Union Glashütte Belisar Datum Sport — A Classic Diver

It seems to be new release season for much of the Swatch Group and with the announcement of the new Union Glashütte Belisar Datum Sport, the German maker has also gotten in on the act. Today’s focus just happens to be a large 45mm diver with strong legible looks and an approachable price level.

The Belisar Datum Sport Comes in One Variant

As of now, the Union Glashütte Belisar Datum Sport is only available with a black dial and matching sapphire crystal bezel. It’s a safe starting point for a brand that usually focuses on a different style of watch. Conveniently, the brand will supply two different 22mm-wide straps with the watch. Both use quick release spring bars for easy changing. For sporty activities, black rubber makes sense. The vintage brown leather can be substituted for slightly dressier occasions. Regarding the dial design, there’s little to complain about here. The watch leans on traditional dive watch styling with a healthy dose of Super-LumiNova on the dial, hands, and bezel. I even like the somewhat understated addition of the contrasting date wheel just above 6 o’clock.

Rubber-Coated Flanks

At first glance, the new Union Glashütte Belisar Datum Sport looks like a rather traditional dive watch from the front. Inspecting the watch in profile, however, tells a different story. Like all Belisar collection models, Union adds screwed-on flanks. This time, they’re coated in black rubber. Pleasingly, this differentiates this model from a sea of similar dive pieces. Design elements of this nature live or die on the quality of execution. I had the opportunity to witness these plates on the Belisar Moon Phase and I found them to be very well made. Plus, they added something that stood out from the competition.

Other Specifications

As far as other particulars, the Union Glashütte Belisar Datum Sport water-resistant to 200 meters. Ensuring this is a screw-down crown and a threaded display case back. Speaking of the latter, the Union employs its UNG-07.S1 — an evolution of the stalwart ETA 2892. A silicon hairspring and an increased 60-hour power-reserve set this movement apart from the base caliber. An anti-reflective sapphire lens (coated on both sides) matches with the sapphire bezel insert.

Final Thoughts and Pricing

At 45mm in Diameter, the Union Glashütte Belisar Datum Sport is no shrinking violet.  And while this watch would certainly be too large for me, I do realize that there are those who either favor a large watch or wear one out of necessity. Thankfully, Union kept the height of the watch down to just a hair over 12mm. Therefore, it should work well as a daily driver. At €1,980/£1,800, the new Union diver is an intriguing choice.  I’d wager that potential buyers would find themselves impressed with the overall finishing, which goes a long way towards justifying the price. For more information on the Union Glashütte Belisar Datum Sport, visit the official Union site.