With the possible exception of the chronograph — which, let’s face it, only we few watch nerds make use of today — if there’s a complication most beloved by collectors and the general public alike, it would have to be the GMT. (Yes, the date window is technically a complication — and no, we’re not counting it.) Why you ask? Because with the simple addition of a fourth hand on the dial and a 24-hour scale or bezel, a GMT allows you to track the time in another (or multiple) time zone(s), making it ideal for travelers.
The GMT watch used to be the purview of large, blue-chip brands that had the money and manufacturing capability to either build or invest in relatively complicated movements — not so anymore. While you can of course still pay quite a bit for the likes of a Rolex GMT Master II, today’s watch scene has made for an exciting landscape of more affordable alternatives. (See here for the best of the budget models).
Seiko changed the game when it released an automatic GMT in its casual and affordable Seiko 5 Sports line. It might be getting closer to the price of the brand’s Prospex watches, but just look at the rest of the GMT watches on this list: there’s nothing even close to it in terms of price with an automatic movement. But it’s not as if you’re getting an inferior product: if you know the current Seiko 5 Sports line, you’ll know that they’re well built, with great details and solid movements. These watches are all that with the GMT functionality added and some fantastic looks to boot. Color us impressed.
The OG. Rolex’s GMT Master debuted in 1954 and accompanied Pan Am pilots on their transcontinental flights during the beginning of the Jet Age. Of course, the modern watch is fair game for anyone, so long as you can get your hands on one. It features the Rolex cal. 3285 automatic movement with the independently adjustable hour hand, a 40mm case and your choice of bezel configuration and metal.
This here’s one of the most affordable GMT you’re going to find (that’s actually worth buying). Not only that, but it’s one of the best-looking ones. Timex’s retro-styled and proudly quartz Q collection has been a hit, and adding a GMT to its lineup took it to another level. It’s got a unique vibe in black, but if you’re looking for the style of, say, the Rolex GMT Master II, it comes in bicolor bezel variations, as well.
This is hands down one of the most utilitarian, badass GMT watches on the market. It’s pared-back in terms of looks and functionality, offering a simple 24-hour hand but full of refined details. Built like a tank and water-resistant to 150m, it can take anything you can throw at it. Wear it to work, bring it with you traveling, wear it on the trail — the Monta Atlas is a watch that was made to be abused. It doesn’t hurt that it’s pretty damn good-looking, too.
The Bulova Wilton GMT is handsome, but what makes it notable is that it debuted Citizen’s (who owns Miyota and Bulova) answer to Seiko’s affordable GMT (above). In the Miyota 9000 family, this is a relatively premium tier of automatic movements akin in quality to those from ETA and similar but offering an independently adjustable GMT hand — a feature collectors sometimes associate with higher-end watches. And, though more than the Seiko 5 Sports, it’s still one of the most affordable automatic GMTs you can get — and you’ve got to love that map-motif dial.
Baltic’s Aquascaphe checks so many boxes that besides being a strong value, it may also be amongst the best recent GMTs, period. You get a perfectly sized 39mm case that’s only 12mm thick, three handsome bezel color options, an automatic Swiss movement, a dive-ready water resistance rating of 100m and either a super comfortable beads-of-rice bracelet or a Tropic-style rubber strap. If you’re on a budget, just pick one of these up and move on.
Farer’s range comprises numerous GMT watches, but to our mind, the descriptively named GMT Bezel series is among the most simultaneously unique and wearable. Svelte at 41mm by just 10mm in depth, it boasts the brand’s striking use of color and comes in multiple interesting variations. It’s further got a Swiss automatic movement, a rotating bezel and an inner 24-hour ring — and a wide variety of straps. If you’re looking for something a bit different, this could be the watch for you.
Yema offers the Superman GMT in a range of variants that are essentially travel versions of the brand’s popular dive watch. They’re also good options, but the brand’s partnership with the French navy (Marine Nationale) has yielded some especially striking models and the Navygraf GMT just might be the best yet. A crisp and modern-feeling blue-and-white colorway is further enlivened by pops of yellow for the GMT and seconds hands, all in an easy-wearing 38.5mm case.
Echoing the historical Zodiac GMT models from the 1960s, the Super Sea Wolf GMT melds a Swiss movement to a reserved black dial, a steel, rotating 24-hour bezel, 200m of water resistance and a matching steel Oyster-style bracelet. With the exception of the modern 40mm case size and a few other subtle cues, you’d be hard-pressed to peg this beauty for a modern watch, it so closely resembles its historical brethren.
Longines’ Spirit pilot’s watch collection is a great example of what you might call a “luxury tool watch.” It combines a practical, down-to-earth design you can wear every day with a lot of refined details, an extremely solid build, a chronometer-certified movement and excellent finishing. It also seems to seamlessly meld classical cues with modern style. The Zulu Time model adds a GMT to that (sporty, rotating 24-hour bezel and all), and in its 39mm variant, it all comes together as damn near perfect for its price.
With a (fixed) 24-hour bezel and pops of sporty red, the Montblanc 1858 GMT seems to offer the toolish style so popular among GMTs. But it also offers something quite different and cool. Look closer: there’s no GMT hand. Instead, a disc beneath the dial operates in the same way, but with a rather different effect. It fills windows around the dial in red to mark the second time zone, resulting in a dial that’s easy to read and much cleaner than those crammed with multiple hands.
Just a wildly cool-looking GMT, built to Bell & Ross’s exacting standards but not outrageously priced. Powered by a Swiss automatic movement, it’s a tad on the larger side at 41mm, but with its well-designed case and satin-polished steel bracelet, it’ll wear like a charm. A bright orange GMT hand and bright white lume ensure great legibility, while a cool black and grey, bi-directional bezel paired with a black dial make for an understated look.
When the Black Bay GMT debuted in 2018, it stunned the watch world. A beautiful amalgam of Rolex and Tudor watches, it provided an alternative to the stupidly expensive and hard-to-obtain GMT Master. The only problem? The Black Bay GMT has itself become difficult to obtain — and we wished it was a little smaller. Enter the Black Bay Pro for 2022, a homage to a vintage Rolex Explorer II and measuring a welcome 39mm. Perfect? Just about.
The quintessential features that represent Grand Seiko’s mastery of finishing, aesthetics and tech are all here — combined with GMT functionality. You’ve got a perfectly balanced design and beautifully executed 40mm case in titanium, and inside is one of the brand’s in-house Hi-Beat movements. That means it operates at 5Hz (instead of the more common 4Hz), and it’s part of a series of such Hi-Beat GMT watches that are some of the most interesting and grail-worthy GMTs out there.
The other Rolex GMT. Though we prefer the Explorer II in its earlier 40mm iterations, the current reference still features your choice of black or white dial and a fixed 24-hour bezel. Why a fixed bezel? The Explorer II was originally developed for spelunkers (cave divers) so that they could distinguish between day and nighttime hours in the complete darkness of a cave — not to track a second time zone. However, the modern versions feature a fully independent GMT hand, meaning you can absolutely use them for travel.
Movement: Patek Philippe cal. 324 S C FUS automatic
Water Resistance: 60m
Oh, so you wanted a true baller GMT watch, did you? We got you. You want a Travel Time. Sure, the 5524G is part of the elegant Calatrava line that’s been around since the 1930s, but it ups the interest with a white gold case, pilot’s watch-style dial and typeface, a date complication contained within a subdial, two local and home day/night indicators, and of course, a GMT hand. Matched to a handsome brown leather strap, this is the GMT watch you wear once you’ve arrived.
There are two real types of modern GMT movements: one with an independently adjustable local hour hand and one with an independently adjustable GMT hand. The former style is sometimes called a “flyer” or “traveler” GMT, as in this case, you can land in a new time zone, quickly update the local time, and go about your business. An independently adjustable GMT hand (“office” or “caller”), however, can be more useful if you’re stationary and tracking someone else who’s perhaps crossing multiple time zones, as you can retain your local time on the watch but easily update a secondary zone. (See here for a more detailed explanation of these two systems.)
The “traveler” GMT was once more the purview of established brands such as Rolex, Tudor, Omega, etc. They also tended to be associated with more expensive watches, while common third-party GMT movements such as the ETA 2893, Sellita SW330, and Soprod C125 are usually of the independently adjustable GMT hand variety and are more affordable. Since Seiko and Miyota (Citizen) got into the automatic GMT game, however, the landscape has changed considerably. This brings us to another point…
The Tudor Black Bay Pro is often considered a homage to the vintage Rolex Explorer II reference 1655.Zen Love
Mechanical vs. Quartz
It’s perfectly reasonable to buy a quartz GMT watch — plenty are available by tool watch manufacturers such as Luminox, Citizen, etc. (You can even buy yourself a high-end quartz GMT from the likes of Grand Seiko that puts many mechanical watches to shame.) Most of these are highly affordable and rugged and will get the job of tracking a second time zone done just fine — or better than fine. In fact, for many people, a quartz GMT may be the better route to take.
While most GMT watches allow you to easily track two time zones (one via the main time and a second via the GMT hand in concert with a 24-hour scale), certain models can actually calculate three. We’re talking about those with both an external, rotating 24-hour bezel and an internal 24-hour rehaut. Thus one can calculate a first time zone using the local hands, a second by where the GMT hand is pointing on the rehaut, and a third by where the GMT hand is pointing on the bezel. Watches like this are popular even though all their functionality might not be put to use.
The Seiko 5 Sports GMT revolutionized the GMT market, bringing the popular complication to a much wider audience, seemingly without much compromise in looks or build.Photo by Joe Tornatzky for Gear Patrol
Tool vs. Dress
The GMT is merely a complication that can take various forms. Rolex first envisioned the GMT in 1954 as a tool watch made for pilots with a look that continues to influence many sporty interpretations of the GMT today. And, while that fourth hand and 24-hour scale can lend a more busy and technical look to a watch, it isn’t necessarily a sporty or rugged feature by nature. If you want a GMT complication in a dive watch package, there are plenty of those, but if you want something elegant to wear in the office, you can have that, too. The GMT is one of the most popular trends in watches and brands have gotten creative, meaning more choices for you.
Other Travel Watch Options
The GMT isn’t the only way to display a second time zone, however: there are world timers, which display many time zones around the world at once, and there are digital watches, which allow you to scroll through multiple time zones. Some people even use a simple, time-only watch with a rotating 12-hour bezel as a quick fix for travel. In short: do some research on the different systems and see which might be right for you before springing for a GMT, as they’re far from the only game in town.
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