Disclaimer: This watch was sent to me to review, and I do not need to return it after my review is complete. This watch was given to me without restriction and is not contingent upon a particular outcome for my review. All opinions here are my own, and Buser Frères / Dekla had no influence over the opinions stated here.
Buser Frères GSTP 38mm Blue: https://buserfreres.com/collection/gstp/gstp-38mm-blue-ss
Straps Featured:
Delugs Olive Green Sailcloth Strap 20mm: https://delugs.com/products/olive-green-sailcloth-signature-strap?variant=41335033299057
Delugs CTS Navy Rubber Strap Mosaic 20mm: https://delugs.com/products/navy-mosaic-rubber-cts-watch-strap?variant=41332707033201
Check out Buser Frères’ collaboration with Infinity Watches here: https://infinitywatches.cz/kategorie/kolaborace/buser-freres/
Video
Review
Buser Frères is a historic Swiss brand, originally established in 1892 as a manufacturer of watch components and movement parts. Over time, Buser evolved into a full-fledged watchmaker, producing its own timepieces until 1961, when it joined forces with Phénix, Revue Thommen, and Vulcain to form M.S.R. (Manufactures d’Horlogerie Suisse Réunis SA). This merger aimed to streamline production within Swiss watchmaking. In the late 1970s, however, Buser shifted to the industrial sector, eventually retiring its watch brand in 1978 during the quartz crisis.
In 2023, Dekla Watches – under the ownership of Yuriy Shapiro – acquired the rights to the Buser name and re-launched the brand. Buser now operates from the same Stuttgart, Germany workshop as Dekla, which is why its dials bear the “Made in Germany” designation rather than “Swiss Made.” Dekla has quietly established a reputation for producing high-quality, customizable, and reasonably priced watches with an impressive portion of the manufacturing done in-house.
Today, we’ll be examining the Buser GSTP 38 in a small seconds dial layout and blue dial configuration. The GSTP 38 takes inspiration from the classic WWII field watches issued by the British Ministry of Defense, known as G.S.T.P. watches, or General Services Trade Pattern/Time Piece. Throughout its history, the G.S.T.P. designation appeared on watches from various brands, including Omega, Tissot, Hamilton, and Jaeger-LeCoultre, among others. Buser Frères also produced a G.S.T.P. model under its Frenca brand, and the modern GSTP 38 is designed to celebrate that heritage.
Let’s check it out!
Case
I measured the case of the Buser Frères GSTP at 37.6mm in diameter at its narrowest, 46.25mm lug-to-lug, and 11.15mm in thickness, with a 20mm lug width. Constructed entirely from stainless steel, the case is machined and bead-blasted in-house, resulting in a durable, matte finish that reflects a distinctly German aesthetic. The bead-blasted texture resembles that seen on other German brands like Sinn, Damasko, and LACO, offering a utilitarian look executed to a high standard.
The design is straightforward yet highly functional. The lugs feature drilled holes for easy strap changes, and the mid-case has a rounded curvature that allows it to sit lower on the wrist, helping it wear slimmer than its thickness suggests. The bezel, matching the finish of the case, holds a lightly domed sapphire crystal and is screwed into the mid-case. The anti-reflective coating on the crystal is extremely effective, creating the illusion that there is no crystal at all, which does wonders for legibility.
At 3 o’clock, a 5.8mm push-pull crown with the brand’s logo embossed on top provides a comfortable grip. However, the crown can be slightly tricky to pull out, occasionally requiring a bit of leverage with a fingernail.
The case back is solid, screw-down, and finished to match the rest of the case, with engraved artwork and text. With a water resistance rating of up to 100m, the watch is practical for a variety of conditions.
Overall, the build quality and finishing of the case is excellent, reflecting an unapologetically German design ethos. While additional finishing techniques, such as brushed or polished accents, could have added visual complexity, the minimalist, no-nonsense approach is well-executed and fitting for the watch’s style.
Dial
The dial of the GSTP showcases a high level of craftsmanship, with both the dial and hands manufactured in-house – a process that demands exceptional precision and strict quality control, especially at smaller production scales. Unlike large-scale manufacturing, small batch production requires additional manual oversight, adding complexity to achieve the level of quality seen here.
The dial has a soft grained texture with a fumé gradient, transitioning from blue at the center to black at the edges. This gradient effect gives the dial a sense of depth and vintage character. An outer railroad-style minute track, characteristic of early pocket and wristwatches, is present, with rectangular markers at the cardinal points and lumed circular markers for other hours.
Arabic numerals are printed in white, with lume added to the 3, 6, and 12 positions, echoing the design of original WWII-era GSTP watches. The brand name is printed beneath the 12 o’clock position, and “Made in Germany” appears above 6 o’clock, just above a recessed sub-dial for the small seconds. The seconds sub-dial includes a fine circular ridge pattern and a printed railroad-style track with numerals marking 10-second intervals.
The printed elements on the dial are achieved using a structured pad printing process, which involves multiple precise applications. Upon close inspection, minor irregularities may be visible, a natural aspect of such detailed printing work at this scale.
The hand set is beautiful, with cathedral-style hands that align well with the field watch aesthetic of the era. These hands are entirely made in-house and finished by hand, including the lume application. Even under close inspection, the hands exhibit a high level of finishing, with an excellent application of lume and clean, precise edges.
Overall, while a few minor imperfections are visible under macro magnification, such as a stray paint particle or two, the dial and hands are very impressive given the in-house production and the watch’s price point. The design and execution of the dial are well-thought-out and well-executed, capturing the original vintage aesthetic with excellent attention to detail.
Lume
While I would have liked to see all numerals lumed, the GSTP does not fall short in terms of lume quality or legibility. The numerals at 3, 6, and 12 o’clock are well lumed, along with circular pips marking the other hours. Using BGW9 Super-LumiNova, these elements glow brightly and sustain a good level of visibility over time.
The cathedral-style hands feature large, densely lumed sections, providing an even more intense and long-lasting glow that extends throughout the night – outlasting the lumed markers on the dial. This ensures that the time remains legible even as the dial lume fades.
Overall, the lume design and performance are impressive for a watch of this style. It competes well with similar field watches and even holds its own against dive watches with more extensive lume applications, such as the Horizon Nemo.
Movement
This watch is powered by the manually wound Swiss Made Sellita SW261M-1, part of Sellita’s 200 series of movements. While I have repeatedly voiced concerns about the reliability of the SW200 automatic movements in this price range, my experiences with the manual-wind variants, such as the small seconds SW261M, have been all positive. In this GSTP, the elabore grade SW261 performs well and is smooth to operate and wind.
It offers a 38-hour power reserve, and operates at a 4Hz. Upon testing, I measured the performance of this movement at +4 seconds per day, which speaks well to the regulation. Overall, I’m a fan of manually wound movements and would opt for a manual wound version of a watch over an automatic if given the choice. And the SW261M is a pretty solid movement that doesn’t fall prey to some of the usual issues of the automatic SW200.
On The Wrist
The GSTP wears comfortably on my 6.75″ wrist, thanks to its well-proportioned dimensions. With a 37.6mm diameter and a 46.25mm lug-to-lug length, it fits well within my wrist limits and offers balanced presence without being overpowering like some 42mm watches in this style. The case height of 11.15mm also wears slimmer than expected, contributing to a streamlined appearance on the wrist.
In terms of weight, the watch head itself is about 57g, coming to around 74g on the included hybrid canvas-leather strap, and 70g on my Delugs Sailcloth strap. This range provides a comfortable balance, feeling neither overly heavy nor too light.
The case finish is smooth, with no sharp edges or uncomfortable surfaces, enhancing the overall wear-ability. On the wrist, the GSTP has a polished and refined look that gives it the look and feel of a more expensive watch.
And since I’m a Delugs ambassador, it would be a shame if I didn’t try the GSTP on a couple of Delugs straps. I thought it looked great on their green sailcloth and blue mosaic rubber options!
Wrapping Up
The Buser Frères GSTP 38mm stands out for its impressive build quality, thoughtful design, and attention to finishing. The fact that most components are crafted in-house at Yuriy Shapiro’s workshop adds to its appeal, showcasing a level of craftsmanship uncommon at this price point. Priced under $900 USD, it represents a compelling value given the amount of in-house and hand-made work involved in its creation.
While many watches with a similar military-inspired aesthetic are available across a wide price range, few will offer the same quality from an independent watchmaker like Buser Frères and Dekla. This watch brings a unique combination of traditional design with high-quality, independently produced components, providing a solid option for collectors seeking something authentic and artisanal.
If I was forced to critique it, my only criticism would be that the crown can require a bit of nail leverage to pull out from the case, but this is a minor point in an otherwise well-executed design. Overall, the GSTP is a highly attractive, well-priced watch. For those who appreciate the military aesthetic and value supporting independent watchmaking, the GSTP is a great choice that delivers both quality and character. And I personally regret taking this long to feature a Dekla or Buser Frères on Beans & Bezels. I’m a fan!
