Most of us have been sequestered in our bubbles for the last two years, barely venturing out to do quotidian things much less travel to far-flung places. However, with Summer 2022 just over the horizon, flights and hotels are booked pretty much anywhere that’s a solid vacation spot.
If you’re lucky enough to have an epic trip planned in the next few months, then don’t forget to bring along a trusty GMT watch for all your timekeeping needs. A GMT watch serves to display two time zones at once, which can be handy to keep track of both the local time and the time back at home. Local time is read off in the normal way on the dial, and the second time-zone is read off the 24-hour hand (which makes one revolution per day) pointing to the 24-hour bezel.
What’s the difference between a dual time watch and a GMT watch, you ask? The former typically indicates the second time zone on a 12-hour scale while the latter shows it on a 24-hour scale. What’s more, a “true” GMT — sometimes referred to as a “flyer GMT” — has an hour hand that can be set independently. This means, that you can easily change the local time on your watch as you fly from time zone to time zone, without disturbing any of the timepiece’s other functions.
Now that we’ve outlined the functionality and usefulness of a GMT watch, let’s get to the good stuff. Here are five of our current favorite high-end GMT watches to wear during your summer travels.
Longines Spirit Zulu Time
Longines recently announced a brand new sub-collection of its popular aviation-inspired Spirit watch line called Zulu Time. Inspired by a 1925’s Longines dual-time watch by the same name, the Spirit Zulu Time is a fantastic modern GMT watch with a touch of retro design too. Side note: Zulu Time is a military and navigational term for the time at the Zero Meridian and is often used interchangeably with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
The Longines Spirit Zulu Time watches sport 42mm steel cases, which are topped with ceramic bezels available in a few colors like black, blue, and green. Longines also offers a few other options such as dial colors (gray, blue, and black), and various straps (leather brands or steel bracelets).
Tudor Black Bay GMT
Tudor introduced the Black Bay GMT in 2018, and the watch has grown to become one of the brand’s most popular models ever since. With its 41mm steel case, blue and red 24-hour bezel, three-link bracelet, and black dial with four hands and a date window, the resemblance between the Tudor Black Bay GMT and the Rolex GMT–Master II “Pepsi” is undeniable. However, Tudor’s design is far more casual and some may argue, cooler too.
In 2022, Tudor expanded the Black Bay GMT collection to welcome a two-tone variant, complete with a black and brown “Root Beer” (again, the inspiration is taken from big brother Rolex) bezel. The Black Bay GMT S&G (which stands for steel and gold) is the dressier option, but it runs on the same in-house movement as the steel variant. It’s also worth noting that the Tudor GMT has an independent hour hand, thus it is indeed a “true” or “flyer” GMT.
Breitling Avenger Automatic GMT 45 Night Mission
If you’re a fan of big watches, Breitling has plenty to offer. Case in point is the Breitling Avenger Automatic GMT Night Mission, which boasts a mega 45mm case that houses a bold dial with oversized indexes. Yet, despite its size, this Avenger GMT watch is lightweight because the case is fashioned from titanium, which is DLC-coated for a sleek all-black finish. The matching black dial is home to a bright red GMT hand while the warm-toned stenciled Arabic numerals match the sand-colored calfskin strap flawlessly.
What’s more, if your vacation plans include water-based activities, this Breitling GMT watch also offers a respectable 300-meter water-resistance rating. Whether up in the air or submerged in water, the Avenger GMT by Breitling has you covered.
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT
Although the Planet Ocean collection is primarily home to dive watches, Omega does offer a few variations that feature other complications. For instance, there’s the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT, featuring a striking black and white colorway. The watch includes a 43.5mm stainless steel case that is (like all Planet Ocean watches) not only water-resistant to 600 meters deep but also features a helium escape valve for saturation diving.
Crowning the case of this Planet Ocean GMT is a stunning black and white ceramic bezel, which serves to separate night from day hours when reading the second time zone. In true Omega fashion, the watch is offered with a sporty steel bracelet or an elegant black leather strap. Regardless of which watch band it’s paired with, the black and white Omega true GMT watch is powered by the in-house Master Chronometer Caliber 8906 automatic movement.
Rolex GMT-Master II
Would a list of the best GMT watches be complete with the legendary Rolex GMT-Master II watch? We think not. Yes, it may be the obvious choice, but that’s because Rolex’s GMT-Master (and subsequent GMT-Master II) watches are responsible for making the travel-friendly GMT watch as popular as it is today. In case you need a refresher, the difference between the original GMT-Master (released in the 1950s) and the following GMT-Master II (released in the 1980s) is that the updated version included an independent 24-hour hand, which as we now know, makes the II a true GMT.
Rolex’s current GMT-Master II catalog is packed with options, ranging from all steel and all gold variants to two-tone models. There are also plenty of bezel colorways to choose from, including blue and red “Pepsi,” blue and black “Batman,” and brown and black “Root Beer.” There’s also the newest model that joined the lineup in 2022, which is a green and black left-handed GMT-Master II.
The best watch for your summer travels and beyond
If you travel frequently, a GMT watch is a super practical watch to own.
And even if you don’t venture outside your time zone all that often, it’s still an awesome type of timepiece to have in any collection.
