Dress watch purists will tell you that a dress watch should be simple – a clean dial, simple handset, no luminous material, and paired to a leather strap. That might be overly restrictive to some, so the eye casts about to see what twists are available on that formula. You may go looking for tasteful complications added to the mix, and that’s where a watch like the Mühle-Glashütte Teutonia IV Mondphase come into play.
I’ve handled watches from Mühle-Glashütte before, but this is the first moonphase I’ve seen from them in person. That’s ok, as I’ve got a friend who’s become interested in moonphase watches, so I’ve been paying more attention to the complication. On this watch, the complication takes it’s normal spot above 6 o’clock, with a disc to display the moon in it’s phases. This is a reasonably realistic depiction, and the disc is geared to make a full revolution every 59 days. That means (with the two moons printed on it) you’ll have things kept on track for the 29.5 day cycle the moon phases go in.
While the moonphase window on the Mühle-Glashütte Teutonia IV Mondphase is smaller than we’ve seen on some other watches as of late, it’s still quite legible. In fact, while a larger window can make a visual splash, this more restrained take fits more with the classic dress watch looks we’ve got going on here. Likewise with the date display, or even the text printed on the dial. It’s there, it’s just enough to get the job done without distracting from the clean look. This allows the eye to appreciate the debossed circle around the edge of the dial, the polished and beveled indices, and especially the very lovely blued handset that spins over the top of the crisp white dial.
All of this is tucked into a steel case with mostly polished surfaces (primarily what you see on top) with vertical brushing done on the case sides, which is a nice effect, and breaks up the profile a bit. On the reverse of the 41mm case, you’ve got a sapphire crystal (matching the one up front, which has a superb AR coating on it) to give you a view of the movement. In this case, the Mühle-Glashütte Teutonia IV Mondphase is relying on a Sellita SW-280 movement with a woodpecker neck regulation, and a custom, blue rotor. It is worth noting that the movement has “only” a 38-hour power reserve, so you’ll want to keep this one wound if you’re not into looking up the moon phases to reset things every time you wear the watch.
While the Mühle-Glashütte Teutonia IV Mondphase does have a bracelet option, our loaner came paired to a very nice leather strap. It was somewhere between a matte and polished finish, but the reverse of the strap is the magical part. Here, you’ve got a sueded blue surface, which gives an unexpected pop of color, along with a little more comfort against the wrist. Just beware of testing out that 100m WR rating with the leather strap, as I’m sure the suede would soak the water up.
If you’re looking to dress up your celestial tracking game, you can pick up the Mühle-Glashütte Teutonia IV Mondphase for $2,699 on the leather strap – as shown here – or $2,799 on the matched steel bracelet. Either way you go, you’ll have a subtle twist on the classic dress watch, albeit one with proportions that manage to keep things simultaneously reserved and legible. In other words, definitely would recommend this to the moon phase enthusiasts out there. muehle-glashuette.de
Review Summary
- Brand & Model: Mühle-Glashütte Teutonia IV Mondphase
- Price: $2,699 (on leather) / $2,799 (on bracelet)
- Who’s it for? You like your dress watches understated and complicated
- Would I wear it? Indeed I would – though keeping that moonphase running would be it’s own challenge
- What I’d change: Wonder if a cyclops could be snuck under the hands, right in the date window itself
- The best thing about it: Crisp lines enhanced by pops of blue
Tech Specs from Mühle-Glashütte
- Movement: SW 280-1 Mühle Version, automatic, Mühle version with woodpecker neck regulation, own rotor, characteristic surface finishes, stop-second, fast date and moon phase correction, 38-hr power reserve,
- Case [image:B91B66B2-7A63-4754-9B3D-FA67E0D948DC-59872-000215E41BC5FA68/unknown.gif]
- Brushed/polished stainless steel
- Transparent case back
- Screw-in crown
- Water-resistant: to 10 bar
- Crystal: Domed, anti-glare sapphire crystal,
- Strap: Leather or stainless steel strap with stainless steel butterfly clasp, Screwed strap attachment bridges
- Dimensions : Ø 41.0 mm; H 12.6 mm
- Dial : White, Applied indices, Blued hands
- Limitation: blue anodized anniversary rotor included
