Introducing The BOLDR Odyssey Freediver GMT Trio — True GMT Functionality For Under €1K

BOLDR has something exciting coming. Following the success of its Globetrotter GMT and Venture GMT, the Singaporean microbrand is turning its hand to a GMT dive watch. Its latest creation, the Odyssey Freediver GMT, uses the recently launched Miyota 9075, an affordable 4Hz traveler’s GMT movement. The new addition to the Odyssey Freediver collection is one of the most attainable true GMT watches currently on the market.

A new accessible-GMT segment

The race to launch an affordable automatic GMT watch is over between two Japanese giants Seiko and Citizen. Seiko set the watch community on fire when it crossed the finish line first in June with its Seiko 5 GMT series, which Nacho covered here. Then in July, Citizen-owned Bulova brought out its Classic Wilton GMT. Inside the latter is the brand-new 9075 caliber, belonging to the premium range of mechanical movements from Citizen’s stablemate Miyota. Now, BOLDR has joined the fun of the sub-€1K GMT party. The creative outfit is one of the first to get its hands on that high-grade Miyota four-hand GMT movement with a jumping local hour function, also known as a “true GMT” or a “traveler’s GMT”.

The new Miyota 9075 caliber

Since we are already here, let’s start with the engine. The Miyota 9075 uses a mechanism for setting the destination (local) time independently without interfering with home time. With the Odyssey Freediver GMT, you use the crown’s first pulled-out position to adjust the local hour hand forward or backward in one-hour increments. This allows you to set the local hour time without stopping the running minutes and seconds. It also allows you to adjust the date. Meanwhile, the 24-hour GMT hand will continue to show home time. If you are someone who crosses time zones frequently, you can certainly understand how handy this traveler’s GMT function is.

The Japanese inspirations

The Miyota 9075 beats at a frequency of 28,000vph (4Hz) and provides 42 hours of power reserve. This mechanical workhorse comes with hacking seconds and hand-winding options. The movement is visible through a transparent case back overlaid with custom artwork of a Cuvier’s beaked whale blissfully surfing the waves. According to BOLDR, the artwork references Japanese artist Hokusai’s Great Wave off Kanagawa. It is the brand’s tribute to the imposing Japanese caliber and the freedom of being in the sea. Looking beyond the art, it is such an elegant way for the brand to show off its conquest of this new Miyota movement with its somewhat basic finishing.

The size and form

Unlike other recent affordable GMT offerings, BOLDR has fittingly gone the way of a sizeable diver. At 44mm in diameter, the Odyssey Freediver GMT is not only the right size for underwater legibility, but it’s also one handsome wrist tool. Its surgical-grade steel case is 12.5mm thick excluding its domed sapphire crystal with a multi-AR coating. It measures 52mm from lug to lug and 22mm between the lugs. The case is water-resistant to 300 meters and features a brushed finish with polished bevels on its angular lugs. Faceted, angular case geometries have become BOLDR’s hallmark form factor. The new Freediver GMT continues to build on the Odyssey’s design codes.

The aesthetic

The 120-click unidirectional bezel features a high-quality ceramic insert for durability and scratch resistance. This bi-colored insert is complete with 24-hour markings, which can be used for tracking the third time zone when set against the home-time GMT hand. The most distinctive aesthetic is the multilayered dial, which boasts a translucent central circular section with darker inner and outer rings in increasing opacity. It represents the varying degrees of light from a submerged diver’s point of view as he or she ascends or descends.

The three variations

The translucent center is also another deliberate effort by the design team to subtly reveal the mechanical engine inside without hurting readability. Just inside the minute ring sits a minimal white-framed date window between 4 and 5 o’clock. The chunky hands and indexes are highly luminescent to further enhance visibility in low-light conditions.

The Odyssey Freediver GMT comes in three color variations for the dual-color bezel — black with moss green, black with chocolate brown, and black with crimson red. Each model is individually numbered and fitted with a stainless steel bracelet and a strap made of Druber fluoroelastomer (FKM) rubber, a super strong and durable material offering extreme temperature resistance. Both the bracelet and the strap are equipped with quick-release spring bars.

The offer

The pre-order price for the Odyssey Freediver GMT is €941.95 excluding VAT and marks a new milestone for BOLDR. As founder Leon Leong says, “We’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to create a sub-1K ‘true’ GMT watch and worked diligently to deliver a high-quality product.” And there you have it (or soon you will). Delivery will start in December 2022 for the first batch of pre-orders.

For more information, visit BOLDR’s official website.

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