Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more Best of all, the watch was priced at just $750, making it perhaps the best GMT watch on the market at its price point. Unsurprisingly, it sold out in a flash I can report that the Timex x The James Brand Titanium Automatic GMT is now back in a brand-new colorway If you missed out on the new Timex x The James Brand Titanium Automatic GMT the first time around The new collab between the two brands is the exact same watch as before That means you’re still getting the 41mm titanium barrel-shaped case the quick-release titanium bracelet and resin strap the sapphire display caseback with The James Brand logo … you get the idea So what’s the story with the new colorway it’s a bit more colorful than the previous edition While the original watch went with a black and gray color scheme featuring pops of TJB’s signature bright green shade the new version is a bit more adventurous — both literally and figuratively The emerald green dial was inspired by the natural beauty of the Atlantic coastline and the deep woods of Nova Scotia providing a striking yet harmonious contrast with the titanium case Timex and TJB have dubbed the new iteration of the watch the “Emerald Edition.” It features a dial and bezel in a matching shade of bluish-green that was inspired by the woods of Nova Scotia, Canada, which is quite fitting for a travel/adventure watch. The lush green color is contrasted by the use of bright white on the hands and all dial and bezel markings Timex is keeping its TJB collab very affordable The new Emerald Edition has the exact same SRP as the original as opposed to the home hour hands of a caller/office GMT a watch that is destined for a life on the road the Makina Mephisto III GMT doesn’t let you down The 38mm wide by 11.55mm steel case has an interesting profile with a mix of brushed and polished surfaces A nice touch is the concave polished edges around the bezel and case flanks The screw-down crown ensures a 100m water resistance with sapphire crystals on both ends keeping the dial and movement safe The dial of the Mephisto III GMT is quite impressive showing a lot of depth thanks to the clever use of multiple layers and design elements The brass base is finished in blue and has a radial pattern of triangular shapes It reminds me somewhat of a set of turbine blades adding yet more depth to the overall design and the dial is finished with a notched sloping ring for the minutes Time is indicated with faceted and polished Alpha-style hands for the hours and minutes a red-tipped needle-shaped hand for the seconds and a fully red-lacquered hand for the second time zone Makina has wisely opted for the Miyota 9075 automatic GMT movement This is a rare beast as it’s one of the most accessible traveller’s or true GMT movements out there which works as a double-edged sword for most brands using it It beats a frequency of 28,800vph and has a power reserve of 42 hours The movement is decorated with Geneva stripes and wound by a custom gold-coloured rotor with the Makina logo proudly in view The watch can be purchased directly from Makina For more information, please visit MakinaWatches.com That’s not what “doubled-edged sword” means ‘The travelling community’ means something a bit different in the UK Glad to finally see great watches coming out of the Philippines Makina looks like great company with very attractive designs across the board I’m extremely interested in this GMT The article didn’t seem to touch on that at all. By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Jiro Katayama has stealthily unveiled a new mechanical timepiece under his brand, Ōtsuka Lotēc the new satellite hour watch arrives in a unique design featuring rotating numeral discs on the watch face These discs orbit around the watch in a satellite-like manner complemented by fixed hour markers to indicate the time the minute index plate and hour disks are designed to cast distinct shadows as they move it’s a fully functioning mechanical automatic watch movement that comes with a movement holder and all the tools and parts you need to assemble (or disassemble) it For those of us who aren’t watchmakers the mechanical aspects of watch movements can seem almost like witchcraft – particularly movements that don’t just track seconds and hours but also the date or other complications Each movement kit comes with all the parts you need to assemble and disassemble it as well as detailed instructions and a help hotline should you need it This Miyota 8215 kit aims to teach people the finer points of automatic watch architecture in the comfort of their own homes The Miyota 8215 movement is both automatic and self-winding Each of these kits comes fully assembled and operational so you can test it yourself it also comes with detailed instructions for both disassembly and reassembly This allows you to fully tear it down and put it back together after which you’ll have an intimate knowledge of exactly how the watch works and of how most automatic watch movements work The kit includes the Miyota 8215 movement as well as a movement holder that doubles as a display unit for when you’re finished It comes with the requisite screwdrivers and tweezers and access to the Rotate Watches support team if you need assistance Each kit also comes with a movement holder It then acts as a display so you can place your movement on a shelf or desk as a conversation piece If you opt to receive the kit assembled it costs $230 USD and if you choose to receive it already disassembled it costs $325 USD this is due to the hours needed to complete the disassembly before shipping it out Visit The Store Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media This is the Staresso Travel Portable Espresso Maker it uses segmented hydraulic extraction with 15-20 bar pressure offering barista-grade extraction Read More The Audio-Technica Sound Burger was first released in 1983 and it quickly became an industrial design icon influencing many other music players of the… Read More This is the Stanley Classic Pour Over Coffee Set it’s a near indestructible camp coffee maker that requires no paper filters Read More This is George Harrison’s Resonet Futurama it was his most-played guitar in the early days of the Beatles seeing extensive stage and studio use… Read More it’s a collaboration between GoPowerSports and Build Break Repeat that allows anyone with simple hand tools to assemble… Read More This is the Waterproof Faraday Duffel Bag from the team at SLNT it’s a waterproof bag with a built-in Faraday… Read More The traditional “Silodrome” was a carnival sideshow attraction also called the “Wall of Death." You may have seen them at county fairs – the vertical velodromes were originally built from old grain silos Silodrome was founded in 2010 as a website dedicated to Gasoline Culture and all it entails - We write about modern cars, classic cars, motorcycles, racing, gear, gadgets, clothing, boats, planes, airships and the occasional submarine.Read more... The bulk of the world’s most iconic tool watches first made their debut in the mid-twentieth century The Rolex Submariner, GMT-Master and Daytona, Omega’s Speedmaster and Seamaster diver, the Heuer Monaco, the Breitling Navitimer … all of these watches first debuted in the 1950s or ’60s Right up there with the best of them at the time was the Bulova Accutron Astronaut It also made it to space on several occasions on the wrists of early astronauts in the 1960s The Astronaut was everything an iconic tool watch should be. It had purpose-built functionality with a GMT complication and hacking seconds It had distinct and attractive looks with its hidden crown lending it a space age-appropriate UFO shape along with a unique enameled black and white day/night GMT bezel depicting two 12-hour scales on certain versions Despite everything the Astronaut had going for it, the watch was nearly lost to time. Unlike the other iconic tool watches mentioned at the start of this article Bulova did not continually produce the Astronaut over the decades the Astronaut’s flame was shortlived When Accutron came back as a standalone brand in 2020 I — and many other enthusiasts — looked forward to seeing a reissue of the Astronaut that could recapture some of the mojo of the original when Accutron brought back the Astronaut “T” variant from 1968 — the one with the black and white bezel — in a limited-edition run And while the new Astronaut looked just as good as the original the watch’s size had increased from 38mm to 41mm This isn’t uncommon when looking at modern-day reissues of vintage watches Instead of housing one of modern Accutron’s groundbreaking new Electrostatic movements, the watch was powered by an off-the-shelf Sellita SW330 “office” GMT automatic — the same calibre found in countless affordable microbrand GMTs which just didn’t feel competitive for what it offered as Accutron has just launched an entire line of Astronaut watches with better movements and better materials — all at a lower cost to you Accutron has unveiled four new Astronaut references. All of them are powered by a “traveler’s” GMT movement from sister brand Miyota meaning the watches boast an independently operable hour hand that can be adjusted without interrupting the timekeeping The watches all also now feature a date complication which makes them better for travel but less historically accurate There are four versions of the new “true” GMT Astronaut watches Three are in stainless steel and are based on the 1968 “T” version like last year’s model These feature two-tone day/night bezels matched to colorful dials There’s a green dial with a green/white bezel The green and red versions both come on stainless steel “bullet” bracelets just like last year’s limited edition, but now the bracelets are equipped with a quick-release mechanism. The blue version is executed in gold-tone stainless steel and comes on a blue Cordura nylon NATO strap with matching gold-tone hardware All three colors are priced at just $2,200 which is a full $1,300 less than last year’s limited edition The fourth and final version is the most premium modern Astronaut we’ve seen yet. Dubbed the Astronaut LTi, it’s crafted from hard-wearing and lightweight Grade 5 titanium With a matching 24-hour titanium bezel and bullet bracelet there’s a lot of the pricey metal in this watch and Grade 5 titanium’s aerospace connections make it a great fit for the model The dial on the LTi is a sunray eggshell color that’s very vintage-looking and there’s also more lume on this dial than on the other Astronaut watches we’ve seen Despite the more premium materials and better movement the Astronaut LTi is still priced at just $3,000 — 500 bucks less than last year’s Sellita-powered steel Astronaut You’re getting a lot more value here than before but I’d still like to see Accutron go further These new Astronauts are a major step in the right direction the titanium version is a logical extension for the model and the price points are much more reasonable But there are still some changes I’d like to see Accutron make for the next generation of Astronaut watches For one, let’s see a smaller version. The original Accutron Astronaut watches from Bulova were 38mm in diameter, while these new references — like last year’s — are 41mm across. A more historically accurate version would be excellent, while also feeding into the current market’s thirst for smaller tool watches Next, and more importantly, is the movement. I love the Miyota 9-series GMTs, but in a way, they’ve become the new Sellita SW330, with practically every microbrand under the sun now jamming them into their travel watches Or, if that’s too expensive or impractical, then how about Bulova’s proprietary Precisionist movement It’s one of the most accurate quartz movements in the world and features a perfectly smooth-sweeping seconds hand like you’ll find on vintage Accutron watches it’s the perfect engine for a modern Astronaut and it would also help keep the price from getting out of hand Can you imagine a 38mm no-date Accutron Astronaut in Grade 5 titanium with a Precisionist movement and a black-and-white day/night bezel priced between $2,000 and $3,000 That’s the type of watch that I believe would really start some buzz around Accutron again maybe some test pilots would even want to try one out WATCHPRO BOSS Watches has made its first move into mechanical timepieces with the creation of the BOSS Candor Automatic range The collection builds on the German fashion house’s reputation for classical styling in a family of everyday automatics crisply finished 41mm brushed steel cases with integrated and tapered steel bracelets “This cool and contemporary timepiece reflects the forward-looking mindset of every BOSS,” the company says BOSS Candor watches are produced and distributed by MGI Luxury Group Sari the Swiss-based subsidiary of Movado Group that also oversees premium watchmakers Concord and Ebel The three-hander with date automatics use Japanese Miyota movements with customised BOSS rotors They have striking dials with a horizontal groove pattern in a range of colours including pale blue and black options The range is on sale through BOSS Watch retailers for £339 The inaugural Miyota Design Weekend took place in the small community around Mt showcasing established and emerging creatives from Japan The Miyota Design Weekend’s (MDWE) inaugural launch aimed at pairing beautiful countryside with exciting new design, with a showcase set at the foot of the magnificent Mt. Asama in Nagano prefecture, Japan.  The brainchild of a group of local creatives who have moved to the small community in search of a slower more connected lifestyle MDWE invited designers to showcase their work at a handful of different locations around the city with the Haluta Blå a small hotel in the process of being renovated the delicate series of Hinoki furniture designed by local Miyota residence Wataru Kumano and simple DIY-ish stools and benches from Ishinomaki Laboratory together with skillfully crafted lamps by New Light Pottery represented the more established brands at Haluta Blå Invited to the design weekend by MDWE supporter and charismatic buyer Yu Yamada several lesser known designers and creators delighted with works from traditionally made washi paper objects to 3D printed radios playfully named Bou Bou from the Japanese word for rod - bou - seems to defy physics as none of the 30mm pieces of rods that make up the sculptures meet at any one point Ukawa not only designs these alluring objects While Gen Taniguchi’s family has been making traditional Japanese washi paper for more than 300 years as the 12th generation head of the family business Taniguchi’s tomeishi are not afraid of mixing traditions with electrical wiring Tomeishi are normally made by wrapping a piece of string such that the string stands up in the air around a rock and are used in Japanese gardens as sophisticated traffic cones as the name - stopping stone - literally implies Taniguchi uses washi paper for the “stones” and colourful wires producing some of their delightful 3D printed objects over the weekend Rather than try and smoothen out the irregularities usually resulting from printing an object they embrace the almost knitted quality of the print in a series of objects such as a simple pen portable radio and various shapes and sizes of vessels Their sculptural tape dispensers are made by meticulously 3D scanning natural rocks and then printing a tape holder and cutter to the exact contours of the particular stone The combination of innovative design and countryside worked wonderfully as a weekend getaway but the event also seemed to be a big hit among locals who perhaps are not usually exposed to this kind of creativity in their own backyards Here's hoping the Miyota Design Weekend will be back next year for more escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox @miyotadesignwe Jensen has been calling Japan his home for almost two decades Since 2014 he has worked with Wallpaper* as the Japan Editor he consults numerous business in Japan and beyond and designs and build retail residential and moving (read: vans) interiors How To Wear It The Cartier Tank Cintrée In-Depth Examining Value And Price Over Time With The ‘No Date’ Rolex Submariner Watches In The Wild The Road Through America, Episode 1: A Model Of Mass Production The Wilton GMT houses the official debut of Miyota's first movement with local jumping hour The company's new Classic Wilton GMT models contain an exciting new mechanical movement that levels the playing field for a specific dual-time display category that has for far too long remained exclusive and expensive the Bulova Classic Wilton GMT utilizes the new Miyota 9075 caliber with the ability for a local jumping hour hand known in watch-enthusiast parlance as a "flyer" or "true" GMT complication And it does all this in a package priced under $900 USD The new Bulova Classic Wilton GMT is available in either a blue dial/steel case combination (96B385) or a silver-tone dial with a gold-plated steel case (97B210) if you spend enough time reading about watches on the internet you'll quickly come across the debate surrounding the two most common types of second-time-zone displays used on GMT watches There are two primary types of GMT watches: Those that feature a jumping local hour hand and those that feature a jumping 24-hour hand The former is generally preferred by watch enthusiasts, as it's more beneficial if you're traveling between time zones yourself, rather than tracking a second time zone for your personal life or work. (You can read all about the various kinds of GMT watches right here.) The idea is that all that's required on a "flyer GMT" is adjusting the crown in its first position to match whatever new time zone you've just arrived in without disturbing the rest of the timekeeping functionality Both types can typically be adjusted independently without hacking the seconds and are generally tied to a date display and the Grand Seiko SBGM221 are all examples of GMT watches with this specific functionality but they're all also all firmly positioned in the four and five-figure price range What Miyota's 9075 caliber has done is totally change the accessibility of the complication with a lug to lug measurement slightly under 50mm The 9075 joins Miyota's 9xxx-caliber series, which can effectively be considered the Japanese maker's high-end range of mechanical movements. Although the official Miyota website has yet to be updated to include any additional information on the 9075 caliber the initial specs provided by Bulova about the movement seem aligned with what we know about the rest of the 9xxx series The new self-winding caliber beats at 28,800 vph (4 Hz) The decoration of the movement – as seen through the provided images of the Wilton GMT's exhibition caseback – appears to be relatively basic but the 9075 otherwise impresses for the price The new Miyota 9075 caliber is visible through an exhibition caseback on the Classic Wilton GMT Bulova and Miyota share the same parent company (Japan's Citizen Watch Co.) so it makes sense Bulova would receive first dibs on the 9075 And although I'm excited to see what the rest of the watchmaking world is able to create using the new movement there's only one place you can check it out for yourself right now and that's Bulova – so here's what you should know about the first pair of watches to feature it The Bulova Classic Wilton GMT is currently available in two different variants You can choose from a blue dial paired with a stainless steel case or a silver-toned dial complemented by a gold-plated case The watches are otherwise functionally identical although the gold-plated variant does come at a $20 premium The case has a fairly straightforward construction with large 43mm × 12.7mm dimensions and a sub-50mm lug-to-lug There's a mix of polished and satin finishes visible on the case highlighted in particular by the sloping polished bezel The dial features applied Roman numerals and a subtle relief design in the form of an azimuthal projection of a world map The dials of the watches emphasize the travel-time capability through a subtle embossed design in the form of an azimuthal projection of a world map A white date aperture is placed in the three o'clock position and a slim rehaut with a bicolor 24-hour scale is positioned on the periphery of the dial The slim hour and minute hands are filled with slivers of lume and executed in a traditional dauphine shape while the GMT hand features a luminescent arrow tip with a red frame Applied Roman numerals are placed on the dial in either steel or gold-tone to match the individual case; the 12 o'clock position is marked by an applied example of Bulova's tuning fork logo A subtly domed sapphire crystal rests on top of it all The Bulova Classic Wilton GMT models are available online right now via Bulova's e-commerce site and I assume they will soon make their way to Bulova's expansive Authorized Retailer network The stainless steel example with a blue dial carries a price of $875 while the gold-plated variant comes out slightly higher at $895 Those watches all utilize a Swiss-made movement made by ETA (also owned by the Swatch Group) in a variety of configurations and specs that I will readily admit are more advanced than what's found in the Miyota 9075 they're exclusive to the Swatch Group – which is what makes the Miyota 9075 such a major development Any third-party operation will soon hopefully be able to call up Miyota and place an order for a reasonably priced "flyer" GMT I think it's reasonable to expect that many of the small-scale independent watch brands currently using a "caller" GMT movement like the Swiss-made Sellita SW330-1 or Soprod C125 will switch over to the Miyota 9075 Although I'm currently unable to compare the exact unit price of a Miyota 9075 to I imagine the new Miyota alternative will cost similarly as well as offer a more in-demand functionality in the local jumping hour hand direct-to-consumer watch brands to make the swap The Wilton GMT case features a mix of polished and satin finishes The leather strap has an embossed pattern reminiscent of alligator leather as well as a twin-trigger steel deployant clasp The push-pull crown is stamped with Bulova's traditional tuning fork logo.  Miyota, of course, isn't the only Japanese watch manufacturer to recently release a new GMT movement. It was a little over a month ago that we were all abuzz over the debut of the Seiko 5 Sports GMT series powered by the new self-winding 4R34 movement It appears that Seiko will in fact be offering its new low-cost travel-time caliber to third-party buyers under the "NH35" trade name As for the Bulova that helped introduce the world to the Miyota 9075 I think the Classic Wilton GMT is a fine watch that will perform well for Bulova over the next few months or years I expect it will wear a touch large on the wrist simply given how much space the dial takes up out of the stated 43mm case diameter (an external bezel would help it wear a touch smaller The old-school dressy nature of the Wilton GMT models doesn't speak to me personally but I really do hope that Bulova continues to experiment and utilize the Miyota 9075 movement in new designs maybe even some inspired by watches from the company's extensive archive A number of Bulova watches have made their way into my personal collection over the years and I'd love to add another one down the road especially one with such an exciting and important movement inside Brand: BulovaModel: Classic Wilton GMTReference Number: 96B385 Diameter: 43mm (Lug to lug: Approximately 49.5mm)Thickness: 12.7mmCase Material: Stainless steel; gold-plated stainless steelDial Color: Blue; silverIndexes: Applied and GMT handWater Resistance: 30 metersStrap/Bracelet: Black leather dateDiameter: 29.2mmThickness: 3.9mmPower Reserve: 42 hoursWinding: AutomaticFrequency: 4 Hz / 28,800vphJewels: 24Chronometer Certified: N/AAdditional Details: Hacking seconds via Bulova's website and through its Authorized Retailer network The HODINKEE Shop is an Authorized Retailer of Bulova watches; explore our collection here You can learn more about Bulova online Introducing The Doxa Sub 200, Now With A Steel Bezel Watch Spotting The Watches & Fashion Of Met Gala 2025 Introducing Seiko Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT 60th Anniversary Edition SPB519 Business News Rolex Will Raise U.S. Prices In Response To Tariffs Six Of The Coolest CPO Rolex Watches I Saw In London's Old Bond Street Rolex Boutique Reference Points The Cartier Tank Louis Introducing The Christopher Ward C12 'Loco' (Live Pics) Hands-On Tudor's Black Bay Pro Gets A Surprisingly Dramatic Facelift With An Opaline Dial companies generally use either in-house or off-the-shelf movements the latter supplied by various manufacturers Rolex and Breguet can produce in-house movements that are optimized for their portfolios A watch company is considered “complete” when it can produce its own movement but many still rely on outsourced ones from large Swiss manufacturers like ETA and Sellita A few established brands have decided to offer entry-range automatic watches and mostly with the need to offer mechanical movements for accessible prices Alternatives to the usual Swiss generic calibres have thus become crucial The time and expense to design and build an in-house movement isn’t a viable option for many smaller brands and even major companies with their own movement production facilities also rely on off-the-shelf calibres for many models It’s been this way since the dawn of watchmaking Brands like Panerai and IWC have watches with outsourced ETA or Sellita movements and some of these get modified to a point where they’re virtually unrecognizable Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin had partnered with Lemania for chronograph movements (Lemania has since become an in-house producer for Breguet) The use of outsourced movements from ETA and Sellita allows brands to stamp their dial with the coveted “Swiss Made” designation but there are several Asian manufacturers that produce off-the-shelf movements as well more readily available and can be just as reliable and serviceable as their Swiss counterparts Let’s take a look at the three most popular suppliers outside the watch bubble of Switzerland – Miyota here’s a quick overview of the two major off-the-shelf Swiss movement manufacturers ETA (ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse -which is now owned by The Swatch Group Ltd.) is is the most commonly known Swiss movement supplier for companies ranging from young microbrands to high-end established players although aspects of its production go all the way back to 1793 The company produces both quartz and mechanical movements and is capable of manufacturing complete watches earning it the designation of manufacture d’horlogerie (watchmaking manufacturer) ETA is the largest producer of Swiss watch movements and has a controversial (recent) history as its activity has often been viewed as monopolistic The Swiss government has investigated the company on several occasions and it now complies with certain governed business practices planned to cut supplies of ébauches (partial or unassembled movements) to all companies outside of The Swatch Group This radical competitive approach threatened to bankrupt many competitors and the Swiss Competition Commission launched an investigation in 2003 that ETA could reduce overall deliveries but had to continue supplying competitors or it would be violating Swiss cartel laws ETA is allowed to continue reducing supplies today and may eventually be permitted to pick and choose companies it will supply movements to The sharp reduction since 2005 has prompted brands outside The Swatch Group to seek alternatives Both the Elaborated and Top grades can vary by as much as +/- 15 seconds per day which is adjusted in two positions and has the highest allowable variation of +/- 30 seconds per day Other popular workhorses are the ETA 2824-2 automatic (25 jewels available in four grades from Standard to Chronometer) and ETA 2892.A2 automatic (21 jewels available in three grades from Elaborated to Chronometer) The 2824-2 is popular with brands like Hamilton while the 2892.A2 is seen in many high-end brands like IWC and Breitling (even though both brands now mainly source from Sellita) Omega’s famous Seamaster line previously used a modified 2892.A2 as well (but keep in mind that ETA and Omega are both part of the Swatch Group.) or hand-wound calibres in various styles (including the iconic Unitas architecture or the 2801 or the Peseux 7001) ETA isn’t only providing almost endless solutions to brands but it is also well-known for the reliability and (extremely important) the serviceability of its movements – any decent watchmaker can service an ETA 2824 have a price as ETA is often the most expensive option Sellita is a relatively new Swiss movement manufacturer and often thought of as an ETA copycat companies can be granted patents for movements but those generally last for only twenty years and Sellita has capitalized on that The patent on the aforementioned ETA 2824-2 The two companies have an interesting history and were actually partners at one point ETA had outsourced assembly of its movements to Sellita but eventually decided to cut ties and resume all assembly within the company This caused Sellita to go into survival mode and begin producing ETA clones It had already amassed extensive experience assembling ETA calibres and ETA’s copyright on designs had expired so producing movements it was so familiar with was a logical step And not only was Sellita intimately familiar with ETA but also had established key relationships with part suppliers giving it a competitive advantage over others it perfected production and both the quality and reliability of its movements are generally considered to be comparable to ETA but slightly less expensive and more accessible to brands outside The Swatch Group The Sellita SW300 is a copy of ETA’s higher-end 2892.A2 the widely used Sellita SW200 is based (with improvements) on the ETA 2824 architecture Targeting ETA’s most popular movements like this has proven successful for the burgeoning Swiss manufacturer As ETA supply dwindles and potentially stops altogether for competitors Sellita may become the next titan in the industry as it also allows brands to retain the “Swiss Made” designation without losing the confidence of discerning consumers It is also to be noted that Sellita has a development team and works closely with brands to create custom-made movements (usually a different display based on an existing architecture The quality of Sellita movements doesn’t need to be proved anymore and the serviceability is soon to be on par with ETA The term “Swiss Made” is a bit controversial in its own right and often misunderstood It’s an important “brand name,” but doesn’t automatically imply superior quality High-end German brand Glashütte Original and American brand RGM are every bit as revered as their Swiss rivals But like those who demand Italian roots with their sports cars Switzerland and timepieces are often a required mix What exactly does it mean to be Swiss Made A watch can be labelled as Swiss Made if it’s assembled in Switzerland its final inspection occurs in Switzerland and a minimum of 60% of manufacturing costs are in Switzerland The legal standard for a brand to print “Swiss Made” on its dial isn’t quite as high as many think and small loopholes are also exploitable The most commonly recognized criterion is for the movement to be manufactured in Switzerland generally from ETA or Sellita – if not in-house Other requirements are that the movement is installed in Switzerland and again that the final inspection occurs in Switzerland that “Swiss Made” solely requires a Swiss movement inside the case For those who are fine with an Acura/Honda NSX over a Ferrari 488 GTB (so to speak) there are movement manufacturers outside of Switzerland that produce comparable engines (although on the lower end of the scale) Orient is a fourth manufacturer out of Japan but it produces movements strictly for its own brand And while they all void the “Swiss Made” moniker watches beating to their drum aren’t necessarily inferior and these movements are vital for young brands to dip their toes into mechanical waters So let’s take a closer look and see what these alternatives to Swiss movements have to offer Miyota movements are produced by Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. (Japan) and have quickly become a favourite supplier for both microbrands and established players looking to produce more affordable models. For example, Timex recently released its Marlin Automatics with a Miyota 8215 running the show it’s the most utilized automatic workhorse with 21 jewels 21,600vph (3Hz) and a 40-hour power reserve There are a couple of tradeoffs when choosing this movement over such as the lack of hacking seconds and an accuracy variable that can reach -20/+40 seconds per day (which is more than an ETA Standard grade allows for) this movement has a proven history of reliability is easily serviced and much more affordable and accessible than its Swiss counterparts Both the ETA 2824-2 and Miyota 8215 have shock protection systems with ETA using the Swiss Incabloc system and Miyota using its proprietary Parashock system Miyota introduced its 9015 movement that’s generally the sequel to the lauded 8215 Many upgrades allowed the 9015 to be more competitive with ETA and Sellita a 42-hour power reserve and hacking seconds Overall accuracy was also improved with a maximum variation of +/- 30 seconds per day which falls in line with ETA standard grade movements The finishing on ETA movements is also aesthetically higher when seen through an exhibition caseback and many are embellished with Geneva stripes and perlage but from a functional and reliability standpoint Miyota could soon become competitive with ETA and Sellita in the affordable watch category (generally under USD 1,500) the Pharo BigDate with Power Reserve from German brand Limes has a big date complication and power reserve indicator via an ETA 2892-2 (Top grade) with an extra module for the complications Not quite an ‘apples to apples’ comparison but close enough to get an idea of price differences Although Miyota is a viable alternative for watch companies it generally only applies to the lower end and complications are limited to what movements like the 9132 can offer Seiko also integrates sub-brands such as Grand Seiko and Credor superbly decorated movements with complications (up to a tourbillon or a minute repeater) those aren’t produced in the same facilities as the movements we are about to look at it gives an idea of what the brand is capable of Outsourced movements from Seiko are on a lower tier compared to the Grand Seiko and Presage lines One of its shining workhorses also happens to be one of the least expensive automatic movements from a major brand available found in many affordable Seiko pieces and used by a wide variety of competitors beats at 21,600vph (3Hz) with a 40-hour power reserve which is a very nice perk for such an inexpensive movement can be found for under USD 100 and runs on the 7S26 Hardlex exhibition caseback and Diashock shock protection That’s an incredible bargain and only a few minor sacrifices are made – no hacking seconds or manual winding (and accuracy rated at -20/+40 seconds per day) Introduced in 1996 (replacing the Seiko 7002 series) the 7S26 is popular with microbrands offering very affordable automatics Invicta has a series of dive watches with NH35A movements that can be found for under USD 100 Those price points would be impossible with an ETA or Sellita under the hood accuracy is rated at -20/+40 seconds per day which is 10 seconds more than the maximum from a Standard grade ETA although most consumers in this price range can live with a potential 10-second deviation it’s an impressive achievement from Seagull The finishing is surprisingly well executed given the price and looks great through an exhibition caseback The ST1901 also has a solid reputation for both reliability and serviceability and allows companies to offer mechanical chronographs at price points much lower than something with an ETA 7750 The Seagull ST36 is another common movement Similar to the Unitas/ETA 6497 (often referred to as a clone) it’s popular with microbrands as an inexpensive alternative to both Swiss and even Japanese movements with microbrands like Marloe Watch Company using it in its Cherwell line Seagull tends to have a distinctive finish on its movements with wave patterns and star motifs which some may not find as appealing as Geneva stripes and perlage but they present well through an exhibition caseback nonetheless And while “Made-in-China” can sound a little scary especially regarding mechanical timepieces intriguing watches for less than their Swiss and often Japanese counterparts but not “Swiss Made” printed on the dial as assembly occurs in the United States that doesn’t simply make it an inferior product Seiko and Seagull allow the industry to expand well beyond what would be possible if Swiss suppliers like ETA and Sellita were the only players in town (outside of in-house production) And despite the indispensable contributions and historical significance of Swiss watchmaking In fact I’d like to add that it was well-balanced and I’ll be sharing it with friends keep informing us plebes so we can make informed purchases well covered and very informative tank you Over the past several years I have purchased several Sea-Gull watches – because they had the combinations of complications [dates I think the Sea-gulls are Bargain watches in the best sense of that word Interesting watches and reliable time keepers Thanks so much for this help understanding movements — I’ve collected for a few years now based primarily on dial and case design and function knowing very little about the movements in my watches Your article gives me a much better base of understanding the brands and standards Explains some things I wasn’t quite sure of I wish Seiko took the “ébauche” movement business more seriously and outsourced some of their higher-end variants with tighter regulation A Hi-Beat +5/-3 in the hands of a tasteful dive watch micro/boutique brand sounds like a great (if expensive) idea to me Excellent article but I think Sea-gull movements are far from quality movements the finishings are rough and the problems are common our watchmaker suspect it’s due to a low quality steel I know there is politically correctness wave that say that made in China is “awesome” but sadly that was the experience we have in the company I work for that has a watch service department It’s an affordable alternative but not for nothing Orient Epson (Japan) and Vostok (Russia) also make some reliable historical movements that are used in some other watch Brands The most intelligent investment anyone can make for their watches is to find a really good watchmaker I believe it’s also “Swiss” but own by fossil if you add more depth to Seiko’s additional movements this would propel this article into a gold standard review @rebiere – sorry but we won’t do such thing We will never promote replica watches here The split between case and movemnent manufacturuers is as old as watchmaking itself I’ve got a MIDO ”’bumper” automatic day/date and a forunner of the AQUADURA ‘cork’ sealed crown with a BRITISH PATENT number from the late 30’s and one of the very first MIDO ‘bumpers’ to have a ‘hand wind’ function MIDO made the case but the movement and that innovative cork Crown seal was I believe [hope my spelling is right] made by TAUBERT By the way six of these models were taken off the assembly bench and tested in the USA to WR 120 metres THey were then ‘vaccum’ tested to 14,000 metres one failed All contemporary ROLEX’s tested at the time failed both tests apparently My little MIDO keeps time to within +-20spd I seem to remember reading somewhere that there was a SHANGHAI [??]WATCH COMPANY that made watches under SWISS supervision way back in the 20’s to a very high standard for those Chinese that could afford them and for the very considerable Foriegn and Diplomatic Community In short: it’s sufficient for powering entry-level automatic watches Professional Diver T0047 by Tauchmeister Learn More ($239) Marlin Automatic by Timex Learn More ($259) Cahill by Spinnaker Learn More ($350) La Malouine by Le Forban Sécurité Mer Learn More (~$440) Skindiver Worldtimer by Wolbrook Learn More: (~$470) Today in Gear The best way to catch up on the day’s most important product releases and stories. Read the Story Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here And it’s shockingly affordable for what you’re getting Miyota was the industry’s top movement manufacturer and has the highest production ever of some movements (in the billions) Citizen is still generally regarded as an inexpensive collection of quartz watches The brand is looking to change that perception to a degree even if quartz and Eco-Drive are clearly its bread and butter “The Citizen” really set the stage for things to come. The new Series 8 models continued with high-end integrated sports watches for USD 2,000 and below reinvigorating a collection first launched over a dozen years ago The Tsuyosa Automatic now joins the show with a very accessible price but doesn’t sacrifice build quality or design The others have an edge in refinement and certainly with movements but Citizen’s new integrated sports watch truly punches above its weight class The stainless steel case is 40mm in diameter and 11.7mm in height which are ideal proportions for a modern sports watch but I was surprised when I first picked it up The front surface is brushed with polished bevels the crown is positioned at 4 o’clock and pushes almost flush with the case There’s a (slight) notch underneath to pull it to set the date and time It’s nigh impossible to manually wind as there’s nothing to grip and fiddly to pull out The case has a sharp slope on either side for the integrated three-link bracelet with polished centre links and brushed outer links It’s well executed and wraps comfortably around the wrist closing via a deployant clasp with micro-adjustments A sapphire crystal with a date magnifier protects the dial while a mineral glass case back displays the in-house automatic but a lot of that can be attributed to the cyclops lens and all have a sunray-brushed finish except for the yellow It has oversized applied indices with Natulite inserts and a double index and 12 and 6 o’clock similar to Super-LumiNova or Seiko’s LumiBrite The silver hour and minute hands have Natulite inserts as well and the silver hands/indices contrast well against the black dial The date window at 3 o’clock is magnified and easy to read while dial text is tastefully limited to CITIZEN and AUTOMATIC and again a bit similar to a Rolex Datejust Powering the Citizen Tsuyosa is the Calibre 8210 which is basically Citizen’s version of the Miyota 8218 and the like The difference is that only Citizen watches use the Caliber 8210 while other brands can purchase Miyota counterparts but also a reliable workhorse that’ll be trouble-free with periodic maintenance It has 21 jewels and beats at 21,600vph (3Hz) with a 40-hour power reserve it has a gold-coloured finish that’s expectedly undecorated It’s always cool to see a movement in action and the gold does give it some visual punch The Citizen Tsuyosa sells for less than USD 300 That’s a phenomenal price for such a well-executed integrated sports watch that’s entirely in-house It has a bit more grandeur than comparable Seiko 5 models with the integrated design overall finish and cyclops lens on the crystal (even if it’s an “interpretation” of a certain Swiss brand) but I got used to it quickly and generally prefer some substance to my steel watches The crown is also fiddly but looks good enough that I can forgive it It’s one of those watches that can really dress up or down but excels at dressing up in a Rolex Oyster kind of way but it gives off that vibe in a very good way I usually go with Seiko for this kind of piece so a little research and international shipping are likely required if you want one There are again four dial colours to choose from For more information, please visit Citizen’s global website Dos nuevas confirman que Citizen camina por terreno firme atacando directamente puntos débiles de Seiko. Esta de hoy y la reciente del económico calibre Miyota 9075 directly attacking weaknesses from Seiko . This today and the recent economic caliber 9075 in metal it’s really quite nice and not too vibrant as stock photos show.n I have A Citizen Signature series 10 years old nice watch but no parts available @DC I’m a big fan of the orange Nomos Club Campus so I’m sure the yellow Citizen dial looks very nice I have no interest in wildly popular dive watches or integrated bracelets But it’s not at all appealing to me — just like dive watches I have the yellow one and it does have a sunray finish on the dial but I feel similar prised seikos are More sturdy Thanks for introducing this the amazingly accessible Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic watch Was looking for an integrated bracelet in blue and for 300usd how can you go wrong Not quite the 70s vibe of the Tissot but more modern Non-hacking which means just set the minute hand an be done with it The automatic winding is unique in that you can hear it and feel the oscillations against your wrist and I find that oddly comforting I quit lusting for a Rolex oyster perpetual the instant I put it on and all have a sunray-brushed finish except for the yellow.” Actually the yellow also has a sunray-brushed finish Check out the white dial that is somewhere between glossy and flat Also got the Yellow one and yes „with sunray-brushed finish“ When I was at my Rolex store we joked a bit But everyone at my office really likes this yellow DressWatch with summer vibes shipping — giving you another option to buy one of the year’s most exciting collab watches Read on to discover my original thoughts on the watch’s release last week If I am allowed to brag for a moment, can I just say: I called it. After seeing The James Brand’s cryptic teaser last week about the EDC brand’s upcoming collaboration with Timex I hypothesized that the watch was a titanium GMT powered by an automatic movement And I’m now very happy to report that my prediction came true as that’s exactly what the two brands cooked up Make sure you read through this article quickly because this watch is going to sell out in a flash First off, let’s talk about the movement. This is the first Timex to be powered by Miyota’s 9075 automatic GMT movement. The Japanese caliber debuted less than two years ago and is currently one of the hottest in the industry, as it’s currently the most affordable way to get a “true” GMT — that is one where the local hour hand can be adjusted independently when jumping time zones without stopping the movement — on your wrist The 41mm case has a titanium screw-down crown ensuring 200m of water resistance, so you can go diving with this watch if you wish, and the crystal protecting the dial is sapphire with anti-reflective coating. A second sapphire crystal on the screw-down caseback allows you to get a view of the movement and is decorated with The James Brand logo How many Timexes can you think of with a sapphire crystal let alone two … and a titanium bracelet … and an automatic GMT movement While this watch may climb the rankings of the greatest Timexes ever released, it doesn’t do so without a big assist from The James Brand. The modernist knifemaker lent its signature clean upscale aesthetic to the watch to give us a GMT design that both looks spectacular and feels wholly original with a minimal amount of text: There’s just the Timex logo underneath twelve o’clock and TJB’s logo above the six o’clock marker a minute track and an interior 24-hour markings in stark white contrast the matte-black dial But strategic punches from The James Brand’s trademark bright green color on the dial crown and bezel pip give the watch just enough character to keep it from looking boring The hands and indices also glow green courtesy of Swiss-made Super-LumiNova C1 lume I also enjoy the design of the bezel, which uniquely uses two digits to display all 24 numbers of the GMT scale. The bezel has a coin edge, matching the crown, and its insert (I’m guessing it’s aluminum) has a subtle bicolor design of black and gray, which is apparently the GMT color for 2024 I haven’t seen the watch in the metal yet but I can name two minor things that I would change to make it basically perfect I’d make the bezel bidirectional — right now which is great for a diver but is less ideal for a GMT And I would swap out the butterfly clasp on the bracelet for a proper clasp that offers some level of micro-adjustment the Timex x The James Brand Titanium GMT is priced at just $749 Japanese brands Seiko and Citizen are competing to offer affordable automatic GMT watches Just a month or so after the announcement of a beautiful GMT model in the Seiko 5 Sports collection comes a rebuttal from Citizen Don’t be confused that the watch in front of you has Bulova on its dial: the company is owned by Citizen and so is Miyota who made the movement inside — and while the Bulova Wilton GMT is a great-looking way to introduce it the Citizen-developed movement is the star of this story You’ll find them powering respectable watches mostly ranging from the upper hundreds into the thousands we feel confident about the overall quality of this movement but there’s more: the Miyota 9075 is what’s often called a “true GMT” by nerdy collectors That doesn’t mean that watches like the Seiko 5 Sports aren’t “real” or legitimate GMTs — what it does mean is that Miyota’s functions a bit differently and in a way that many collectors tend to view as more desirable But what about the watch that debuts this movement and you’ve got to love the classic map dial motif in relief is the sizing at 43mm which places an otherwise classically styled watch such as this in a weird space that’s probably a little too bold for a dress watch size and looks) but Citizen brings a more premium-tier movement with “true GMT” functionality and valued features like sapphire crystal (whereas the Seiko 5 GMT uses Hardlex) The Wilton comes in two variations: a blue dial shown here costing $875 and a white dial version with a gold-coated case costing $20 more Following the Seiko 5 Sports GMT so closely means that the Bulova Wilton and Miyota 9075 aren’t just a reaction to it: Citizen would have been developing the movement at the same time as Seiko before the announcement. Funny how the watch industry seems eerily coordinated sometimes We can’t wait to see these watches in person and how the new landscape of affordable automatic GMT watches continues to develop who firmly believed in giving Ikepod a second (third After a series of very appealing and true-to-form watches Ikepod feels the time has come to retire the gen3 Megapod The new Ikepod references promise quality and competitive pricing while remaining faithful to the brand’s DNA and the iconic pebble-shaped case aesthetic With Ikepod turning 30 this year and sensing a moment for change the brand announced that it would discontinue the 46mm Megapod series the brand now introduces a limited edition of Megapod featuring a seconds hand shaped like an hourglass – an homage to the iconic Marc Newson Hourglass Ikepod creations The Farewell Megapod is presented in a distinctive 46mm brushed stainless steel UFO-like case adorned with a sapphire crystal that melds into the case’s contours. As with all Ikepod references, the case eschews lugs, and the strap is affixed to the case. The display caseback provides a clear view of the automatic Miyota 9039 movement; the watch is water resistant up to 50m features fluted detailing and is adorned with the image of a hemipode a selection of seven dial designs will be offered drawing inspiration from models featured in the collection over recent years what distinguishes this limited series is the signature bright-orange central seconds hand in the shape of an hourglass during the design of the Megapod dials in 2020 Alexander Peraldi conceived this feature as a tribute to the iconic object d’art associated with the Ikepod brand – a design no longer in production The decision was made to preserve this element for a special series later Another distinctive feature is more expansive hour and minute hands outlined in orange and treated with Super-LumiNova though the luminous treatment does not extend to the shaped second’s hand All seven references have been given names; Walter (white dial with minute scale) Matti (silver dial with hour scale) and Joe (white dial with both minute and partial hour scale) Ikepod presents the Megapod Hourglass special series with a black silicone strap secured with a pin buckle An optional stainless steel bracelet is available at an additional cost The Farewell Megapod series will be available starting February 1st and priced at EUR 1,350 For more, please visit Ikepod.com A “movement” is what you’ll find inside a watch powering it, and companies that design and produce their own in-house are given a good deal of respect in the industry however (and especially many micro-brands) rely instead upon a small number of tried-and-true calibers from several companies whose specialty is in producing movements themselves outsourced movements allows the watchmakers to keep costs down and introduce a known quantity into the equation of watchmaking; these movements are relatively inexpensive You’ll also find other versions of said calibers with tweaks in their names and features (day-of-the-week display, GMT, etc.), but what follows are some of the most well-known and commonly utilized automatic watch movements available today in their basic forms — along with examples of watches that use them: has developed a new generation of upgraded movements for its group brands while third parties primarily use legacy movements like the 2824 date windowDiameter: 25.6 mmHeight: 4.6 mmJewels: 25Vibrations Per Hour: 28,800 (4 Hz)Hand-Winding Possible: YesHacking: YesPower Reserve: 38 hrsCountry of Manufacture: Switzerland Sellita originally operated as an outsourced assembly operation for ETA receiving near-complete 2824-2s and adding wheels When the Swatch Group (and thus ETA) started to phase out supply of the 2824-2 to companies outside of the Group Sellita decided to produce their own clone of the movement which they could do legally as the design patents on the 2824-2 had long since expired Though the company added an extra jewel to the SW200 date windowDiameter: 25.6 mmHeight: 4.6 mmJewels: 26Vibrations Per Hour: 28,800 (4 Hz)Hand-Winding Possible: YesHacking: YesPower Reserve: 38 hrsCountry of Manufacture: Switzerland date windowDiameter: 25.6 mmHeight: 4.6 mmJewels: 26Vibrations Per Hour: 28,800 (4 Hz)Hand-Winding Possible: YesHacking: YesPower Reserve: 44 hrsCountry of Manufacture: Switzerland Similar in feature set to the 2824-2 and the SW200, the 9015 is an automatic movement made by Miyota, which is part of the Citizen Group First produced in 2009 and based upon the 8215 caliber the 9015 differs from the 2824-2 in the number of jewels its height and the absence of multiple grades Due to its relatively low price and wide availability the 9015 is often utilized by microbrands ,but remains a higher-end option than the 8215 and related movements still found in many microbrand and other watches date windowDiameter: 26 mmHeight: 3.9 mmJewels: 24Vibrations Per Hour: 28,800 (4 Hz)Hand-Winding Possible: YesHacking: YesPower Reserve: 42 hrsCountry of Manufacture: Japan The NH35A is a Japanese automatic movement made by Seiko and unbranded when sold to third parties. When this movement is found in Seiko’s own watches Inexpensive and relatively robust (though not as accurate straight from the factory as some of the Swiss offerings on this list) the NH35A is another Japanese alternative to the Swiss-made 2824-2 and SW200 It features both hand-winding and hacking and is only available in one grade date windowDiameter: 27.4 mmHeight: 5.32 mmJewels: 24Vibrations Per Hour: 21,600 (3 Hz)Hand-Winding Possible: YesHacking: YesPower Reserve: 41 hrsCountry of Manufacture: Japan Originally produced by Valjoux (since absorbed by the Swatch Group) beginning in the 1970s, the Valjoux/ETA 7750 is perhaps the most widely-used automatic third-party chronograph movement in the world Relying on a comparatively inexpensive and easily manufactured three-plane cam system in place of the classic column wheel the 7750 automatic chronograph movement can be modified to display a date window 2 push-button chronograph (30-minute counter moon phaseDiameter: 30 mmHeight: 7.9 mmJewels: 25Vibrations Per Hour: 28,800 (4 Hz)Hand-Winding Possible: Yes (but not recommended)Hacking: YesPower Reserve: 40 hrsCountry of Manufacture: Switzerland This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page WATCHPRO USA Citizen is building on its successful shift into automatics with the addition of a GMT to its new Series 8 collection The Series 8 880 Mechanical arrives 100 years since Citizen made its first ever timekeeper in the form of a pocket watch Eye-catching colours have been productive for Citizen and the Japanese brand is building on its growing family of punchy dials with a Series 8 designed with a mother-of-pearl face with light grey to sky blue gradation that looks like the surface of a summer sea The limited edition of 2,200 pieces worldwide houses a magnetic-resistant automatic Miyota Cal date and a second timezone GMT hand pointing to a dark blue and black day/night 24-hour bi-directional bezel which has a 50 hour power reserve and accuracy of around -10/+20 per day is visible through an exhibition case back of a 41mm steel case with grey and blue colouring extending to an integrated bracelet Professional Watches Microbrand watchmaker Atowak recently announced a new wandering hours timepiece with a space-themed design that’s anything but ordinary The Atowak Spaceship, like the company’s previous Cobra timepiece features a distinctive custom-made bell-shaped case and a wandering hours configuration powered by a modified Miyota 9039 caliber Presented in 316L stainless steel, with a bullhead layout (crown at the top instead of on the side), the Spaceship case measures 42.5 mm at its widest point the design is reminiscent of something you might see from Urwerk or MB&F at many times the price as a result of the increased energy required to drive the heavy carousel the maximum power reserve is reduced to 38 hours Polished edges and five functional screws complement the case’s matte finish which surrounds the giant sapphire crystal (which is at least twice the cost of a regular sapphire crystal) Designed to provide an exceptionally wide field of view of the patented wandering hour wheel The integration of the second hand with the hour wheel adds a sense of slow roaming connecting you to the vast universe with each passing second have been meticulously polished to create a beautifully reflective surface texture Innovative indicators below each numeral assist users in achieving precise timekeeping The hour discs and minute track of the Spaceship are filled with Swiss luminous material providing clear time observation in dim environments “symbolizing the spirit of exploring the unknown whether in the dark night or the vast cosmos.” Designed for maximum comfort and functionality the Spaceships’s strap features a quick-release system reminiscent of spaceship quick ejection systems the strap can be replaced without the need for tools Each Spaceship timepiece comes with a premium FKM rubber strap which is highly resistant to oil this type of strap is softer and more pliable than most rubber straps on the market The strap measures 22 mm at the case and tapers down to 20 mm at the buckle The length of the two-piece FKM rubber strap is 125 mm/85 mm There are five variations of the Spaceship: Mars Red (black case/red strap) The Atowak Spaecship will launch on Atowak’s official website on October 24th, 11 AM New York time with a limited 300 pieces and a retail price of $1,899. The pre-launch is now available for sign-up here An extra hand indicating another time zone has made the GMT watch useful and popular but also more complicated than a basic time-telling watch — and for many years a well-built mechanical one was also a relatively expensive proposition But the landscape has changed drastically in recent years with 2022 being a breakthrough year in the affordable GMT market thanks to myriad exciting new options that include several automatics coming in under a grand The affordable GMT renaissance began that year with Seiko, which unveiled its Seiko 5 Sports GMT and with it a new affordable automatic GMT movement in the form of the Caliber 4R34 Seiko also made that movement available to other brands as the Caliber NH35 which resulted in an array of new sub-$500 automatic GMT watches Citizen has made the 9075 widely available to independent brands creating a whole new genre of affordable GMT watches In other words, it’s a great time to be shopping for an affordable GMT watch. Below, you’ll find our 15 current favorite GMT watches under $1,000 To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here The Strat-o-timer was the first watch using Citizen’s Miyota 9075 movement that really caught fire among watch enthusiasts, and it did so with a pretty unbeatable combination of specs, style and price. On the specs side, the watch reads like a wishlist put together on watch forums (probably because that’s basically how it was made) a sapphire caseback showing a decorated movement a solid bracelet with an on-the-fly micro-adjust clasp and a toolless quick-release system a crowd-pleasing 40mm case size and a movement that’s been regulated in-house to +/-5 seconds per day the watch is inarguably good-looking: It obviously takes some influence from the GMT-Master II but is different enough in design that it doesn’t read like an homage and Jack Mason has shown a willingness to experiment with unique and fun color combinations this GMT might just be impossible to beat when taking everything else it offers into consideration If you don’t find it necessary to get an automatic GMT watch and just want to know what the absolute cheapest GMT we recommend is, it’s this Timex The Q Timex GMT is one of the brand’s hottest watches and while it’s powered by a Swiss-made quartz GMT movement (likely from Ronda) the last thing you want is to somehow screw up your travel plans you don’t really have to worry about your power reserve running out or your watch’s accuracy veering too far off course: It’s going to be dependable but it looks beautiful and is extremely comfortable on the wrist throw this one in your bag for your next tropical vacation this GMT version of Citizen’s Promaster Diver is powered by light one of Citizen’s trademark Eco-Drive movements meaning you operate the GMT hand independently rather than the hour hand meaning it’s a little less suited for travel ISO certification and true dive watch specs it otherwise holds up just as well as a do-it-all GMT diver the Seiko that changed the game when it comes to affordable automatic GMT watches But even when not accounting for the revolutionary nature of the “5KX” GMT First there’s the looks: Styled after the iconic Seiko SKX007 diver but with the addition of a bicolor GMT bezel a better-than-you’d-think jubilee bracelet and it wears smaller and more comfortably than its 42.5mm case size would suggest In addition to farming out its 4R34 movement to microbrands Seiko has also been putting it to work itself in watches outside of the original sporty GMT The best example is this retro dressy number which takes stylistic inspiration from both a 1960s Seiko model and cars of the era The retro goodness comes across in touches like the box-style crystal California microbrand Nodus was one of the first brands to make use of the NH34 movement once Seiko made it available and incidentally created a watch that many may prefer over the 5KX GMT This GMT take on Nodus’s versatile Sector platform features a very wearable 38mm case a solid 100m of water resistance and a beautiful design that doesn’t look like anything else We especially dig that stubby GMT hand and the way the date window straddles both time scales at six o’clock RZE has only been around for a couple of years, but the Singapore- and Malaysia-based brand — which was founded by a commercial airline pilot — has set itself apart by only offering titanium watches has both a case and bracelet crafted from the lightweight and strong premium material but RZE goes the extra mile by applying its own proprietary anti-scratch coating dubbed UltraHex which RZE says makes its titanium eight times more resistant to scratching than stainless steel Florida-based Traska is yet another microbrand that has become an enthusiast favorite in a very short amount of time thanks to its affordability and the impressive robustness of its watches The Venturer is one of the most affordable 9075-powered options on the market A box-style sapphire crystal sits over a laquered dial diamond-cut hands and an interior 24-hour bezel that’s controlled via a crown at ten o’clock the Venturer features a proprietary anti-scratch coating that takes the 316L stainless steel case and bracelet from 200HV to 1200HV on the Vickers hardness scale Unlike most of its microbrand competitors, Lorier actually offers two GMT models, both of which are powered by the 9075. There’s the Hyperion, a Pepsi-bezeled traditional GMT reminiscent of the very first Rolex GMT-Master created for Pan-Am pilots in the 1950s but there are similar watches in this guide already we’ve gone with the brand’s Hydra instead badass version inspired by the watches worn by ’80s action heroes For the Longitude, it’s almost as if Belgian brand Gavox took the bezel and GMT hand from the Rolex Explorer II and then decided to go in a completely separate direction on every other aspect of the watch The full package is angular and aggressive with a sharp-edged integrated bracelet and a textured dial inspired by ocean waves It’s a unique stunner that’s also a verifiable tool 200m of water resistance and a Kolsterized case and bracelet clocking in at 1,300 on the Vickers scale There are three versions: A rose gold-tone one priced at $1,395 a Pepsi-bezeled version on a steel bracelet for $1,350 which retails for $1,295 but can frequently be found on sale for below $1,000 which makes this watch a natural candidate for the Miyota 9075 But that’s far from the only thing going for this watch The model is a reinterpretation of Bulova’s iconic mid-century “Devil Diver,” so named for the ominous “666” ft of water resistance displayed on the dial but it also brings in plenty of modernity in the form of a full-lume dial A GMT-equipped variation of Baltic’s flagship retro dive watch this 39mm charmer features a lot of the traditional GMT cues — such as the bi-color bezel and arrow-tipped GMT hand — but somehow has its own look With a Swiss automatic movement from Soprod beating away inside microbrands such as Baltic show that not only Seiko and Citizen can compete in the under-$1,000 It’s a hell of a value and perhaps even versatile enough to be the one watch you own the price you pay may end up being slightly over a grand depending on the exchange rate at the time Being a part of Swatch Group comes with perks like having exclusive access to ETA movements The Powermatic 80 powering this Certina is one of those movements It has an independently operable hour hand and an 80-hour power reserve and while versions of it show up across Swatch Group’s portfolio this is the most affordable watch using it It also boasts classic sports watch styling a sapphire crystal and a dive watch-ready 200m of water resistance The only thing keeping it out of our top spot it’s simply going to be too large for many people time zone zero against which all other time zones are numbered also known as UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) A GMT watch displays the time like a normal analog watch but it adds an additional 24-hour hand that tracks the hour from a second time zone Many (not all) GMT watches also feature a rotating bezel with 24-hour markings allowing you to track yet another time zone if you so choose An example: My watch now indicates 10:10 am where I am on the US East Coast so I set the GMT hand accordingly and it indicates just past 7 on the dial’s 24-hour scale so the bezel is rotated such that the GMT hand indicates 16:10 (4:10 pm) If you want a GMT watch for its functionality you might need to look closely when shopping in the affordable range without actually offering the actual complication While you can nominally track another time zone simply with a rotating 12-hour bezel and normal time telling this isn’t a GMT (and it might leave you confused about whether the hour it displays is am or pm) — though it might be a more affordable alternative Another type of watch to look out for is those that include a 24-hour hand which is tied to the main timekeeping and can’t be separated from it These are watches that simultaneously indicate your current time in traditional format as well as on a 24-hour scale — basically acting as an am or pm indicator which can also be handy but is quite different from a GMT I’m a watch enthusiast I like watches that are made with enthusiasts in mind That means I have certain expectations regarding specs From its conception in 2015 until recently Jack Mason was what’s known as a fashion watch brand It should be stated that there is nothing inherently wrong with being a fashion watch Fashion watches are designed primarily for aesthetics and aimed at consumers who really only care about how a watch looks They tend to be affordable — sometimes disposable — and can be found at your local mall or department store Dallas-based Jack Mason made a lot of good-looking quartz-powered fashion watches sold at retailers across the country for affordable prices The brand launched the Strat-o-timer GMT in October of 2022 While the watch snob side of me tried to dismiss the watch when it first began making the rounds on the watch blogs and YouTube — It’s a Jack Mason — the design and the lengthy spec sheet began to pique my curiosity A 40mm case. A classic and handsome GMT design that wasn’t too derivative of Rolex. A bidirectional two-tone bezel with a fully-lumed sapphire insert A tool-free bracelet with an on-the-go quick-adjust clasp And then there was the silver bullet: the Miyota 9075 automatic movement powering the watch but the oversized and confusingly styled watch failed to excite many.) I’ve spent the past month wearing the Strat-o-timer GMT and the watch has not only met my expectations — it has exceeded them with the “Espresso” colorway’s black and brown bezel and dark yellow accents offering something different and unexpected which gives just the right mix of old-school charm and modern luxury The sapphire on the bezel is a nice touch too as is the liberal use of a mix of blue-glowing BGW9 and Old Radium Super-LumiNova on the hands and indices and the bezel’s numerals The jubilee bracelet is surprisingly well crafted Both are flexible and easy to adjust — and can be swapped without the use of a spring bar tool – plus the bracelet features an on-the-fly micro-adjust clasp that offers about 3/4″ of adjustability and the movement is even better than advertised My example keeps time within COSC specs (Jack Mason regulates the watches in-house to +/- 5 seconds per day) the crown pops out confidently with no wiggle and winding the watch is as smooth as butter with some nice striping and a custom rotor all visible through a sapphire caseback Going back to my opening line to Jack Mason’s founder: Thankfully Peter Cho’s decision to pivot Jack Mason from being a fashion watch brand to one aimed at enthusiasts was a conscious one And it required a pair of lucky breaks to pull off The first was Cho’s decision to pull out of wholesale and sell Jack Mason watches exclusively through the brand’s own website “The reason why we did that was because the most important thing to me was having full control of my brand,” Cho says You’re relying on a store associate to sell the product and they’re just not going to have the intimacy with the brand and probably won’t tell the story and I want to be able to tell the story of that product: The ‘why,’ my thought process and that sort of thing.” Cho pulled Jack Mason from stores in January 2020 retail shopping — and the world at large — was upended by the Covid-19 pandemic then we probably wouldn’t be around today Cho invested heavily in the website and began telling the sort of brand story he always wanted to But Jack Mason wasn’t an enthusiast brand yet which arrived in the form of the Miyota 9075 movement Cho, who prior to founding Jack Mason worked as a watch designer at Movado Group, had a years-long relationship with Miyota already — the Japanese brand, a subsidiary of Citizen is a huge supplier of quartz movements to fashion brands So when Miyota was looking for brands to showcase their hot new movement they wanted to go with someone they knew could create a worthy flagship product “I’ve got to go all in on this watch.” With the secret weapon of an industry-shaking movement now in his arsenal Cho knew that he would have to create a special watch to house it if he would have any shot at winning over the notoriously picky watch enthusiast market ‘This is a serious movement and it cannot be lost in translation through the product that we had made before for a different type of customer,'” Cho says “I’ve got to go all in on this watch particularly.” So he did what any self-respecting watch nerd would do: He hit the forums and talked to other enthusiasts I signed up for that while the GMT was being designed and was asking questions and doing the proper market research … Then I just tried to filter all of that — from a spec sheet point of view — into one product before really unleashing all the design qualities that I love about a watch personally I’ll make a product that I like to wear.” it plans on making over much of its existing catalog through an enthusiast lens with launches like its first Swiss-made watch and other exciting models “2024 will be kind of a statement here for us,” Cho says this is where we are now.’ It’s bold Continuing to expand on its collection of racing-inspired timepieces, Autodromo has now created a model celebrating the early ’80s hailed by the brand as “the last romantic era of motorsport.” The new piece comes in the form of its Group B Series 2 a watch that retains the New York brand’s emblematic dial design with a refreshing mint-colored dial striking a vibrant contrast with the yellow indices and markings on its face as well as the three hands extending outwards from a central Powering the timepiece itself is a Miyota 9015 automatic movement encased within a 39mm titanium exterior that extends into a stainless steel integrated bracelet with a gray plated finish it also comes with 50 meters of water resistance and a handmade aluminum box for collectors Citizen is continuing to strengthen its mechanical watchmaking as the quartz market withers in the face of an onslaught from the likes of Apple and Samsung smartwatches Its latest addition to the Promaster dive watch line houses a Cal 9051 movement from Citizen Watch Company-owned Miyota The movement has an anti-magnetic balance spring is accurate to -10 to +20 seconds per day and has a 42 hour power reserve The 2022 Promaster is inspired by a Citizen Challenge Diver watch that was lost in 1977 and found six years’ later washed up on an Australian beach covered in barnacles The 41mm titanium collection is water resistant to 200 meters has bold luminous hands and markers and a unidirectional divers’ bezel and are offered on a rubber strap or titanium bracelet The Citizen Promaster will go on sale in the fall Ikepod will soon be releasing a more affordable version of its automatic Megapod watch. The watch brands is set for its 26th year on the market and has previously seen collaborations with the likes of Jeff Koons and KAWS While positioning and manufacturing have changed for the cult watch brand nothing about their iconic approach to watch design has With new dials dressed by Alexandre Peraldi the former Artistic Director at Baume & Mercier the new Ikepod Megapod will retain its 46mm case and silicone bracelet but is now powered by a Japanese Miyota 9039 movement and is assembled in Hong Kong The new changes allow for the watches price to be lowered to 1,250 CHF ($1,275 USD) from its former 12,500 CHF ($12,725 USD) price tag I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s a damn good time to be a GMT fan The market has literally never been so full of so many great travel watch options But here’s the thing: I personally prefer the Nodus. That’s not to say the microbrand watches are in any way better than the Grand Seikos — they most assuredly are not. But they are considerably more affordable and far better sized for my small wrist The Contrail GMT is priced at a paltry $825 and measures 40.5mm across and just 11.8mm thick are priced between $6,200 and $6,800 and are a massive 44.5mm across and either 14.4 or 14.7mm thick but they’re just not an option for me due to their size and price Looking at the whole package of the Nodus Contrail GMT is rather impressive Its three-link bracelet looks to be nicely finished with a polished chamfer running down the edges of the links and a 4mm taper The case has a surprising amount of polish almost giving it a less-complex Omega lyre lug effect that I’m particularly fond of The caseback features a beautiful engraving of an airplane streaking across the sky and leaving contrails behind it a signature of the Contrail line since the beginning (this is the third iteration and the first GMT) The knurled crown is another carried-over detail from previous Contrail models but to me it feels a bit out of place within this new elevated design with Super-LumiNova BGW9 Grade A brightly illuminating all hands The box sapphire crystal is perfectly executed and isn’t too tall; the bracelet is fitted with quick-release spring bars and the brand’s proprietary quick-adjust NodeX clasp; and the watch is water resistant to a dive-ready 200m I’m not left wanting for anything here It’s all rather impressive, and as an enthusiast, I’m not left wanting for anything here. The watch reminds me of another 9075-powered GMT, and our current reigning champ in the under-$1,000 segment: The Jack Mason Strat-o-Timer The watches have nearly identical specs with a few differences — the Jack Mason has a sapphire caseback and decorated movement and it’s $174 more expensive — and both are assembled and regulated in America: Jack Mason in Dallas and Nodus in L.A I’ll reserve my judgment until I can see the Nodus in person these watches certainly look like the two to beat in the ever-increasingly competitive affordable GMT segment The Contrail GMT goes on sale from Nodus on April 26 Yesterday Richemont announced the creation of a new watch brand named Baume. That’s right, Baume, without ‘et Mercier’, is being lined up as the new Value Proposition from the Richemont Group Baume et Mercier was positioned as the affordable luxury brand from the group with pricing that did not always match this slogan So it’s now up to Baume to fill the segment of €500 to €1,000 Euros a segment that’s completely new to the Richemont Group Baume will be offering cheap affordable Asian movements (mainly quartz and a mechanical Miyota) lots of eco-friendly materials and an online configurator All the models above – several random examples from the online configurator – offer some nice complications like the small off-centre seconds with date and day/date/moon phase as the most complicated of the options These are all quartz-powered and are available within a €500 – €560 Euro price range and the crown positioned at 12 o’clock The straps are only made in natural and ‘upcycled’ materials There’s even a strap made from recycled PET plastics from many Kickstarter brands and it’s interesting to see that the Richemont Group is going to play ball with this crowd Not its usual ‘luxury’ arena to be honest as this is where young and upcoming brands reside often with a business model that is based on direct and online sales without any retailer interference Price-wise Baume is not the most affordable of this ‘Kickstarter’ segment as a €500 Euro watch with an Asian quartz movement is approx double the price of what the competition in this segment offers several major Swiss brands like Tissot and Oris are offering ‘Swiss Made’ We’re curious to see how Baume is going to perform and how the sustainable are going to resonate with their target group We wish Baume good luck and we’re curious to learn more about upcoming watches and the assembly process More info: www.baumewatches.com IKEPOD has just released a dive version of its iconic UFO-shaped watch in a trio of colors Keeping the signature rounded pod shape — free from lugs — the Seapod mixes elements of the Duopod/Megapod along with the Marc Newson-designed cult-favorite 1996 Seaslug The end result is a 46mm (feels like 42mm due to the lack of lugs) dive watch with clear markers The Seapod is also water-resistant up to 200m and is powered by a Miyota 9039 automatic movement Autodromo continues to translate its love affair for motorsports via wristwatches with its latest timepiece Named the “Group B Series 2 Automatic – Night Stage II” the watch is a homage to the Group B-era of racing (1982 – 1986) and the use of technical components and exotic materials found in the race cars at the time The watch sits on the wrist at 39mm in case size and features a Miyota 9015 movement that’s housed in a two-part titanium capsule Other details include an unguarded bolt-like crown, a stainless steel integrated bracelet, and an eye-catching dial that’s reminiscent of tachometer designs from the 1980s — the combination of neon-green over black was once considered a futuristic design element. Those interested can find the pre-order for the Group B Series 2 Automatic – Night Stage II watch over at Autodromo’s web store for a price of $875 USD Baltic has just unveiled a new version to its Aquascaphe line of watches this new version deviates slightly from its sporty siblings and utilizes a bronze material for a more dressy look The bonze material used is also different from traditional copper and tin CuSn8 bronze using a CuAl aluminum bronze material on the case and bezel insert This material will tarnish and patina in a much slower fashion than traditional bronze the new Bronze Aquascaphe also sees updated 3/6/9/12 markings Powering the watch is an automatic Miyota 9039 movement Hong Kong’s 8FIVE2 is gearing up for a playful watch dedicated to Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay district. Led by HK OG and skate purveyor JBS (Julius Brian Siswojo) the teaser states the watch “is not a rollie” and sees a golden watch styled after the coveted Rolex Day-Date “President” and holds a green dial with the Bauhinia orchid just under the day window Not only was the President the watch of choice for businessmen during the golden years of Hong Kong but the green is a nod towards the skate shop’s colors and Siswojo’s favorite color The watch continues to reference Hong Kong with “852” appearing as the only numerals on the dial and the JBS-coined “Hong Muthafuckin’ Kong” slogan above the 6 o’clock which claims to be the most successful Kickstarter watch brand of all time Filippo Loreti’s USP is that it strives to sell luxurious watches for the fraction of the price set out normally in the market the brothers set their initial crowdfunding goal at $20,000 making it the most crowdfunded watch company ever when the brand launched its second collection of watches they beat the old record by raising $5.17 million in 30 days with more than 18,000 backers The latest collection is the Venice Moonphase clocking in at 40mm; these pieces sport the Miyota 6P00 movement as well as a moonphase function at 6 o’clock and 3 sub dials all used to tell the date at 12 are available to buy from the company’s website for £219 Alternatively you can pick up the piece for £179 if you opt for a leather strap rather than mesh Might want to make a title correction; the Miyota 6P00 is a quartz movement can not read the dial and sleazy return policy Hugo Boss has added a range of classic automatics to its Boss Signature Timepiece Collection  for Autumn/Winter The watches are the only automatics in the Boss Watches collection They use 3-hand Miyota movements in stainless steel 44m cases with glass backs manufactured and distributed under license by Movado Group The sunray finished dials are designed to be worn by men at work and play understated elegance and classic contemporary looks to appeal to successful men with a healthy touch of Zen on their agendas The dials are have two asymmetric subdials and a cutaway to reveal the watch’s movement The watches are on sale now priced at £450