[Pool Shark]

Bimmerpost Watch Aficionados: I'm looking to add a GMT to my collection, and aside from the Rolex GMT (Pepsi or Batman) which I am also considering, which one of the following would you say is worth a look in-person

[soldes]

Have you look at the Grand Seiko GMT's? They have ample color variations, and dials that are best in class.

[ebirotedu]

Tough call. I think they all have their attractions and virtues. Ultimately, I’d get whichever GMT I enjoyed looking at on my wrist the most.

Chronomat - Styling seems a tad bland to me and power reserve is on the low side. Bracelet is supposed to be very comfortable and is unique.

Planet Ocean - Like the arrow hands and METAS, but not a fan of orange accents. Wish Omega weren’t so attached to putting giant helium escape valves on the PO line, but some people are less bothered. (Said as I am wearing a helium valve equipped Seamaster 300 chronograph - feel like the pushers make it less offensive maybe and maybe because I feel like the valve is slightly more acceptable on the older 300 diver than newer PO line).

TAG - I bought one after seeing it in person. It’s close enough to a Batman without being an actual copy (dodecagonal bezel, blue textured dial, etc) that it feels like its own thing. 70 hour power reserve. Obviously I’m a bit biased.

Tudor Black Bay - Like these a lot in terms of overall styling. Conservative but also timeless. Don’t like aluminum bezels though - they always scratch and fade. Some view this as a virtue.

With unlimited funds I’d probably already own both a GMT II blue dial Pepsi and a Rolesor Root Beer.


I’d say go look at all of them if you’re seriously considering each, which I would guess you are on account of your short listing the here. Nothing like seeing a watch up close and in person. 😄

[GuidoK]

Do you rate watches by looks or technical or horological parameters? Or investment value (better said: how much they loose ).

I think from a horological/technical pov the breitling is not much special. ETA based movement, expensive for what you get. Most Breitlings aren't that special imo. The navitimer maybe.

The Tag Heuer has a Selita made movement (but I think it's bespoke for Tag?). Nice watch, not too expensive but not as special as the Omega and Tudor.

Both the Tudor and Omega have a more exclusive movement with adjustment screws on the balancewheel instead of the more normal quick set regulator. It gives it a more higher tier vibe.
The Omega is expensive but has a nice looking movement, and I assume a helium escape valve? So it gives the feel of a higher performance watch whether you need it or not.
I don't like S&G bracelets, so I'd never choose the Tudor, but that's personal. I'd take the normal one.

But Grand Seiko have both a spring drive GMT and a 36000BPH GMT, which are insane movements (also some more normal movements and cheaper GMT's). Both obviously in house movements.
The dials and hands are stunning. What I like about the hands is that they mask off the center rivet (some don't have these hands, but most of them do). I don't know how they make those, but it gives a feel as if they were CNC made out of a billet and they make hands of other brands immediately look very cheap, made out of stamped sheet and a rivet in the middle. Only watches in the highest priceclasses (PP, Lange&Söhne etc) have nice polished solutions for this.
The only downside of GS is I think that a lot of the cases look bulky due to fairly big lugs (even though some GMT's are 40mm) or are bulky (44mm case gmt's). When I saw them in person, first thing I thought was...that's a big watch (but my wrists are small)
But if you look closely at dial, hands, caseline polishing, movement etc, they're in a different class. If they were swiss, they would fall in the 30k+ priceclass (the spring drives and 36000bph ones that is).

What I mean with the hands:

Grand Seiko, the seconds hands also has way more depth as if the hand itself is round, not flat:


Every other watch, flat sheet (sometimes with a fold in the middle) and a visible rivet in the center:

[c1pher]

The Omega or the Tudor are great choices.

[Pool Shark]

Many, many thanks to all of you for sharing your knowledge and perspective. Looks like I have some more homework to do.

Happy Holidays!

[tcphoto]

The Tudor is very popular, I'm an Omega fanboy and have thought about adding a third Omega with a Planet Ocean but calmer heads prevailed. My first nice watch was a TAG Aquaracer and I really liked it but I've moved on to another watch, a Hamilton Aviator X-Wind which might arrive by the weekend. Whatever you decide, I'd suggest looking on Chrono24 for a clean used watch. I've purchased all three of my Omega watches there and have been happy with them.

[overcoil]

Curious why you want a GMT ?

[GuidoK]

I assume he wants to monitor 2 timezones?
Or he wants to know whether or not it's AM or PM? Handy if you live on the north or south pole

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by overcoil

Curious why you want a GMT ?

I personally love GMTs, and appreciate the additional complications and workmanship that goes into them. I also use it for work and travel. However, having a regular automatic watch is much easier to set. My Longines Master Collection watch is my most complicated watch and requires using a side pusher with a provided stylus to ensure the dates and times match up each month.

[Velvet Fog]

Something not on your list and not a dive or sport style watch. The Ulysse Nardin GMT +-

U-N is one of the few that still make their own movements, this is on the low end of their range. I had one and really liked it, felt good, looked great.

https://www.24diamonds.com/ulysse-na...3-88_9373.html

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by Velvet Fog

Something not on your list and not a dive or sport style watch. The Ulysse Nardin GMT +-

U-N is one of the few that still make their own movements, this is on the low end of their range. I had one and really liked it, felt good, looked great.

https://www.24diamonds.com/ulysse-na...3-88_9373.html

From what I've found that watch has the UN-22 movement, and that's not an in house movement, but a movement based on the ETA2892.
UN probably made the GMT and date complication themselves and put it on top of the ETA2892, which is done often because the ETA2892 is very thin. So the movmenent with custom complications is then still of a manageable thickness.

https://calibercorner.com/ulysse-nardin-caliber-un-22/

[soldes]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

From what I've found that watch has the UN-22 movement, and that's not an in house movement, but a movement based on the ETA2892.
UN probably made the GMT and date complication themselves and put it on top of the ETA2892, which is done often because the ETA2892 is very thin. So the movmenent with custom complications is then still of a manageable thickness.

A few additional observations:
A well respected pre owned watch dealer, has mentioned that the UN gets more return watches after sales, than most other high/mid end brands, due to break down in the calendar mechanism; and when they do, sometimes not even servicing them at the factory will fix the problem.
Personally, we had 2 UN's with beautiful dials in the past, and when it came time to trade them in (to fund another addiction purchase), took a higher than usual loss on them.
Hope this helps with your decision making..

[Pool Shark]

Looking to add a GMT for a couple of reasons:

1. While my travel obligations have trimmed down, I still work with colleagues across a few time zones
2. It is a style/complication watch that I do not currently own