【F】Hands-On With The Sternglas Berlin Automatic

Last year, Jorg reviewed the Berlin by the Hamburg-based brand Sternglas. Back then, it was a quartz-powered version of the watch inspired by the first train connection between Hamburg and Berlin, established in 1846. Now, the Sternglas Berlin is back, but it eschews the engraving on the case back commemorating the opening of the Berlin station in Hamburg. Instead, the watch features a sapphire-equipped display case back through which you can view the newly-fitted Japanese Miyota automatic movement.

In addition to the new movement, Sternglas introduced the Berlin Automatic with some new dial colors. For the quartz-powered version, you can choose between black, white, green, and sepia gold. The Berlin Automatic is available in an unplated stainless steel case with new copper or blue dials, as well as a gold-PVD-treated case with the same sepia-gold-tone dial as the quartz counterpart. Let’s see what else is new.

The Sternglas Berlin Automatic

Don’t worry; other than the new colors, the Berlin’s overall Bauhaus-style dress-watch design is still there. There are contrasting elongated “12” and “6” numerals and printed stick markers at all the other hours. The straight hands are beveled and match the case color. At the 3 o’clock position are two cutouts. One is for the day, and the other is for the date. And besides the “Sternglass Zeitmesser” signature on the dial’s upper half and the “Automatik” text on the bottom, there’s not much else to talk about except the color options.

As mentioned, for the regular stainless steel models, you can choose between dials in a sophisticated midnight blue or a more playful, salmon-like copper. The gold-PVD-treated gold version has the “sepia gold” (beige) dial we saw in the quartz version of the Berlin. All the dials feature the same grainy finish, which also gives them a nice shine depending on the lighting conditions. The matching color of the day and date wheels is a very nice finishing touch.

Still a 38mm case, but…

Then we get to talk about the new case. An automatic movement does need a bit more room than a quartz one. The Sternglas Berlin Automatic still has a 38mm diameter, but with a 14.5mm profile (including the double-domed sapphire crystal), it’s substantially thicker than the 10mm-thick quartz version. Luckily, though, the designers at Sternglas did a good job of masking the increase in thickness. The mid-case, to which the lugs are also attached, still feels very similar to that of the quartz version. So, to create the extra room for the movement, there’s now a bezel on top and a tapering case back.

The good thing is that the tapering case back sinks into your wrist almost entirely. In addition, it isn’t weird to see a watch with a bezel on top. Because of these factors, the increase in thickness isn’t very noticeable in person and on the wrist. This is good because you don’t want your dress watch to look like a thick dive watch, of course. It might occasionally require a bit more attention than the quartz version to let it slide underneath your cuff. However, with the fully polished, aerodynamically shaped case, that shouldn’t be too big a problem.

Another Miyota movement inside

The Sternglas Berlin Quartz came with a Miyota GM02 movement. The Berlin Automatic also houses a Miyota movement, but this time, it’s mechanical, of course. Caliber 8205 runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour, features 21 jewels, and has a 42-hour power reserve. Its accuracy is advertised as somewhere between -20 and +40 seconds per day. As mentioned, the movement and the unidirectional-winding rotor are visible through the new exhibition case back.

Comfortable on the wrist

The Sternglas Berlin Automatic sits comfortably on my 17cm wrist. The lugs have a 45mm span from tip to tip, and they slope downward nicely. In combination with its 38mm diameter, this makes the Berlin Automatic a well-proportioned watch. I also like the size of the crown. It’s big enough to easily grab when you need to, but it’s certainly not too big for the case.

The grainy beige, copper, and blue dials are also very nice to look at. They catch the light with a certain brilliance, adding an extra dimension to dressy Berlin. I could certainly do without the cutouts for the day and date, but they will come in handy in your busy schedule.

My favorite of the three dial colors is the blue one. I always feel like there aren’t many dress watches out there with a blue dial. It adds a contemporary look to an otherwise very classic genre. If you like a more classic look, though, the PVD version with the beige dial will be for you, and if you’re looking for something in between, the copper dial could be a great option.

A lot of automatic dress watch for the money

The new Sternglas Berlin Automatic costs €449 on either a brown or black cowhide leather strap with an embossed alligator-skin pattern. However, for that same price, you can also opt for a steel Milanese bracelet. I might spice it up a little with a more informal nubuck leather strap, but the standard options match the dress-watch vibes and dial colors. All in all, the Sternglas Berlin Automatic offers a lot of automatic dress watch for your money.

Let me know in the comments below whether you’d choose the quartz or the automatic version of the Sternglas Berlin. And is that because of the available dial colors or because one is powered by a battery and the other by the movement of your wrist?

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