29er Big — South Sea Blue Dial / Black Pigskin

Black leather takes the holiday out of a South Sea blue dial and makes it work on a Tuesday. The petrol rehaut still glows blue-green at the edge of the 29er Big's face, but the overall effect is considerably more formal. Mühle-Glashütte offers this dial on four different bands.

Sailing gave the model its name: the 29er dinghy is the youth class that feeds the Olympic 49er, and Mühle drew the watch in 2006 as a way into Glashütte watchmaking. Six generations of the family have now run the firm, which began in 1869 making precision measuring instruments.

The steel case is 42.4 mm across and 11.3 mm tall, with sapphire above and below and 10 bar of pressure resistance. The blue dial carries applied luminous indices and a date at 3 o'clock; the 22 mm black pigskin strap closes on a steel pin buckle. The SW 200-1, Version Mühle automatic supplies 41 hours and stop-seconds, and is assembled, finished and regulated in Glashütte.

Blue dials rarely look this serious, which is entirely the strap's doing.

Perfect for: blue dial leather strap watches, business casual wear, larger German automatics.