Cure the quarantine travel bug with these GMTs under $2,000
By: Kevin Kuntz (@tenonthedot)
The GMT watch is the ultimate companion to a worldly traveller. During a pandemic, this companion may at times feel as underutilized as the owner attached to it. International flights are grounded, and GMT hands around the world are set to places we wish we could go, and not the local time we want to leave behind.
In a recent survey done by luggagehero, 77% of people worldwide planned to keep their travel arrangements from June - December 2020 as long as their destination will be free from quarantine. If you are one of these hopefuls that plan on navigating the post-quarantine travelscape this summer, take one of these fine GMTs under $2000 along with you.
Note: I’ve offered a mix of brands you know, microbrands, one homage, a budget-friendly option and one for smaller wrists since I have an inherent bias towards 40mm+ case diameters. We will be using the 40and20 guys’ grading system to rank these watches out of 71 total points.
Water Resistance (Out of 11pts; 1pt for every 10m WR up to 110m),
Size (Out of 10pts; 40mm is a perfect 10 pts; every 0.5mm away from 40mm is -1pt),
Movement (out of 10pts)
Strap/Band (out of 10pts for quality, comfort, and strap options),
Aesthetic (out of 10pts)
Durability (out of 10pts)
Lume (out of 5pts), and
Other/X-factor (out of 5pts).
The Microbrands
Aloha GMT 40
Credit: Aloha
Aloha is a new microbrand, and their first offering is the GMT 40. Sized at 40mm, it is one of the best sized watches on this list. Housing an ETA 2893-2 and featuring water resistance up to 100m, you won’t skip a beat from the tarmac to the pool. The dressy case shape and finishing will do superb in low-light environments like dinner and the bar scene, but despite having 100m of water resistance, it doesn’t scream water friendly. With the leather band being their main strap offering, fitting in at the pool with the GMT 40 strapped to your wrist seems unlikely. Luckily, Aloha does offer a beautiful Milanese strap that would make me more confident being near water with the GMT 40, but there might be other watches on this list that you’d feel more comfortable taking a legit dive with. With its unguarded crown, and high polish — especially on the bezel — the GMT 40 might not have the durability to withstand every vacation scenario, but it could definitely accompany someone travelling for relaxation.
The lume on the GMT 40 is great with all hands lighting up with BGW9. None of the 24-hour GMT indices have lume, but that could aid in this watch’s ability to be “dressed-up” for the evening without you feeling like you have a Christmas tree on your wrist. Aloha makes a gorgeous watch that would more than suit most travelers in every vacation situation.
Scoring:
WR: 10/11
Size: 10/10
Movement: 9/10
Strap/Band: 8/10
Aesthetic: 10/10
Durability: 3.5/10
Lume: 4/5
X-factor: 5/5
Total: 59.5/71
Laco Frankfort GMT
Credit: Laco
If you’ve heard of Laco before then you’ll probably immediately think of flieger watches. While that same flight-style DNA carries over into the Frankfurt GMT, this watch boasts 200 meters of water resistance with dual crowns and an inner-rotating bezel — clearly Laco isn’t a one-trick pony. At 43mm case diameter, this watch won’t work for everyone, but those who can look past that can enjoy the trusty ETA 2893-2, two guarded, screw-down crowns, and a blasted, stainless steel case that all make this watch look and function utilitarian. Coming in closest to $2000 on this list, Laco sends 2 straps: one water-resistant leather, and one nylon, ensuring this watch can go from the outdoors to evening libations in a few seconds with the help of a spring bar tool (they send you one of those too). The lume on this thing is fantastic with all indices and hands bright and clear so you’ll be able to tell the time for two, even three time zones (with the rotating bezel) in any light condition — impressive.
Scoring:
WR: 11/11
Size: 4/10
Movement: 9/10
Strap/Band: 8/10
Aesthetic: 8/10
Durability: 9/10
Lume: 5/5
X-factor: 5/5
Total: 59/71
Price: $1990
Brands You Know
Hamilton Jazzmaster Traveler GMT 2
Credit: ivan_baryshnikov
In this price range, you can get a quality GMT from a big name in watches (like Hamilton and Longines on our list), but with that notable name comes a slightly heftier price tag. What you might get is peace of mind - you’ve had one of these before, or know someone who has. You know it’s a quality brand, and you might not yet be comfortable spending your hard earned dollars on one of these “microbrands” that has only been around a few years. Or, you might just hope someone recognizes your watch by the name. Fair enough.
This Jazzmaster Traveler GMT 2 is a great option. It’s 42mm in diameter with an ETA 2893-2 movement and features 100m of water resistance, dual crowns with an inner-rotating bezel, and a nice mixture of polish and brushed surfaces ensuring it’s not a complete scratch magnet. All those features are great; however, the crowns are not guarded and this watch only comes on the ostrich/calf leather strap making it not suitable for all varieties of travel opportunities (which is why it ranked lower in durability). Hamilton chose to only lume the minutes hand, hours hand, and hour indices, which makes the watch feel dressier, but definitely makes the GMT hand less useful. If your travels are strictly business, this watch may be for you.
Scoring:
WR: 10/11
Size: 6/10
Movement: 9/10
Strap/Band: 7/10
Aesthetic: 9/10
Durability: 4/10
Lume: 2/5
X-factor: 4/5
Total: 51/71
Price: $770
Longines Conquest GMT
Credit: harri.n
Another quality GMT with a name that carries weight is the Longines Conquest GMT. Like most watches on this list, it’s got the reliable ETA 2893-2. At 41mm, this watch will be comfortable on plenty of wrists, the only downfall is its thickness at 14mm. Good for only 50m of water-resistance, you may feel skittish around water, but the high crown-guards, sapphire crystal, and H-link bracelet help this watch remain durable in other activities. This Longines beats the Hamilton in lume only because the GMT hand is readable in darkness, where the Hamilton is not. In the light, the red GMT hand really pops against the blue, sunburst dial. While this watch doesn’t rank as high in “X-Factor” as the microbrands, the Conquest GMT is aesthetically pleasing in its simplicity. This watch is a great addition for anyone on their next getaway.
Scoring:
WR: 5/11
Size: 8/10
Movement: 9/10
Strap/Band: 8/10
Aesthetic: 8/10
Durability: 6.5/10
Lume: 3/5
X-factor: 4/5
Total: 51.5/71
Price: $1250
The Homage
Steinhart Ocean Vintage GMT
Credit: blechmann2.0
Calling this next watch an homage is an understatement. Steinhart tried to get the Ocean Vintage GMT as visually close to the first Rolex Explorer II as possible — and the result is a quality watch. If homages aren't your thing, consider this: the Rolex Explorer II reference 1655 has long been discontinued, and the ones that are still out there are pretty unattainable, setting you back at least $20,000; this watch comes in just under $500. The Ocean Vintage GMT chose to go with no cyclops over the date window and, unlike the Rolex, has a crown that protrudes and is not really protected by the crown guards. I dinged this watch in durability for the only semi-protected crown, but it has a domed sapphire crystal with plenty of brushed surfaces on the case and bracelet to make this watch one of the most durable on the list.
Sized at 42mm, this watch borders on the larger side, but works in a variety of travelling conditions due to its classic look. Pool, beach, trail, dinner - the Steinhart is exactly what it’s trying to be: an adventurer watch and a true GADA (go anywhere, do anything). With 300m of water resistance, an ETA 2893-2, and plenty of lume to read two time zones in the dark, this watch scored high everywhere besides “X-Factor” due to lack of originality. Regardless, this watch should be considered for your next travels.
Scoring:
WR: 11/11
Size: 6/10
Movement: 9/10
Strap/Band: 7/10
Aesthetic: 9/10
Durability: 8.5/10
Lume: 4/5
X-factor: 3/5
Total: 57.5/71
Price: $495
Budget Option
Timex Allied 3 GMT
Credit: Timex
The most accurate, and brightest lumed watch on the list comes with our budget option, the Timex Allied 3 GMT. Of course, any quartz movement is going to give you impeccable accuracy if you can compromise with a seconds hand that doesn’t sweep. Also, the lume is really only applied to the minutes and hours hands; The rest of the readability in the dark comes by way of Timex’s Indiglo, which some of you will love, and others will not. But you aren’t buying this watch for pure, horological passion. The Allied 3 GMT is for practicality. Coming with 100m of water resistance and a myriad of decent strap and bracelet options, it’s no wonder this watch sold out at this price point (you can still find them on the used market). The rugged look and size (43mm) can make this a vacation beater watch, accompanying you in any vacation activity when impressing your company isn’t only unnecessary, but not even on your mind.
Scoring:
WR: 10/11
Size: 4/10
Movement: 8/10
Strap/Band: 4/10
Aesthetic: 6/10
Durability: 3.5/10
Lume: 5/5
X-factor: 3/5
Total: 43.5/71
Price: $140 (used)
For Smaller Wrists
Monta Atlas
Credit: Monta
Our option for smaller wrists is the Monta Atlas, although this watch would have made the list at any size, really. In this price range, Monta has more attention to detail than some of the bigger players, and is well known as one of the best microbrands available today. Even the stock Sellita SW330 wasn’t good enough for Monta. They took that movement and tuned it to chronometer-grade +/- 5 seconds per day. At 38.5mm case diameter, this watch should be on the radar for anyone with a slender wrist (and probably just anyone with a wrist). Good for 150m of water resistance, Monta wants you to be able to take the Atlas everywhere, and with plenty of strap options, you can ensure it does exactly that.
The bracelet is fully articulated and has beautiful, polished, chamfered edges. The only ding in “durability” came from the unguarded crown, which is obviously an intentional design choice that looks great. Plenty of brushed surfaces means this watch won’t attract scratches too fast and can easily be dressed up or down. The BGW9 lume is bright and full, but you won’t find the 24-hour markers on the chapter ring glowing. Monta is establishing a known design DNA for themselves, which might not take as many risks as Aloha and Laco, but still deserves a high X-Factor rating because of how good every aspect of this watch is.
Scoring:
WR: 11/11
Size: 7/10
Movement: 10/10
Strap/Band: 10/10
Aesthetic: 10/10
Durability: 7.5/10
Lume: 4/5
X-factor: 4/5
Total: 63.5/71
Price: $1840