GMT - A Trendy Watch Complication
GMT Watches
There are many kinds of users for watches and as a result, there are also a lot of complications and features that have been developed to provide greater utility for the variety of different needs
These include complications, such as chronographs, dive bezels, day and date complications, moonphase complications and so on.
Among these complications, one that has gained a lot of popularity in recent times is the GMT complication, such as the one on this Seiko, the photo of which I stole from a random result in DuckDuckGo's image search:
As you can see in the image, the watch has 2 hour hands with different colours and shapes. It also has 24 hour markers on the bezel and the chaptering. The point of this is to make the watch tell 2 time zones simultaneously.
The normal (in this case gold coloured) hour hand moves as any 12-hour watch hand does. However, the GMT hand moves at half of the speed akin to the hand on a 24-hour watch.
This is where the 24-hour bezel is needed as it tells you the time of the 24-hour hand. And to make this time match a different time zone than the 12-hour hand, you just rotate the bezel until the 24-hour hand points to the desired time on the bezel.
In addition to analog GMT complications, there are also digital implementations. A prime example of this is the AE-1200 from Casio. The image shows my modded one with a metal case:
This watch has a large emphasis on its GMT functionality.
First of all, it has a GMT mode, which can be accessed through the mode select on the bottom left button.
In addition, a home time zone can be stored in the main mode along with 4 other commonly used time zones, which can be cycled through with the bottom right button.
Additionally, the top left circular section always shows your home time in a small analog-like format and the middle section on the right shows a map that highlights the timezone that you are viewing currently.
So instead of 2 time zones, you get 5, 2 of which you can view simultaneously. This shows just how powerful a digital format can be for GMT purposes.
My thoughts
Now that I have written an explanation on GMT watches with information on the analog GMT complication based entirely on someone else's page on how they work, it's time to discuss my own thoughts.
As might be somewhat obvious from my choice of images, I have an AE-1200, but I don't have an analog GMT and there is a good reason for this.
The AE-1200 is a really cool watch design. It has a sort of spy-like feel to it and it provides a lot of functionality outside of telling the time and the GMT as well. It's a watch that I like quite strongly. The GMT functionality is also very efficient since the digital format allows me to quickly cycle between the time zones.
On the other hand, analog GMTs are something that I don't get at all. They look plain ugly to me and in addition, the practical benefit isn't there.
To figure out the different times on a GMT, I have to figure out which hand to look at, where that hand is located and in the case of the 24-hour hand, I need to look at what time on the bezel that hand points to. As someone who basically never looks at a bezel for timekeeping purposes, this is far less efficient than just figuring out the time in my head.
What do you think?
Sources
Image: https://www.sports-watch-store.com/ssk005/
Analog GMT information: https://www.gearpatrol.com/watches/a123354/how-gmt-watches-work/
Dunno. Guess I like watches. Check out my Instagram for some extra watch pics (@op_watch_pics).
At the moment, I own 3 GMTs, 2 callers (Glycine Airman DC-4 and a TAG Heuer Carrera Twin-Time) and a traveler’s (Black Bay GMT). The GMT is my favorite complication by far, especially the traveler’s. It removes any possibility of making mistakes with the time conversion between places once set, and being able to change the time on the fly is hugely convenient when traveling. Since I set the GMT hand to home time when I’m home, I also see how much of the day has elapsed and how much of it remains at a glance at my wrist. I find that I miss the fourth hand when it’s not there.
I like the idea of a mechanical GMT, but, am never going to use one. Or at least, am very unlikely to. Digital world time works in the sense that if you’re bored, you can at least see if the pubs are open in Karachi, and it’s so standard a feature on things like G-Shocks, that it feels like a free gift with the other functions of the watch. I wouldn’t even call that’s GMT watch though — it’s a world time function. Same for its analogue equivalents with the names or airport codes round their edge, and it can be nice looking at how different cities are represented on those.
I have a traveler, caller, and a G-Shock. I love my GMTs. Especially the traveler. In our battery operated world, I love that I don’t have to charge it. In fact having to charge my Apple Watch every 2 days, then a few times a day after a few updates has made me tired of battery operated devices. It’s refreshing wearing something fully mechanical. It pleases my “traditional” side.
That said, I love my G-Shock too. Technically it has a battery, but it’s also solar so charging isn’t a problem. It’s nice to look at an unambiguous, digital-only dial with two time zones showing. It tickles my more “modern” side.
Aesthetically, of the two, I think the traveler is more pleasing to look at and more comfortable to wear, but the G-Shock is definitely more utilitarian as it’s appearance represents.