One of my favorite new “line extensions” (a new version of an existing watch) at Baselworld 2019 was the green-dialed version of the Tutima Flieger 6105. The Green-dialed model (reference 6105-30) supplement’s the existing but still fresh Tutima Flieger 6105-03 with dark brown dial. What I really like about the new Tutima Flieger collection isn’t just the good tool watch looks with the fashionable dial color, but also the excellent price to quality ratio for an under $2,000 price.
Almost a decade ago now Glashutte-based Tutima was on a high-end kick. The historic German maker of military and pilot watches was beginning to produce their own in-house movements and with the Homage and Patria watch collections was aiming at the $20,000 and up price segment for luxury timepieces. Things have normalized again and Tutima still offers their excellent in-house made movements in the Patria collection of timepieces, but is also really focused on good-value tool watches with daily wear appeal. The Tutima Flieger (aviator) is one of the best examples of this, and it isn’t even their lowest-price watch.
The Tutima Flieger Green 6105-30 has a very well-finished steel case that is 41mm wide and fitted to a very handsome “President-style” steel bracelet. Also available with the Flieger Green is a matching green with black piping leather strap option. Inside the watch is a base Swiss ETA 2824-2 automatic movement, which is modified and regulated in-house at Tutima and then rebranded as their caliber 330. One of the modifications they do is replace the stock rotor with one that has an 18k gold Tutima brand seal on it. The case is water resistant to 100 meters and is capped with an AR-coated sapphire crystal.
In pictures the combination of green with red and white looks a bit too bold in my opinion. With that said, in reality the gradient green dial mostly takes over and the Flieger 6105-30 in person looks very handsome. As a tool watch the pilot-style hands and hour markers offer excellent contrast against the face making for great legibility. The date window is neatly and symmetrically located at 6 o’clock on the dial. Overall proportions such as the length of the hands and comfort on the wrist are very high. Tutima and other German sport watch makers often get it right on ergonomics in ways that the Swiss often seem to forget (depending on the brand of course). At this price level however I feel that German tool-style watches offer much more bang for your buck that most similarly-priced Swiss watches.
Even though the Flieger 6105 is an aviator-style watch, I think it has massive universal appeal – assuming you can pull off green. With that said, from a trend perspective in watches circa 2019, “green is the new blue,” so I think we will see a lot more green watches before we see less of them. Tutima is really pulling from a historic, classic good dial design and making it a bit more contemporary and inspired for daily use. In a lot of ways this is a fashion watch given the assortment of design elements, but one from a serious tool watch maker and one where as an enthusiast I do no feel is at all over-priced. It thus takes a rather experienced and sophisticated disposition toward timepiece to fully appreciate the appeal of what Tutima is offering with the Flieger Green 6105-30, but at the very least novices to the hobby who purchase one of these will know they are getting a “nerd-approved” timepiece. Price for the reference 6105-30 Tutima Flieger Green watch is $1,650 USD on the strap and $1,950 USD on the steel bracelet. Learn more at the Tutima website here.
