Top 5 Most Popular GMT Watches

This week, we're featuring the Top 5 GMT watches —cheap watches that are able to display a second time zone. GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time, the time zone of the United Kingdom. Besides that, GMT is a time system that was adopted in 1884. It originally referred to the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in London. In Greenwich, London, to be exact.
This time system divides the globe into 24 parts, based on 24 meridians of longitude. Greenwich in London is longitude 0° 0' 0", which makes it GMT. Amsterdam, for example, is in the next zone, and is GMT+1. New York, for instance, is GMT-5 (during winter).
The GMT is one of the most popular complications a watch can have. Although it was meant for pilots who travel through different time zones, business travelers also found their way to these watches.
Most of the time, a GMT watch just features an extra hand that is able to display home time in the 24-hour format (to make a distinction between night and day). The normal hour hand is used to display the time in the current time zone you are in. In some cases, the watch has an extra dial with hour and minute hands to display an extra time zone.
A very useful complication for people who travel a lot to different time zones (and not +1 or -1 only) and want to know what time it is in their home country. It can also be a useful complication if you do a lot of business with people in a certain time zone. Anyway, we also believe a lot of people just buy these watches because they like ‘em without having particular use for the extra time zone indicator. 745TDBanty 131021

5. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Dual Time 

 

 

Based on the original Royal Oak Jumbo model from 1972, this Royal Oak Dual Time has the same beautiful finish on case and bracelet and same diameter case. However, where the original Royal Oak had a very plain dial (only hours, minutes and date), this Dual Time has a bit more functionality. Besides an extra dial (located at 6 o’clock) to indicate the second time zone (or home time), there is a separate day/night indicator, a power reserve indicator and a small dial to indicate the date. For those who are able to appreciate the Royal Oak design and travel a lot, this Audemars Piguet seems to be the right choice.
4. Breitling Navitimer World

Another classic in this Top 5 list is this Breitling Navitimer World. The Navitimer goes back to 1952, when Breitling introduced this watch for pilots. With its slide rule, it enabled them to calculate things like remaining fuel and ground speed. Actually, it can be used for a whole range of basic math like multiplications and divisions and so on. Anyway, Breitling decided to add another useful complication for pilots and travelers on their Navitimer. The Navitimer World features an extra hand to indicate a second time zone. The slender long hand with the red tip indicates home time on a 24-hour scale.
3. Panerai Luminor GMT

Another watch that finds it roots in the military world, the Panerai Luminor GMT. Panerai is able to apply its successful design to a lot of different watches, including this GMT watch. The dial of this Panerai Luminor has a 24-hour scale printed on the outer part of it. The long hand with the triangular tip reaches out to this scale to indicate home time. The 24-hour scale, of course, immediately indicates whether it is day or night. The hour and minute hand are skeletonized, which makes it possible to overlap the 24-hour hand without making it disappear and make it unreadable. The popularity of Panerai seems to be unstoppable — it even found its way in this list of classic and iconic timepieces.
2. Rolex Explorer II 

This brand is responsible for the No. 1 in this list, as well. But first things first: the Explorer II. Recently updated with a slightly larger case, an upgraded bracelet and a dial with a large orange second hand that has clearly been influenced by those very first Explorer II watches from the 1970s. The large orange hour indicator points toward the stainless-steel bezel that has the 24-hour scale engraved. Originally meant for cave explorers who didn’t have a clue about day or night anymore. However, it can also be used as an extra time zone indicator.
1. Rolex GMT-Master II

King of the list: the Rolex GMT-Master II. Originally developed in the early 1950s with the help of Pan Am pilots who needed a watch that could indicate an extra time zone. This current Rolex GMT-Master II has a bi-directional bezel with the 24-hour scale, making it possible to indicate even a third time zone. Just a few years ago, Rolex decided to upgrade the good ol’ blue and red Rolex GMT-Master II model and make it a bit more fancy with this ceramic bezel and polished center link. The 24-hour indicator also turned green (instead of red). The normal hour hand can be set independently from the other hands, so it is very easy to set the time for the time zone you are located in. The 24-hour hand points toward home time, using the 24-hour scale on the bezel as day/night indicator.