Hello Goro, I’m Goro and I’m sure you beginners are wondering about my guess model for 2025. The author’s guess is the GMT, which can display two different time zones and is essential for travelling abroad. Why, in an age when you can easily find out the time abroad with your smartphone, would you recommend a GMT? And if you had to choose, ‘which GMT model would you recommend?’ in detail.
What is GMT? Why was it used in so many wristwatches?
The GMT function in wristwatches, which can display two different time zones, was first introduced by Rolex in 1953 with the GMT-Master, a watch for the pilots of Pan American Airways GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time, the first three letters of which are abbreviated in the modern watch world.
Greenwich is an observatory in the south London borough of Greenwich, England, approximately 8 km from central London. It is now a well-known tourist destination and an area with a rich natural environment.
It was founded in 1675 by King Charles II as a centre for astronomical research for accurate navigation and mapping. Research was carried out at Greenwich Observatory to record the exact positions of the stars and measure time in order to advance navigation and determine longitude.
In 1884, at the International Meridian Conference held in the USA, the Greenwich Observatory meridian was officially determined as the ‘world meridian’ as zero degrees, and has remained so to the present day.
Rolex introduced the GMT-Master in 1953 and adopted the Greenwich Observatory and its meridian time as the reference for the world’s time zones in its product name, and since then the term GMT has become an industry term for different time zones in the wristwatch industry.
As well as the excellent naming, the simplicity of the mechanical construction is also a must. An earlier watch that indicated different time zones was the world time watch, which is still used today by Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Vacheron Constantin.This method is still used today by Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. The drawback is that the movement is too complicated. GMT watches, on the other hand, are characterised by a simple mechanical construction with the addition of just one more hand.
This keeps costs down and allows for a more affordable price point. It is possible that Rolex introduced the GMT-Master because of its technical simplicity and considered it easy to maintain and durable enough for a professional watch used by pilots. The fact that the GMT hand technique later became mainstream for many brands is testimony to this.
Although they were special watches used by pilots, it should not be forgotten that they allowed them to intuitively keep track of the time in flight and were easy to adjust, even in small, dimly lit cockpit compartments. The author once went into an actual cockpit during a flight as a child.
It was very small, with three pilots operating in the room, and not at all what I had imagined. It was difficult to reach out and the cockpit in the 1970s was surrounded by considerably more instruments than a modern cockpit.
In a cockpit that was so cramped and so crowded with instruments that you could barely look at your watch, it is understandable that the need for simple operation and good legibility was necessary, so that you could tell the time by simply looking down at the dials.World time is certainly an excellent watch mechanism, but it is also questionable whether it is practical. We often hear people who own one say that it is not very legible. It may not be the watch for pilots who are responsible for the lives of many passengers.
The relationship between the Rose Line and the GMT
As visitors to Paris may know, there is a meridian line in Paris called the Rose Line.
In fact, there was once a time when the meridian line passed through Paris. It is the Rose Line that was mentioned in the film The Da Vinci Code.
Before the aforementioned International Meridian Conference of 1884, the meridian was the Rose Line in Paris. Greenwich settled down as the world’s standard meridian largely because of the measurement technology developed at the Greenwich Observatory, which was used in chronometers and nautical watches.
In the film The Da Vinci Code, the story was that the Holy Grail lies in the basement of the Louvre, where the Rose Line runs through.
The Greenwich Observatory, which is also used in popular Rolex models, has ensured its position as the world’s reference for standard time in modern times. On the other hand, the Rose Line, which extends from the Paris Observatory, today runs north-south through the city of Paris as a mystical and religious legacy.
What is the appeal of GMT watches that has not gone out of fashion in the age of smartphones?
The appeal of GMT watches is that they are simple and easy to use, even from the user’s perspective. Even smartphones have world clocks, so the time difference between countries is more conveniently known than it was in 1953, when the GMT Master was first presented.
As Apple Watch and smartwatches are booming as smartphone devices, there is no doubt that the method of checking the time on the wrist is a universal act after all. Perhaps there is even a possibility that smartwatches will be equipped with a GMT display in the near future.
When travelling, smartphones are always concerned about their battery power. Power adapters are fought over at airports, and even when you board the plane, it is difficult to use your smartphone to check the time, as you are watching a film or gathering information.
Even when you arrive at your destination, you have to keep an eye on your phone’s battery level. Eventually, looking at your phone to check the time feels like a waste of battery power; if you have a mechanical GMT watch, you don’t need any batteries at all.
As long as you keep time, there is no more powerful tool than this when travelling abroad.
Useful uses of GMT
GMT watches basically allow the wearer to know 2 different time zones, but with some ingenuity it is possible to display up to 3 time zones. However, this method can only be used on models with a bezel, which can be useful in countries with large east-west zones, such as the USA.
Specifically, three time zones can be displayed in the following way.
The first zone (local time) is indicated by the clock as normal time.
The second zone sets the GMT hand to the local time.
The third zone can be displayed by moving the rotating bezel to the desired time.
Some models also allow the short hand (hour hand) to be moved independently for time adjustment. Models that can only move the short hand are generally characterised by the fact that the short hand can be moved independently when the crown is pulled down one level. For more information, please refer to the instruction manual or the manufacturer’s website at the time of purchase.
Goro’s guess GMT
If you are an advanced wristwatch user, you will probably have a certain number of GMT watches that you can recommend. However, beginners may not be able to narrow down what kind of GMT watch to choose.
Below is a selection of GMT watches that the author has recently found to be good. Please take a look at them for reference.
Breitling Chronomat Automatic GMT40
The appeal of this GMT model, which was introduced in a previous article in 2023, is its legibility and thinness: at 11.2 mm, it is much more comfortable when travelling. It is also water resistant to 200 metres, making swimming in the pool no problem.
The bracelet is a unique Breitling Bamboo bracelet. It is popular because it is comfortable to wear and prevents hairs on the arm from tangling. It is the perfect watch for active, globe-trotting individuals who are concerned about their body hair.
This model is also available in a wide range of colours. Among them, the model with the green dial introduced here is a bright green and is hard to wear with others.
The only drawback is the short power reserve.
However, considering the regular selling price of this model of 792,000 yen, this may not be an option.
Grand Seiko SBGM221
A long-selling model since 2017, the SBGM221, a GMT watch representing Grand Seiko, was designed by Mr.Osamu Kosugi, who was awarded as a Contemporary Master Craftsman. This SBGM221 cleverly combines graceful curves to create a gentle atmosphere that is somehow soothing.
With its ivory dial and brown leather strap, it is a stylish product with an extremely good colour match. Arabic numerals have been dropped inside the bar indexes, a Grand Seiko identity, for an elegant finish without being overly casual.
The low water resistance is a concern, but this is not a problem when used specifically in aeroplanes. On flights to Europe, where the climate is cooler, it should be useful even if the water resistance is a little low.
Seiko ProSpec SBEJ009 Mechanical Divers 1968 Heritage
The Mechanical Divers 1968 Heritage, which I discussed with the staff of a watch shop in an Aeon Mall where I stopped by at the beginning of 2025, has become such a hit among the staff of the Seiko shop that they call it ‘009’.
It incorporates a GMT function into a regular diver’s watch and is 12.9 mm thick, less than 13 mm. Also, the power reserve is 72 hours long and does not require time adjustment as it does not stop when rotating with multiple watches.
The bezel is also made of ceramic bezel, which is scratch-resistant and durable. It can also be used for serious diving and is great to take on trips abroad. The official retail price is 218,900 yen.
The specifications of the three models are listed below for your reference.
| Model name | diameter | thickness | Water resistance | Power reserve | Retail price | |
| 1 | Breitling Chronomat Automatic GMT 40 | 40 mm | 11.7 mm | 20 | 42 | ￥792,000 |
| 2 | Grand Seiko SBGM221 | 39.5 mm | 13.7 mm | 5 | 72 | ￥671,000 |
| 3 | Seiko ProSpec SBEJ009 Mechanical Divers 1968 Heritage | 40 mm | 12.9 mm | 20 | 72 | ￥218,900 |
*Price as Jan.2025 in Japan.
Conclusion
With travel restrictions having been lifted by the Corona, there is no doubt that opportunities to travel abroad will increase again in the future.
However, travelling with the time at the destination can be an uplifting experience. What is the weather like there? What is the temperature? What is the sun? Thinking about these things while travelling is one of the best parts of travelling. Many people adjust the time of their flight after take-off, when they are seated on the aircraft.
Sitting deep in your seat, relaxing, and finishing the time adjustment, you can then concentrate on the journey. By all means, in 2025, travel with a GMT wristwatch.
Reference article, ‘What is the difference between world time and GMT two functions to wear when travelling abroad?’