Review: Sternglas Tachymeter Black (S01-TY03-MO11)

As you must be used to by now, we at The Watch Resource are always looking to introduce and highlight timepieces with exciting and unique features, from brands we love and recommend to all watch enthusiasts. This never-ending journey brought us to today’s contender, the Sternglas Tachymeter.

Specs:

Ref # S01-TY03-MO11
Movement: Quartz
Caliber: Miyota 0S20
Case Width: 42 mm
Lug Distance: 20 mm
Lug-to-Lug Distance: 50 mm
Price: Around $300

Sternglas: The Brand

Sternglas, founded by Dustin Fontaine, stemmed from his early exposure to watches while working at a watch factory at the age of 16. Initially responsible for tasks like changing watch straps and other behind-the-scenes operational work, this experience ignited his passion for classic timepieces.

At 21, Dustin set his sights on creating his own brand of unique minimalist Bauhaus style watches, offered at affordable prices. Despite encountering several obstacles during his initial attempts to start the brand, he persevered, refusing to let go of his dream.

While working as a web designer, Dustin’s desire to establish his own watch brand never waned. In 2016, he felt an overwhelming sense of “now or never” and dedicated himself to finalizing the watch designs, crafting the logo, and launching a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Since then, Sternglas has experienced an unrelenting momentum, growing into a team of over 20 dedicated employees. Their popularity continues to soar as they consistently produce fresh and innovative designs.

Sternglas Tachymeter Black: Overview

Sternglas is a new brand that’s quickly becoming popular with their Bauhaus watches. While the Sternglas Tachymeter displays some minimalist design elements, it is truly a sporty chronograph. The 42 mm case width and 50 mm lug-to-lug distance, this watch is perfect for mid-size wrists, but could look good on smaller wrists as well as the thickness measures at only 10 mm, resulting in a more elegant look overall. The dial doesn’t have Arabic or Roman numerals, and for a touch of dynamism the yellow accent color is incorporated, which we absolutely love.

The movement is a Miyota 0S20 quartz movement.

Specs:

Ref # S01-TY03-MO11
Movement: Quartz
Caliber: Miyota 0S20
Case Width: 42 mm
Lug Distance: 20 mm
Lug-to-Lug Distance: 50 mm
Price: Around $300

Dial

The black dial itself combines the sporty look with Sternglas’ signature minimalism really well. As mentioned earlier, no Roman or Arabic numerals are used for the hour markers, instead we have elegant rectangular shapes, therefore our attention remains on the center of the dial.

We have three subdials with a small overlap, and additionally, two of the subdials (the 24-hour subdial, and the seconds subdial) are gray. The 60-minute subdial at the 9 o’clock position has the same black color as the main dial, however its hand has a bright yellow color to counterbalance the two gray subdials. Additionally, this yellow hand plays well with the yellow curve at the edge of the dial, and the chronograph hand.

The date window is agreeably located at the 6 o’clock position to maintain the visual balance.

The hour and minute hands use a classic syringe design, stepping out of the minimalist design elements, and tapping into the classic solutions.

An overall tasteful design that has plenty of dynamism due to the vibrant secondary yellow color, while maintaining an understated overall appearance.

Bezel

The fixed tachymeter bezel is something we usually see on chronographs, and Sternglas decided not to experiment with this. Instead, they created a black bezel that functions as a perfect extension of the dial, creating a connected union between dial and bezel. What can we say, we are die-hard fans of classic solutions!

Case

The Sternglas Tachymeter has a case width of 42 mm and a 50 mm lug-to-lug distance, therefore the watch can look pretty substantial on the wrist, which is to be expected with sports watches. However, the thickness of the case is only 10 mm, which is thinner than most sports watches, so it won’t have a bulky appearance.

Fun fact, the back of the Tachymeter has the Furka Pass engraved. The Furka Pass is a world-famous pass in the Swiss Alps, at an altitude of 2,429 meters, and is considered extremely difficult to navigate and demands a high degree of skill from even experienced drivers.

Finishing off the case is the reliable flat sapphire glass with double anti-reflective coating, providing great scratch-resistance.

Movement

The Sternglas Tachymeter comes with the OS20 quartz movement, manufactured by the esteemed Japanese company Miyota. At the 3 o’clock position, a 24-hour subdial is present, while the date function seamlessly integrates into the continuously running second hand at 6 o’clock. When the chronograph button is activated, the hand on the 9 o’clock sub-dial displays elapsed minutes.

Strap

The Tachymeter comes with a beautifully tanned leather strap that is made in Germany, by a Bavarian manufacturer. A simple and elegant choice that perfectly complements the overall look of the watch. Additionally, the strap comes with a quick-release system, therefore if you want to change the strap you can take it off with ease, no tools required.

Pros and Cons

Let’s take a look at the summary of pros and cons, in our humble opinion:

Pros

Great combination of Sternglas’ minimalist style and a sporty look.
Very comfortable wear.
Great quality watch and movement, at an affordable price
Low maintenance due to the reliable quartz movement.

Cons:

The water resistance of 50 meters could be underwhelming for some.
The 50 mm lug-to-lug distance might be slightly big for more delicate wrists.

Summary: Takeaway and Final Thoughts About Sternglas Tachymeter

We love how Sternglas was able to combine their signature Bauhaus style with a more rugged aesthetic of a sports watch. The Tachymeter represents the best of both worlds: a true chronograph with a sporty appearance, combined with understated elegance due to minimalist design elements. The slight overlap between the subdials, the different shades of two of the subdials counterbalanced by a bright yellow hand are just the right amount of visual dynamism.

Sternglas is quickly and deservedly becoming a popular brand, and we love to see them branching out and experimenting with new designs.

Specs:

Ref # S01-TY03-MO11
Movement: Quartz
Caliber: Miyota 0S20
Case Width: 42 mm
Lug Distance: 20 mm
Lug-to-Lug Distance: 50 mm
Price: Around $300

Other Variations of the Sternglas Tachymeter

If you like the overall design the the Tachymeter, but you’re interested in other color combinations, you’re in luck! Sternglas created two other variations: