GMT and World Time: Watches for Globetrotters and Cosmopolitans
Whether you’re a frequent traveler, a businessperson with an international network, or a global player—for many people, a single watch on their wrist is no longer enough.
Of course, a smartphone can display multiple time zones at once. While GMT and world time watches have their limitations in this regard, they stand out for their style, elegance, and easy readability.
Timepieces capable of displaying multiple time zones can be broadly divided into two categories: GMT watches and world time watches. Both types are now available in a wide variety of styles and price ranges. Current examples include models from Chronoswiss, Cyrus, Frederique Constant, Laurent Ferrier, Nomos Glashütte, Poljot International, and Seiko.
While GMT watches display an additional time zone using a second hour hand, world time watches allow for the simultaneous display of multiple time zones using rotating city and 24-hour rings.
GMT watches
The abbreviation GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time and dates back to the establishment of the Prime Meridian at the International Meridian Conference in 1884. The London borough of Greenwich was defined as the reference point from which all other time zones are determined. Today, GMT is often used interchangeably with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in everyday language, even though UTC is the modern standard.
With the advent of international aviation—particularly during the jet age of the 1950s—there arose a need for watches capable of displaying multiple time zones simultaneously. GMT wristwatches were developed to help pilots keep track of different local times.
Typically, GMT watches feature an additional hour hand that can be set independently of the main time. This hand displays a second time zone in 24-hour format, usually in combination with a correspondingly scaled bezel, which is often designed in two colors to better distinguish between day and night. This generally allows for the simultaneous display of two time zones, and in some models, even three.
World Timer
World time watches—often referred to as world timers—go one step further: they allow for the simultaneous display of multiple time zones around the globe. Traditionally, this is achieved using a city ring, on which major cities are assigned to their respective time zones, as well as a rotating 24-hour scale to distinguish between day and night.
Depending on the design, either the city disc or the 24-hour ring rotates, while the reference time remains fixed. The watch can be operated using the crown or—on more complex models—using additional pushers.
While traditional world time watches are designed around a system of 24 reference time zones, some modern versions also account for regions with half-hour or quarter-hour time differences. High-end models can therefore display significantly more than 24 time zones.
The Elegance of the Times
Whether it’s a GMT watch or a world time watch, both designs offer elegant solutions for people who navigate a globally connected world. While GMT watches stand out for their clarity and practicality for everyday use, world time watches impress with their technical sophistication and the ability to display the time around the globe at a glance.
Chronoswiss: Pulse GMT Enamel Sky Gold
With the new “Pulse GMT Enamel Sky Gold,” Chronoswiss presents a contemporary reinterpretation of the “Tora” from the 1990s. At the same time, the Pulse design redefines the brand’s classic design features: with the onion-shaped crown, the fluted bezel, a sculptural case, and the first seamlessly integrated bracelet in Chronoswiss’s history. chronoswiss.com
Case: Gold, 41 x 13 mm Water resistance: 5 bar Movement: C.6002, automatic winding, 55-hour power reserve Functions: Hours (at 3 o’clock), minutes, seconds, GMT/24-hour counter at 9 o’clock Dial: Gold center section with hand-guilloché, blue fire enamel, star-shaped paillons in fine gold, hour markers, and a brass minute track and scale Strap: Gold Special feature: Limited to 50 pieces MSRP: €87,000
Cyrus: Dominion Lapis Blue GMT
For the first time in the Cyrus collection, the “Dominion Lapis Blue GMT” replaces the traditional Arabic numerals for local time with elongated, rhodium-plated hour markers in a new design. Home time is indicated by a small hand with a luminous, triangular tip that moves along a matte white arc, interrupted by the small seconds at 6 o’clock. cyrus-watches.ch
Case: Titanium, 42 x 16.73 mm Water resistance: 10 bar Movement: CYR708, automatic winding Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, retrograde second time zone Dial: Lapis lazuli Strap: Alligator leather Special feature: Limited to 28 pieces MSRP: CHF 28,000 (plus VAT)
Frederique Constant: Classic Manufacture Worldtimer
One of Frederique Constant’s greatest successes is undoubtedly the “Worldtimer” with an in-house movement, introduced in 2012—thanks to its intuitive readability, attractive design, and perhaps also its comparatively affordable price. Now, Frederique Constant has given this model a thorough overhaul. At 40 millimeters, the “Classic Manufacture Worldtimer” is slimmer than its predecessor; the date window has been omitted, and a new automatic caliber with an increased power reserve has been installed. One of the three new models also features diamonds. frederiqueconstant.com
Case: Stainless steel, bezel set with 70 diamonds, 40 x 12.53 mm Water resistance: 5 bar Movement: FC-719, automatic winding, 72-hour power reserve Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, 24-hour city ring, day/night indicator Dial: Light blue with sunburst finish and diamond hour markers Strap: Alligator leather Special feature: Limited to 88 pieces MSRP: €7,995
Laurent Ferrier: Sport Traveller
In the “Sport Traveller” watch, a new in-house caliber allows the dual-time function to be set with a single action: each time the pusher at 10 o’clock is pressed, the hour hand jumps forward one hour. The pusher at 8 o’clock makes it jump back one hour. This allows for an immediate switch to local time without stopping the watch or interrupting its rhythm. laurentferrier.ch
Case: Titanium, 42 x 13.3 mm Water resistance: 10 bar Movement: LF275.01, automatic winding, 72-hour power reserve Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, home time at 9 o’clock, date Dial: Anthracite, opalescent Strap: Titanium MSRP: €66,595 (plus VAT)
Nomos Glashütte: Club Sport neomatik World Time
The new Worldtimer is one of the most sought-after models from the watch manufacturer Nomos Glashütte. Following several versions in bold colors, the model is now also available in white. nomos-glashuette.com
Case: Stainless steel, 40 x 9.9 mm Water resistance: 10 bar Movement: DUW 3202, automatic winding, 42-hour power reserve Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, world time, 24-hour home time, day/night indicator Dial: White, electroplated Strap: Stainless steel Special feature: In-house manufacture caliber with Nomos Swing System MSRP: €3,960 (stainless steel back), €4,260 (sapphire crystal back)
Poljot International: Sputnik
With the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, “Sputnik 1,” on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union set a historic milestone in the history of space exploration. The “Sputnik” watch model from Poljot-International, named after the satellite, symbolizes these early days of space exploration. “Sputnik” itself serves as the inspiration for the watch model, whose entire design revolves around the theme of space travel and its history. poljot-international.com
Case: Stainless steel, 43 x 14 mm Water resistance: 5 bar Movement: 9931-PI, manual winding, 36-hour power reserve Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, second time zone at 3 o’clock, 24-hour display at 9 o’clock Dial: Silver-colored, skeletonized Strap: suede leather Special feature: limited to 400 pieces MSRP: €780
Seiko: Prospex 1968 Heritage Automatic GMT Diver’s
The “Prospex Diver’s Watch 1968 Heritage GMT” reinterprets the design of the 1968 Seiko diver’s watch in a contemporary style and combines it with the latest technical updates. Compared to its 2023 predecessors, the water resistance has been increased from 20 to 30 bar. seikoboutique.eu
Case: Stainless steel, 42 x 13.3 mm Water resistance: 30 bar Movement: Caliber 6R54, automatic winding, 72-hour power reserve Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, second time zone Dial: Black Strap: Stainless steel MSRP: €1,900
