Mühle Celebrates 20 Years of the S.A.R. Rescue-Timer with New Mission-Timer TITAN

Earlier this year, Mühle released an 18-carat polished yellow gold S.A.R. Rescue-Timer in honor of 20 years of service. The special watch was limited to just 20 examples, and serves as a fitting nod to a modern legend. To close out the year, the Glashütte based brand is taking it a step further, with 63 distinct watches called the Mission-Timer TITAN Unique Edition. Each watch features a unique caseback depicting the name and silhouette of one of the 63 sea rescue cruisers or boats of the current rescue fleet of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS). Alongside these 63 unique pieces, Mühle is also offering a regular production version of the watch with the same great looks and specs, and a standard caseback. 

The S.A.R. Mission-Timer TITAN gets a familiar look with a few notable revisions from the Rescue-Timer references. The case is made of titanium, and grows from 42mm in diameter to 43mm, while slimming from 13.5mm in thickness to 13mm. Further, the rubber bezel unit has been replaced by one made of ceramic. The case widens out at the strap connection point (there are no real lugs to speak of here) to accept a 22mm rubber with a titanium folding clasp, compared to the 20mm strap of the Rescue-Timer. Overall, the effect is a more robust platform with a broader dial meant to handle a wider variety of functionality.

The Mission-Timer TITAN gets a depth rating of 50 ATM, down from the 100 ATM of the Rescue-Timer. However, the wider dial has been slightly redesigned to accommodate more diverse terrain than that found on the high seas. Mühle references this as a watch that “supports its wearer in every task or challenge… may it be at sea, on the coast or in the mountains” making the distinction between the Rescue and Mission-Timer collections. 

While the case is instantly recognizable, inspecting it against the Rescue-Timer reveals a more organic redesign that creates a more natural flow between the case and the “lug” integration. It’s a bit less jarring in appearance, and places itself within shouting distance of a cushion case design. You could call it a modernization, but the heavy cut of the case is no more, for better or worse. A bit of the personality is lost in gaining a slightly more palatable design. 

Likewise, the transition from a rubber bezel structure to one made of ceramic certainly feels a bit more on par with what we’re used to seeing these days, but there’s no denying a smidge of that cool factor has been lost in the process.

The new dial keeps the large triangular markers at the cardinal positions, however it pushes them further toward the edges of the dial, right into the chapter ring itself. This opens up the dial visually and creates a more legible experience on the whole while keeping the same character we know and love in the Rescue-Timer collection. 

Inside sits an automatic Sellita SW 400-1 “Version Mühle”  with woodpecker neck fine regulation. They’ve brought a new date disc with 30% larger numbers into the movement here for a wider aperture and thus removed the need for a magnifier of any kind. A welcome change in our book. 

The S.A.R. Mission-Timer TITAN is priced from 2.900€ inclusive of taxes, and each of the the S.A.R. Mission-Timer TITAN Unique Edition watches will be priced 3.900€. You can browse each of the casebacks right here, and learn more about the new Mission-Timer TITAN from Mühle.