As we will all know by now, the world of stainless steel dive watches is very saturated. Many brands simply copy the formula of making a watch with a 39-43mm case size, add on a colorful ceramic bezel with a factory automatic movement, and put it on the shelf to sell.
Sternglas offer something different from this typical format. The Marus is a divers watch that follows German Bauhaus design principles, but is still original enough not to be overlooked. To make a long story short, it is both good quality and a well-designed watch given the price. Of course, it is not made to the same standard as the Rolex Submariner or the Omega Seamaster, but it is a lot better than typical fashion divers watches.
Table of Contents
About Sternglas
Sternglas are a modern watch brand that was founded in 2016. Like many other watchmakers from this era, Sternglas found its breakthrough from crowdfunding. However, Sternglas have not stayed at this stage and are now a legitimate company, stocking their watches at many boutiques throughout the world.
They manufacture both quartz and automatic watches at a series of different price points which are friendly to most budgets.
As a style, Sternglas stick to Bauhaus, since this is consistent with the brand identity. If you are unfamiliar with the brand Sternglas, they could be considered as a cheaper alternative to Junghans.
Dial
The dial of the Marus is very plain and simple. As you will see, it has very basic hour indicators with no over-the-top design. The benefits of this are clear in that you can instantly tell the time and are not overwhelmed by ostentatious colors and numbers.
Underneath the Sternglas name, you will see the word “Zeitmesser”. This is a common print on Sternglas watches and can be found on the bracelet as well. For those of us that do not speak German, this simply means “Timepiece” when translated.
Perhaps the main drawback of the Marus is the hands. Both the hours and seconds hand are manufactured to a very similar length and shape. This was almost certainly intentional since it fits the consistency of Bauhaus design, but it could be annoying if reading the dial at night.
What you may not notice from the photo alone is that Sternglas have chosen to use a domed crystal, which is unusual but very welcome for a dive watch. It should be noted that this is a sapphire crystal and not a cheap mineral glass – so scratches will not really be an issue.
Crown
Not a typical dive watch crown. Granted, it does have a knurled finish, which is extremely practical and should really be a staple on all dive watches. But you can clearly see that this watch is not really meant for diving. The fact it has no crown guards should be a giveaway that this is supposed to be worn as a dress watch.
The Sternglas logo is etched onto the side of the crown which can be viewed in the image above. Once again, this minimalist logo is consistent with the brand identity and looks very at home.
Case Design & Case Back
In terms of the case, the sizing is on point for a dive watch. 42mm is slightly larger than you may expect, but remember that this watch does not have oversized lugs or an obnoxious bezel, so it doesn’t look overly large when worn on the wrist.
The shape of the case is relatively flat but curved enough so that it won’t be an awkward fit on your wrist. Observational viewers will have also noticed that the bezel is knurled. This is handy if you have wet hands since it is easy to get a grip if you wish to rotate it.
Perhaps my second favorite part of the Marus is the caseback. It is very original and isn’t too loud when compared to something like an exhibition caseback.
The strange lines you will see are actually a map of a seabed – which keeps the theme of a dive watch throughout the design. Around the outer case there are various specifications listed about the watch such as where it was made (Hamburg), the case size, and the fact it uses sapphire glass.
Bracelet
The bracelet is an excellent and underused design when it comes to dive watches. Considering it is made of stainless steel, it is very lightweight when compared to a traditional steel-like bracelet since it is much more streamlined and thin.
One final point is that the Marus also has quick-release pins which are very handy if you don’t have watchmaking tools at home. You will not have to risk scratching the case and digging the pins out if you want to remove the bracelet.
Movement
For the Sternglas Marus, a Miyota 8215 is used. Some may find this disappointing since it is used by brands such as Rotary and Invicta. However, given the price of the Marus, this is pretty fair, given that you’re getting a well-made German watch for under $500. The movement is not really the selling point of the watch anyway, since the case and design are made to a much higher standard than fashion watches.
In terms of accuracy, the 8215 is listed at between -20 and +40 seconds per day, although this is pretty much Japanese modesty. I do not own timegraph equipment, but I have never noticed anywhere near 40 seconds discrepancy on this watch. It should also be noted that the Miyota 8215 has a 40 hour power reserve, which is not the best, but decent enough for the price.
Where To Buy
The Sternglas Marus can be purchased from the official Sternglas website here. Alternatively, you may be able to pick up an occasional bargain on eBay like I did. The Marus doesn’t appear too often at auction, but when it does you do get a chance of a discount.
