What is a GMT Watch?
- Sam Haizelden
- Jun 13
- 3 min read
There are few watch complications as useful as the GMT. Whether you’re a frequent traveller or just need to track multiple time zones for international work meetings, it's a helpful tool to have on your wrist.
One example of an excellent use of a GMT watch was from a good client of mine. He (based in the UK) decided to wear his Tudor Black Bay GMT the entire time his daughter was travelling in Australia. It meant that he might have an idea of what she might be doing, or when she might be available for a call, while in a completely different time zone. Aside from the GMT function, the Tudor also makes for a fantastic everyday watch, too.
The history of the GMT starts with Dual Time Zone watches, where a watch would feature two dials, and two movements that are able to be set independently, therefore showing two time zones. My favourite example of this is a vintage Piaget currently available from Somlo London featuring Onyx and Mother-of-Pear dials. Or, if you're looking for something a bit more modern, then I can recommend the Dennison ALD Dual Time.
The GMT as we know if became more popular in the mid-1950s with the advancement of Trans-Atlantic travel. It was a collaboration between Pan-American Airways and Rolex that created the GMT-Master. Pilots were encouraged to stay on “Home Time” but would also need to know local time, so the GMT-Master offered an everyday sports watch with an independently adjustable GMT hand. It was this function that, in 1985, turned the original Explorer II reference 1655, which only had a 24-hour hand, into the reference 16550 (seen below) and a True GMT watch.
A lot of modern GMT watches continue to follow this format, combining a GMT function with a rugged tool watch. However, if your holidays are more cocktail parties than cocktails on the beach, or your travels take you from a First Class seat to a board room seat, then you might want to reach for something a little more refined. The Grand Seiko Elegance GMT does just that, with its Zaratsu-polished steel case and smooth ivory-coloured dial. If offers a more elegant approach, without compromising on practicality.
For something a little more versatile, I would have to recommend the Horage Supersede GMT, with its brushed and polished surfaces, and option of a steel bracelet or sporty blue rubber strap. The crisp white dial remains legible, despite its complications. A second skeletonised hour hand allows for quick reading of a second time zone, while a subdial at 9 o’clock shows a 24 display. And when the second hour hand isn’t needed, it simply disappears under the primary hour hand.
The same feature can also be seen on the Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec. You can’t help but appreciate how this watch is both complicated, yet beautifully balanced, combining a GMT function, AM/PM indicator, chronograph and date window, along with sunburst and hobnail finishes.
This leads me to the NOMOS Zürich Weltzeit which displays a world timer complication while retaining a clean, Bauhaus-style that we’ve come to know and love from NOMOS. It uses an outer ring to display 24 cities across 24 time zones, while a pusher at 2 o’clock enables effortless adjustment of the local hour, making travel both practical and engaging.
Whether your travels consist of jetting off to faraway shores, exploring European cities, or simply looking for inspiration from the comfort of your sofa, there’s a GMT watch for everyone.
Don't forget to browse our current range of watches in the Shop. And please let us know your favourite GMT watch in the comments below.
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