Debaufre NAV. B-Uhr GMT - Watch News and Reviews - Time Tech Talk

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Debaufre NAV. B-Uhr GMT

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Posted: Sun Jul 25th, 2010 07:44 pm

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KenC
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Joined:	Sun Sep 4th, 2005
Location:	Florida &, Arizona USA
Posts:	11288
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Review of the Debaufre Nav. B-Uhr GMT

So everyone knows I’ve been “jonesing” for the Debaufre NAV. B-Uhr GMT since I first saw the pictures on the website well over a year ago…and a month or so ago, they had a Scratch & Dent sale, in which hardly anything is ever scratched or dented. I haven’t done a review in a long time…so here goes! First, the obvious specs from the website:

Movement:            ETA 2893
Movement Type:        Automatic
Case:    316L stainless steel
Crown:                         Diamond Cut
Glass:                           Sapphire glass, internal anti-reflective coating
Lume:                           Super-LumiNova on hands
Caseback:                    Screw-down
Diameter:                    44mm
Including Crown:        49.5mm
Thickness:                   14mm
Interhorn:         22mm
Lug-to-Lug:         52.5mm
Weight:                        4.9 ounces

I own a few Debaufre (nee Steinhart) and still retain the old MACH1 DD2020 Chronograph and the beautiful Wings Of Gold Pilot. My NAV came in a very nice leather box with warranty card inside. On opening the box, I found the NAV-B GMT to be everything I had hoped for…absolutely stunning in its simplicity and classic look. The fit & finish is as good as anything I have. Now I know that you with Rolex will gasp in disbelief, but I own Rolex also (Gold Presidential & TT GMT Master II), so I do have an actual point of comparison.

I was initially leery of the crown as I am not usually a fan of “Diamond Cut” crowns. They are typically too small making it difficult to wind the watch at start up and cutting into my fingers, …but this one I like! This crown is sized just right. It is 9mm in diameter and extends 5mm out from the case. It is easy to grasp and extend for setting the time and large enough to easily wind and has a “flat” spot at the top outer edge so that it does not cut into fingers…not to mention, in perfect proportion to the massive case.

Most of you know that I am not a “BIG WATCH” kinda guy and that 44mm/45mm is my absolute limit. At 44mm this watch fits into those acceptable (to me) limits, but for you guys that like them larger, I can assure you that this timepiece visually wears much larger than it is due to the fact that the face is almost all dial at 39mm showing.

From a readability standpoint, the dial is perfect, both for those with bad eyesight and for true pilots (and I am a licensed/instrument rated pilot - with bad eyesight ). If you are a pilot, the GMT complication is perfect as, you know, all flight plans (world-wide) are filed in GMT/ZULU format. The watch uses a true ETA 2893 GMT movement with a 24-hour inner dial designating the GMT (or any 2^nd time zone) with a very readable red hand with “arrowhead” pointer. The outer dial has large Arabic numerals and hash marks for each hour with smaller hash markers for ticking off each minute…and speaking of minutes, my experience is that the watch is accurate to within COSC standards running at +6 seconds per day while wearing it. As for the hands, they are a beautiful fired blue with great (green) lume on the hands and good lume on both the inner and outer dial…it stays readable all night

I am a “strap kinda guy” on pilot watches (and bracelets on Divers), so I will probably ultimately mount this beautiful timepiece on a strap, but for you bracelet lovers, let me point out that this stainless steel bracelet is second to none. It is the thick 4mm stainless that we have come to expect on quality timepieces and Debaufre did not disappoint us here. It has solid, fitted end pieces that are mounted to the lugs by spring pins, however, the rest of the bracelet is mounted to the end pieces with screws as are all of the adjustment links including 2 half links for micro fitting. It has one of the best butterfly deployant clasps I have owned and its “signature” does not interfere with the closure of the clasp as so many do.

The watch back is what you would expect from a Debaufre NAV B-Uhr…solid and engraved with the picture of a WWII pilot. The crystal is sapphire with outstanding AR Coating.

Bottom Line (as I like to say)…IT IS A KEEPER!

That said, let me address customer service…while there was some confusion, and perhaps, a ball or two dropped during the transition and change of ownership several months ago, let me state emphatically that in my opinion and experience, Debaufre Customer Service has quickly brought back the excellent standards to which we have always been accustomed. They continue to be a quality company selling a quality product.

Pictures shown…and you all know what a lousy picture taker I am (so no comments!), are shown with a few 2” (51mm) Challenge coins to show size relationship. For you viewing pleasure, I have also included a picture of my Service Dog Bandit as a 3-month-old puppy!!!