means they get lost on the creamy background quite easily. In the same scenario, the dayglow orange lume pips don't help matters. So I found myself being entirely reliant on the angles of the heavy black hands to tell the time, rather than using the hour numerals. This is not entirely in keeping with the Bauhaus mantra of functionality over form.
The red tip on the black seconds felt out of place to me. I guess it was supposed to be part of the fanfare celebrating the use of the Miyota 8315 movement, and complimenting the red 60 on the dial. But I found the red 60 was relatively unnoticeable and more noticeable was the clash between red seconds tip and orange lume. From a brand that is supposed to be heavily design-led, I did not find these clashing colors very appealing. One of the other would have been a cleaner solution.
Though highly legible, the black hands felt more sporty than dressy, which didn't fit the character of the watch. The dial color, case and lugs were more classical looking, whilst the handset has a far more modern vibe.
The canvas strap with leather accents is better made than the average affordable strap. But the off-white color is highly susceptible to marks from dirt and sweat, and I expect will age pretty quickly as a result. As an obvious “office” watch I would think this strap is best reserved for those immaculate types who clean their keyboard each day and find comfort in pocket protectors. However, if like me, you can’t look at a bolognese without splattering it down your shirt, you may be better off opting for one of the dark leather straps or the Milanese metal bracelet.
The strap was quite long. On my 6.5-inch wrist, I had to use the second from the last pin-buckle hole and had a significant tag-end as a result. This caused some snagging on cuffs and didn't look great.
Whilst lug shape does angle downwards, they are fixed relatively high on the case which isn't ideal for a timepiece arguably designed to be worn under cuffs. It could wear better if the lugs were dropped a few mm lower - allowing them to follow the contour of the wrist and reduce the risk of snagging on clothes.
Alternatives
When it comes to modern German Bauhaus-inspired watches, two brands jump to mind: Nomos and Junghans (Max Bill series). Though several times the price of the Sternglas, if you're unfamiliar with minimalist watch design, be sure to check these manufacturers out as they provide a masterclass in modernist watch design.
Slightly more affordable than Nomos is Stowa, who offer Swiss (rather than Japanese) movements in their dedicated Bauhaus collection. The Antea Classic 365 is well worth a look if you're in the market for a handsome watch for the office.
For those who like the clean lines of this modernist design language, but want a more rugged watch, Aevig offer a minimalist field watch; the Corvid. This combines a sports watch case with Bauhaus-designed dials. Though at the time of writing, these are sold out, it's certainly worth posting your interest.
At this price point, Sternglas has truly cornered the market of affordable, Bauhaus timepieces. My pick of the Sternglas collection would be the Naos Pro - previously featured on In The Loupe. With a considerably thinner case than the Lumatik at 9mm and a clearer approach to the color palette, I think this is a winner. RRP $799 USD.
Conclusion
Whilst the classical case and dial work well together, the modern handset feels less "elegant" than the subtle beige background they sit upon. The 3D numerals are unusual and often not used on modern watches. They distract from the otherwise minimalist design.
As an enthusiast, I welcome these little quirks, but the watch is not as attractive as some of the more distilled models in Sternglas' catalog. They could have embraced bold colors and lume without the funky numerals and had a winner on their hands. A quick look at the Nomos site clearly demonstrates how well modernist functionality combines with fun color palettes through Bauhaus design language. The light blue version of this model is a step in the right direction, but still, the 3D numerals irk me.
Overall, I found Sternglas refreshing as a company, and I very much like their design direction. The Lumatik might not be the watch for me, but I'll certainly be keeping an eye on future offerings from the Haus of Sternglas.