If I had to define German watchmaking in general, I might call it “straightforward”. That’s not to say that German watchmaking is not complicated. Far from it - there are many quality German brands out there that have brought us some very elegant complications.

Rather by straightforward I’m referring to the idea that a watch just gets straight to the point, and gets on with business. To do so, of course, it needs to be based on a precise and reliable mechanism and defined by a clean design and excellent readability.

Mühle-Glashütte is one brand that ticks all of those boxes. Being in the industry in some form or another for around 150 years, experience seems to be paying dividends for the brand based in the southeastern German town of Glashütte.

The straightforward 29er Tag/Datum by Mühle-Glashütte

The watches coming out of the workshops from the independent watchmaker are representative of the strong Glashütte tradition of precision and reliability. No need to look further than the latest addition to the 29er collection to get a taste of that.

The new watch is a day-date model, simply named the 29er Tag/Datum. Doesn’t get more straightforward than that, right?

The design ethos behind the watch is all about achieving balance. Balance, of course, is a key element of sailing, which is the inspiration behind this watch. Balance is often the difference between sink or swim when it comes to sailing, so how does the new 29er Tag/Datum fare?

In terms of achieving balance, the watch designers have done very well indeed. The date and weekday displays, for instance, have been placed at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions – another example of the straightforward (literally) character of the 29er collection.

The watch is also quite harmonious in terms of its colourway. The brushed and polished stainless steel case is well sized, measuring in at just over 42mm in diameter. The case is also resistant up to 10 bars or 100m and comes with a matching textile strap, making it fit for a swim.

The metallic sand-coloured flange complements the transition from the anthracite face to the silver stainless steel case. It also gives the otherwise sporty watch a touch of elegance, making it a more versatile timepiece.

The new 29er Tag/Datum finds balance between sporty and elegant

On the inside we have the SW 220-1 automatic movement , which boasts the brand’s very own fine regulation system – the “woodpecker neck” regulator. It’s probably best name for a watch component out there today, but more importantly it helps with the durability of the timepiece.

The movement has quite a modest power reserve of 38 hours, and if the watch has any drawback, that might be it. But since this is a fine all-around watch that can be easily worn on a daily basis and for any occasion, it makes the power-reserve point moot.