Is there really anything better than stepping off a plane onto foreign soil? That rush of excitement for the unknown, for the cuisines hiding down narrow streets, and the cultures and landscapes waiting to be witnessed. I really don’t think there is. A close second? Strapping on your favourite GMT watch for the adventure.
If you’re someone who navigates time-zones for work or you’re a globetrotter exploring the world for play, and you haven’t done so already, you need to find yourself an affordable GMT watch. The additional complication, which lets you read two or three time zones at once, comes at a premium in most cases, but that still doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to indulge in one of these time-zone hopping instruments. To makes things easy for you, we’ve compiled a list of our top 5 GMT watches under £1,000.
Boldr Venture GMT - Credit Watch Gecko
£899.00
£899.00
What Makes a Good GMT Watch?
Before we begin, we should probably first explain exactly what a GMT watch is, and outline some of the characteristics that make a good one. GMT stands for “Greenwich Mean Time” and labels a timepiece that can display multiple time zones simultaneously. They are designed with travellers and pilots in mind who want to keep track of the time in different parts of the world. For a more comprehensive guide on how GMT watches work, read our feature here.
A reliable GMT watch can be found in all shapes and sizes, but typically they to have some, if not all of these design features:
- Additional 24 hour hand – This is an extra central hand, typically larger and in a different colour to the rest the hands to display one additional time zone.
- A GMT bezel or scale – Many GMT watches feature a 24-hour scale on the watch dial or bezel. While the central GMT hand mentioned above displays one additional time zone, the bezel can be rotated to reference a third.
- A comfortable, durable case – At the end of the day, this is a watch you’re going to take travelling, so it needs to be comfortable and tough enough to survive your adventures.
- A legible dial – Finally, a good GMT watch should have a clear, easily legible dial so you can read off those additional time-zones effortlessly.
Top 5 GMT Watches under £1,000
Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT
Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT - Credit Christopher Ward
A great adventurer’s timepiece, the Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT delivers all the design tropes above in a compact, attractive package. The 39mm 316L stainless steel cases are topped by fixed 24 hour bezels which work alongside the oversized, arrow-shaped GMT hands to provide multiple time zones displays. Of course, in typical Christopher Ward fashion, the dials are beautifully executed, available in black, white or blue lacquer or with a wonderful green gradient effect. Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT watches are powered by the Sellita SW330-2 automatic winding movement with a 50-hour power reserve
NTH Devil Ray GMT
NTH DevilRay GMT - Credit WatchGecko
We may be a little bias with this one because we had a hand in helping bring some of these editions to life, but the NTH Devil Ray GMT watch alone is an unprecedented dive watch for under £1,000. But then it goes and couples its 500 metre water resistant, cushion-cased 43mm steel case with GMT complication. There’s brushed finishing for the case, a 120-click uni-directional rotating dive bezel, Superluminova hardware on the dial and the Seiko NH34 automatic movement. Many of the NTH Devil Ray GMT WatchGecko Exclusives are limited editions, so its worth noting these won’t be around forever.
Seiko 5 Sports GMT
If you’ve read any of our other Top 5 features, you’ll have probably noticed Seiko make it onto the list more often than not, and that’s simply because they have mastered the art of affordable watchmaking. There are two Seiko GMT watches in today’s line-up, simply because we couldn’t pick between them, but for the sportier personalities amongst us, here's the Seiko 5 Sports GMT. Available in a range of classic dial colours, these durable sports watches measure to 42.5mm wide and boast robust metal bracelets, Hardlex crystal and 41-hour automatic winding movements inside. The GMT complication is presented through bi-coloured bezels and large red hands.
Certina DS Action GMT Powermatic 80
Certina DS Action GMT Powermatic 80 - Credit Certina
The Certina DS Action GMT Powermatic 80 watch is another fantastic GMT watch under £1,000. It’s a little more classic in its stylings compared to those above, opting for no outer bezel on the 43mm field-inspired stainless steel cases. Instead, a 24 hour scale is placed on the circumference of the dial, decorated in two opposing colours to represent the day and night hours. The dials are generously adorned with glow in the dark Superluminova and provide hours, minutes, seconds, date and GMT powered by the Swatch Group’s well-known Powermatic 80 movement. This automatic winding calibre never fails to impress with its weekend-proof 80-hour power reserve.
Seiko Presage Alpinist GMT
Our final recommended GMT watch of the day is another Seiko, this time one with a field watch aesthetic. The Seiko Presage Alpinist GMT takes inspiration from one of Seiko’s first adventure watches which was created for Japanese mountain men. This design also makes history as the very first Alpinist model from the brand to have a GMT mechanical movement. The latter is the Calibre 6R54 which fuels the cathedral-shaped hours, minutes, seconds and GMT on a black or blue sunray dial and provides a 72-hour power reserve. The dial also has a subtly hidden date window and its own compass scale controlled using the 4 o’clock crown. There’s also a stainless steel 24-hour bezel sitting on the 39.5mm steel case and a water resistance of 200 metres. We covered these watches in more detail here if you’re interested.
That concludes our Top 5 GMT Watches feature.
Do you agree with our opinions, or would you have chosen a different model for the number one spot? Let us know in the comments below!
