The Tutima Patria Is Minimalism In the Richest Sense of the Word
TUTIMA PATRIA KEY INFORMATION AND FIGURES:
Price: 8,600 euros for any of the three permanent collection Patria models (white dial/anthracite dial/grey dial)
Diameter: 41 mm
Thickness: 11.2 mm
Lug-to-lug: 46 mm
Water resistance: 5 bar/50 meters
Case information: Polished Grade 5 titanium
Strap material: Sheepskin for grey/tan options, calfskin for the black strap, all three employ a polished Grade 5 titanium pin buckle
Movement: Tutima in-house Calibre 617
Warranty: Tutima offers a 2-year warranty on all their watches
Pros:
A minimalist design for those who don’t want to be weighed down with cluttered design or physically heavy objects, yet every detail that is on the watch is executed with care
The titanium case construction is notable for a dress watch and far from being a gimmick, the lightness it contributes to the watch is directly tied to the very pleasant wearing experience
The in-house Tutima Calibre 617 is functional and beautiful, you may find yourself taking the watch off every so often just to stare at it
Cons:
At 8,600 euros, the Tutima Patria is priced fairly for what you’re getting, but unless Tutima can successfully target a very specific slice of watch buyers and design connoisseurs it may have a hard time making a case for the Patria relative to its competition
While in practice the 41 mm Tutima Patria wears well, just seeing that number may turn off potential buyers looking for a more conventionally sized option
Verdict: The Tutima Patria is an expensive proposition from a little-known brand in a relatively crowded dress watch market, however it is true quiet luxury: minimalism executed with precision, discipline, and the kind of understated confidence that “Made in Germany” is meant to represent.
The care and craftsmanship put into everything from the dial you’ll keep discovering long after you first put it on your wrist, to the movement that never gets old to stare at, are obvious and speak highly to Tutima’s abilities as a manufacture.
About fifteen years ago, nearly every pitch from an upstart brand, usually on Kickstarter, seemed to revolve around one word:
“Minimalist.”
Minimalist briefcases. Minimalist backpacks. Minimalist watches.
The implication was always the same: by “cutting out the middleman,” buyers were getting design purity at a bargain price; an early form of “quiet luxury” you could say, even if the reality was far from it.
I never backed any of those campaigns because I never bought into the kind of minimalism they were selling.
Like so many marketing terms, “minimalism” had been twisted beyond its original intent.
And I use that word, intent, deliberately, because true minimalism is deliberate.
If you haven’t heard of Tutima, or the Patria, you’re in for a nice surprise.
Colin Chapman of Lotus put it best: “Simplify, then add lightness.”
That is very difficult to do in practice!
Decades later, Steve Jobs made the same principle famous through Apple’s design language.
The irony is that despite their supposed simplicity, both Chapman’s cars and Jobs’s products are iconic, and that’s the point: real minimalism isn’t about holding back for the sake of it, but rather doing the work to understand the least amount of elements required to maintain functionality, and then creating each of them as well as possible.
None of those Kickstarter projects came close to being icons, but you could already guess how the trajectory was going to go by their pricing. What they called “value” was really just “cheap”, and true minimalism is never cheap because good design deserves to be expensive relative to pedestrian alternatives.
An Apple Watch or a Lotus car carries a certain price tag precisely because design that obviously memorable demands care, intent, and craftsmanship.
While the Tutima Patria is not yet an established icon, it absolutely nails real, rich minimalism.
Making the case for the Tutima Patria’s unconventional sizing
When talking about German luxury watches, A. Lange & Söhne is bound to come up, and in fact in a recent conversation I had with Tutima’s CEO Matthias Stotz at Geneva Watch Days 2025, he mentioned that his goal is to build Tutima’s recognition to that level.
Strategy aside, while I’ll always agree that A. Lange & Söhne make beautiful watches, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shake the thought that perhaps they are just a little on the harsh side.
If that sounds crazy, I promise you’ll see what I mean when you compare, say, a Saxonia with the Tutima Patria. In the same way that Tutima managed to soften the traditionally very purposeful pilot’s watch with their M2 Pioneer, to very pleasant effect, they have also managed to make more approachable the concept of a German dress watch.
This is nowhere more apparent than the crown guards, which flow elegantly from the sides of the case to envelop and protect the crown, which is (perhaps as a call back to Tutima’s pilot’s watch expertise) a very easy to grip, grooved onion-shape, topped off with a “T” for Tutima.
Tutima is relatively unique in German watchmaking in that while A. Lange & Söhne is a bit of an outlier in a country usually associated with toolwatches, Tutima manages to do both; that dual capability shows up in the Patria because this may very well be the only dress watch on the market made of polished, Grade 5 titanium.
When I first heard this I was confused, as making a dress watch of titanium seemed to be solving a problem that didn’t really exist but then again, from Tutima’s marketing copy and product catalog it seems that titanium is a bit of a calling card and the result is undeniable.
The Tutima Patria is a featherlight 65 grams. I had to double check the scale reading and it is a mass so small compared to my usual daily driver’s (a full-steel 38.5 mm Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra) 137 grams that I only ever realized the Patria was on my wrist when I wanted to check the time or ogle it.
And make no mistake, despite the watch’s minimalist philosophy, there’s plenty to ogle because the Tutima Patria has a 41 mm diameter case.
Granted, this is 2 mm smaller than the outgoing stainless steel Patria’s 43 mm diameter. Still, I was even more puzzled by this choice than I was by the use of titanium, and it’s worth commenting on this dimension because it’s absolutely going to be polarizing, and may even cost Tutima some customers if they can’t easily try on the Patria for themselves.
Though it’s always hard to generalize, I feel comfortable saying that in the watch community, the preference for smaller sizes is now well established; unless you’re selling a very purposely built toolwatch, your watch will be received with skepticism if it’s over 40 mm.
And if you’re talking dress watches, anything over 38 mm starts putting you in the danger zone, so 41 mm, on paper, is a head-scratcher.
In practice though, I have a 7”/17.8 cm wrist and the Patria just does not look or feel like a 41 mm watch.
Would a 38 mm Patria look smaller?
Certainly, but as it stands, the titanium case, whose slim 11.2 mm thickness and whose lugs have a 46 mm lug-to-lug span, and flowing crown guards which give the appearance of stretching the Patria along your wrist rather than across it, do a lot to mitigate the possible negative outcomes of a less well-executed 41 mm dress watch.
The 41 mm sizing of the Tutima Patria is puzzling given today’s market preferences, but its slim design and titanium case mean it wears very well on my 7” wrist.
Believe me, the case size on paper does not do the Patria justice in reality, and the careful thought extended to the watch’s form carries through to the dial and hands.
A minimalist dial with a maximum of details
The Patria I’m reviewing is not a new watch but rather a re-launch of an existing line in three different colors: white, graphite (grey) and anthracite (black).
The colors are significant for reasons I’ll cover later, but superficially they were of course what jumped out at me when I first handled the refreshed Patrias at Geneva Watch Days. I’m glad that I was able to review a Patria (in white) for two weeks because I was really able to see just how much thought has been put into the dial alone.
Unlike Kickstarter minimalism which would lead you to believe that a flat white dial is a considered design choice, the Patria’s dial only looks minimalist at first glance, but it is truly rich with attention to detail.
Starting from the outside, a thin, matte-finish metal ring is topped with printed a minute track, giving way to the next most noticeable aspect of the dial after the color: a cut pattern usually called Clous de Paris but which here would be more appropriately called Clous de Glashütte.
Moving further inwards, a polished ring separates the main dial from the sub-dial, which features crisp printing for the 5 second intervals, resting on a nearly imperceptibly small set of concentric rings (it’s almost an Easter-egg and it really was a fun moment for me when I noticed them while inspecting the watch about 3 days into my test period). Of course, “Made In Germany” is printed below the sub-dial.
The indices are batons, a shape often associated with “minimalist” watches (because what’s simpler and cheaper than small rectangles?) but whose execution is elevated to luxury on the Patria as they are all polished and shimmer satisfyingly when you glance at the time.
Equally nicely executed is the applied “T” over the word “Glashütte” which looks like it might be applied but I don’t have a loupe to confirm that. Regardless, it’s tastefully done and in keeping with the watch’s minimalist philosophy, in the sense that actually spelling out “Tutima” would have made for a much heavier visual appearance.
Finally, the hands have what you might call an “arrow head” shape because that’s exactly what they look like to me, and just like the rest of the watch so far, they are well executed in a way that reflects Tutima’s ability to manufacture true luxury watches: not only are all three hands (and the sub-second’s hand’s counterweight) the same shape to maintain visual consistency, they are all polished.
In another unusual choice for a dress watch, the arrow tips are filled with Super-LumiNova. I should mention that the lume is not that fantastic, especially compared to the light show on the M2 Pioneer, but nevertheless I appreciate the added functionality.
Overall, the front of the watch as represented by the dial embodies actual minimalism in that it is deceptively simple; it’s only after spending time looking at it that you realize just how much Tutima sweated the details.
The straps are much the same way, and in combination with the dial they end up being one of the most significant parts of the watch.
Three Patrias which feel like three different watches
This is the time to come back to the dial colors because far from being “just” three different options, I really believe that each variant of the watch actually presents very distinctly, and the straps drive this home.
I liked the previous Patria models when they were first unveiled, but at 43 mm in stainless steel they were larger and heavier than the newly refreshed line. They were also less refined (Image source: Tutima).
I haven’t touched much yet on the refreshed aspect of the Patria, but it’s the straps, not the titanium rather than steel case, that lighten the watch for me.
The straps on the now discontinued steel Patrias were made out of alligator, a common choice for a dress watch, but in my experience with my own alligator straps they’re stiff, shiny, and not that fun to wear (sort of like wearing a suit that’s too tight on a hot day). The straps on the new Patria are soft, supple, tapered, and overall make this look like a watch that’s as much for up-and-coming young professionals as it is for established executives.
There is no deployant buckle on any of the straps, but rather a pin-buckle arguably more typical of a two piece strap. I understand the utility of a deployant and I know they’re somewhat de rigeur on high-end watches now (especially dress watches) but I like the simplicity of a pin buckle, it does the job without adding bulk or weight, due not only to its inherently small form-factor, but also the fact that like the Patria’s case it’s made out of polished Grade 5 titanium.
So long as you are careful while putting your watch on (avoid doing it over a tile floor…), I think you’ll find using the pin buckle an enjoyable experience; the choice of a pin-buckle over a deployant just adds to the feeling of lightness I get with the Patria.
The most conservative and traditional configuration of the Patria is absolutely the anthracite dial/black strap combination (Image source: Tutima).
The pin-buckle system is workable because the straps come out-of-the-box soft and supple, with no awkward break-in period required. Indeed, the straps are made with a great amount of care. In fact, I reached out to Tutima to find out more and learned that not only are all the straps hand-stitched in Germany, the black calfskin leather is sourced from the same tannery that supplies Hermès (don’t worry if that’s not your color, the sheepskin tan leather strap I had felt great and I presume the grey sheepskin option feels equally comfortable).
The graphite dial/grey strap combination is unusual and eye-catching (Image source: Tutima).
I feel really strongly that it’s the straps, when paired with their respective dials, that completely transform the character of the Patria. I imagine that, much like I felt, if you asked someone for a favorite their own choice would jump out at them quickly, and here’s how I picture someone wearing each of the colors:
Anthracite dial/black strap: Maybe you’re a banker in Frankfurt’s financial district who has to dress conservatively, pairing the Patria with a dark suit.
White dial/tan strap: You mostly favor business casual and want a color combination that will go with all the blues and greys in your wardrobe.
Anthracite dial/grey strap: There aren’t a lot of grey watches out there, so if you pick this one you want something just different enough to stand out, but conventional enough that it can go with your different outfits (my contact at Tutima says this one gets a lot of strong, positive attention). If the black Patria is worn by a banker, I picture the grey and tan versions being worn by successful creatives, perhaps architects in Berlin who successfully opened their own design firms.
This is my pick, it’s a fantastic watch for the Fall/Winter (Image source: Tutima)!
Right before this review went live, on the eve of Dubai Watch Week 2025, Tutima announced a highly limited 25-piece version of the Patria made with a green dial, green alligator strap and Eastern Arabic numerals. It’s only worth mentioning for completeness since such a limited run will likely not affect the purchasing decision of someone reading this review (in fact this version might already be sold out).
Tutima has launched a green Tutima Patria in a limited edition of 25 pieces ahead of Dubai Watch Week 2025 (Image source: Tutima).
Regardless of the color you choose, the straps of the permanent Patria collection convey quality and care, but I’ve saved the best for last because, as with many watches competing at the level of the Patria, the real fun happens behind the dial.
The only holdover from the old Patria stuck around for a reason
The Tutima Calibre 617 was present in the older Patria models and was brought back for the new iterations because when something’s this good, you don’t mess with it.
In my review of the M2 Pioneer, I made a contrast between “Swiss Made” watches and those “Made In Germany”, saying that in general the former were associated with luxury while the latter were known for their capability.
In reality, German watches, when they are designed with aesthetics in mind, can be very beautiful in a way that no other watches match. Indeed, German watches, especially their movements, have very specific design cues, many of which show up in the Tutima Calibre 617.
The Tutima Calibre 617 is absolutely a highlight of the Patria (Image source: Tutima).
Of the 171 parts that make up the Calibre 617, the most noticeable element, taking up most of the display case-back, is the three-quarter plate, covering up most of the gear train except for the balance wheel. Within this three quarter plate you’ll notice another hallmark of German watches, screw-fixed chatons, in which the jewels are placed for the center, third and fourth wheels; these chatons are not only attractive but also call back to the German penchant for practicality since they allow the removal and replacement of jewels without the risk of damaging the far larger three-quarter plate.
While there is no engraving on the balance cock, there is a cutout which features beveling, which is also present on the visible edge of the three quarter plate.
The entire assembly features what could be called Glashütte Waves rather than the more well-known Geneva Waves, and the sum total of all these elements is that Calibre 617 is very beautiful to look at.
With no exaggeration, when it was time to wind the watch, or if I just wanted a little serotonin boost, I’d flip the watch over and look at the movement. I’ve always thought that German movements have a real depth to them as opposed to their Swiss counterparts; though the Patria is a time-only watch, its Calibre 617 has that sense of depth, so it was always fun not only to stare at the movement but also rather to peer into it.
Functionally, Calibre 617 has bells and whistles, starting with its free-sprung regulating mechanism. This is a way of regulating the inertia of the balance wheel, thus improving timekeeping, via screws placed around it, and it’s used most prominently in more upmarket watches.
Further upmarket is the use of a Breguet overcoil. As the name implies, this technique was developed by Breguet (building on the work of his peers and predecessors) to improve timekeeping consistency in a watch by “lifting” the last coil of a hairspring over the others. Tutima did not need to do this, but it’s a feature of Calibre 617 and each hairspring is coiled, by hand, by their watchmakers.
A close up shot of the Tutima Calibre 617 helps catch its details, but try to see it in person if you can (Image source: Tutima).
To top off the timekeeping efforts, the Calibre 617 in the Patria is adjusted in 5 positions (this is important enough to Tutima to engrave it on the three quarter plate); for me this resulted in an average loss of slightly less than 4 seconds per day over 8 days.
Finally, although you can wind the Patria daily (taking the time to enjoy its smooth mechanism, and being careful to feel for the stopping point so as not to overwind it!), you won’t have to as the Calibre 617 allows for 65 hours of power reserve when fully energized. This is partially enabled by a beat rate of 3 Hz rather than the more conventionally modern 4 Hz, so the balance wheel moves noticeably more slowly than on many automatic watches.
The more deliberate motion is absolutely mesmerizing, you really can see much more easily what’s going on at the escapement level and it’s just one more reason to want to stare at the Tutima’s Calibre 617 movement.
Pricing and competition
The Tutima Patria is, like any minimalist object truly worthy of the term, expensive, coming in at 8,600 euros. Anyone spending this amount of money (on anything) will be cross-shopping, and potential buyers looking for a dress watch will have options to compare to the Patria.
If someone wants everything that goes with a high-end German dress watch, the Patria is almost unmatched: similar watches such as the Glashütte Original Senator, the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia or the Moritz Grossman Tefnut are made of precious metal and cost far more than the Patria.
The only German options I could find in the vicinity of the Patria’s pricing were from brands even more under the radar than Tutima: D.Dornblüth & Sohn and Tourby Watches.
If you’re just considering a dress watch, nevermind that it’s made in Germany, the pool of available options grows quite a bit, especially if you’re willing to buy from the pre-owned market (and if you’re not bothered by a dress watch above the “magic” 38 mm diameter).
You could start by looking at a second-hand Jaeger-Lecoultre (JLC) Reverso, a watchmaking icon with many different variations ranging from simple to complicated, many of which are within reach for the price of a Patria. If there is a version available with a see-through caseback, its movement might not have the hallmarks of a German mechanism but it will nevertheless be attractive (this is JLC after all).
The IWC Portugieser is another option and another icon, but for what it’s worth I don’t find the in-house movement as attractive as the Patria’s or even the Reverso’s.
A brand you may not have considered is Chopard, specifically its L.U.C line. If you think of Chopard as purely a jewelry brand you are in for a surprise because the company produces some truly stunning dress watches. They have a price tag to go with that level of execution, but bought pre-owned there are bargains out there, especially if you dig into their back catalog.
Going even further down the dress-watch niche, Pequignet might not mean much to you if you’re not very knowledgeable about French watchmaking, but for much less than the cost of a Patria you can get a 36 mm watch with the brand’s in-house Calibre Initial, and for the price of a Patria you are in range of the brand’s more complicated (and larger) offerings which feature its Calibre Royal.
Sticking with the French theme, you may want to consider the Slim d’Hermès. This is another watch that some may dismiss because it comes from a “fashion brand”, but come on, this is Hermès, arguably the world’s pre-eminent luxury maison. The Slim has an in-house movement and styling that is oh-so Hermès, and you should be able to pick one up second-hand for the price of a Patria.
The Patria may be minimalist, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t stand out
Despite all the competing choices, the Patria exists to an extent in its very own space, and as a result it’s a very particular watch for a very particular buyer.
The Patria is technically excellent, beautiful, and truly different thanks to its titanium construction. However, Tutima, a brand with heritage but relatively little brand pedigree, must somehow put the Frankfurt bankers and Berlin creatives and anyone who appreciates beautiful objects for what they are and not who made them, in front of the Patria and convince them that, among other options, this is the one for them.
That’s one way to look at it, but here’s the flipside: among the Reversos and Portugiers and any other number of iconic watches from giants of the luxury industry, the Patria goes toe-to-toe with them, and that’s only if you can find them below MSRP somehow.
The Patria is a watch that takes one full month to make, from start to finish. It is made with all the care you’d associate with an artisanal creation, and it succeeds on several other levels: as a case study in minimalism done well, as another example of what “Made In Germany” offers apart from traditional Swiss alternatives, and not insignificantly, as a fantastic example of a redesign knocked out of the park.
I remember seeing the Admiral Blue Patria when it was announced and thinking I definitely wanted to find out more. The lines of a beautiful watch were there, but in hindsight it is flat and one-dimensional when compared to this reborn Patria line.
The Patria is the watch you put on everyday without thinking too much about it, but that is there for you to enjoy whenever you want. No one else will look twice at it and to me that understated minimalism is a big part of the appeal, but my words can only go so far in describing what that feels like.
Having had first-hand experience now with both ends of Tutima’s product spectrum, from a world-class tool watch to a very refined dress watch, I can confidently say that they are one of only a few companies with these broad capabilities. I hope the effort they’re putting into relaunching some of their lines will make their attributes more visible to a larger audience of watch lovers and design enthusiasts.
So, if you take away anything from this review, it should be this: the new Patria line is here, it deserves to be on your cross-shopping list, and you owe it to yourself to at least try them on.