Fratello’s Top 5 Gentlemen’s GMT Watches — From Grand Seiko, Parmigiani Fleurier, Lorca, And More
Another Friday, another list! This week, we look at five gentlemen’s GMT watches that stand out because of their distinguished presence. These aren’t your typical Rolex GMT-Master-influenced timepieces. No, this is a list of the more classical-looking GMTs, multi-time-zone/traveler’s watches that fly a little more under the radar. So don’t expect any colorful rotating bezels with large numerals here! You probably have an idea of where we are going with this, so let’s get into it.
Just allow me to make a few quick remarks before we unveil our five picks. We are not looking for classic worldtimers or dual-time watches with sub-dials. While those can offer quite a distinguished look indeed, we wanted to find watches that integrate the second time-zone scale and a central GMT hand in a way that doesn’t alter the stylish presence of a classic wristwatch. Also, while I’ll refer to them as “gentlemen’s GMTs,” that’s certainly not to say that women can’t enjoy or wear them too! On the contrary, sometimes a gents’ watch can look fantastic on a lady’s wrist. Now, with those two things out of the way, let’s go!
Image: Watch Clicker
Grand Seiko Elegance SBGM221
Our first pick is the classic Grand Seiko SBGM221. It’s a watch that our Fratello colleague Gerard has wanted to add to his collection for a while, and we completely understand why. There is a classic, understated presence to this SBGM221 that is hard to resist. The watch has a 39.5mm stainless steel case with a 13.7mm thickness and a 46.9mm lug-to-lug. It makes for a modestly sized GMT with a beautiful ivory-colored dial and a 24-hour scale placed on the inside of the beautifully finished indices. The only hint of extra color comes in the form of the short, blued GMT hand, and there is a nicely framed date window at 3 o’clock.
The SBGM221 runs on Grand Seiko’s in-house 9S66 caliber. This automatic movement operates at a 28,800vph frequency, offers 72 hours of power reserve, and has an accuracy of +5/-3 seconds per day. This truly is a perfect example of a gentleman’s GMT. It is a sophisticated and classically styled traveler’s watch that just looks so good. While the watch comes on a brown crocodile strap, it looks awesome on a variety of other straps too. I would try it on a light gray nubuck or a light blue suede strap during summer and then switch to a darker strap when the weather gets colder. This is one of the many Grand Seiko GMTs that we could have chosen for this list. But a final reason besides the classic style, amazing details, and great movement is its €5,000 price. It makes this Grand Seiko SBGM221 a fantastic first pick.
Christopher Ward C65 Dune GMT
Our second pick is the Christopher Ward C65 Dune GMT. To be more specific, it’s the second version of the watch, which came out earlier this year. After last year’s successful black-dial limited edition, the brand released a follow-up that looks quite different. The watch features a round 38mm stainless steel case that is 11.9mm thick and 43.7mm from lug to lug. Despite these modest dimensions, the watch has plenty of wrist presence, especially on the brand’s Oyster-style Bader bracelet.
The case is combined with a sand-colored dial holding applied markers filled with “Old Radium” Super-LumiNova and a khaki-green 24-hour GMT scale on the dial’s periphery. To match the GMT scale, the handset includes a khaki-green-tipped GMT hand that brings the overall look together very nicely. Compared to the first version, this new Dune GMT is toned down and has a stylish presence that makes it a great fit for different occasions. Inside the case, you will find a Sellita SW330-2 movement. This automatic GMT caliber operates at 28,800vph, has 25 jewels, and provides 56 hours of power reserve.
A perfect mix of modern-day specs and vintage styling
The Sellita SW330-2 is a reliable powertrain for this vintage-inspired GMT. And it’s the combination of modern-day specs and vintage-inspired looks that makes this such a tempting offering. While I love the vibrant nature of the previous version, I have to say that this new colorway brings a certain stylishness and serenity to the design.
It makes this €1,465 Christopher Ward C65 Dune GMT a great second pick for this list of gentlemen’s GMT watches. But if you prefer the look of it on a leather or canvas strap, you will be able to save €200, making this watch an affordable choice compared to most other entries on this list.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante
Our third pick is the much-praised Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante from Parmigiani Fleurier. I was lucky enough to try out quite a few watches from the Tonda PF line recently, and it is such an impressive collection in terms of design and quality. But the Tonda PF series is also a great display of horological wizardry. While my favorite version is the recently released Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No Date Golden Siena, the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante is also simply brilliant. This watch combines the characteristic Tonda PF design with a one-of-a-kind GMT Rattrapante complication, resulting in a perfect and stylish gentlemen’s GMT.
The watch has a 40mm by 10.7mm stainless steel case with the Tonda’s characteristic teardrop lugs and knurled bezel. It houses the brand’s caliber PF051 created by sister company Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. The automatic movement features a unique split-GMT function. Just looking at the watch in its normal mode, you would think that it simply shows the time in hours and minutes. But if you press the pusher at 8 o’clock, you can adjust the silver hour hand to the local time.
With every push of the button, the hand moves forward one hour. When that happens, a rose gold hand reveals itself to display the home time. As long as you are in different time zones, the watch displays both the local and home time. Once you get back home, a simple push of the rose gold button in the crown will send the travel-time hand flying back on top of the rose gold hour hand. I could go on for some time about everything that makes this CHF 28,500 Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante special. Unfortunately, though, we don’t have the space to give it all the credit it deserves and must move on. For an in-depth article, read Sky’s review from 2022 here.
Chopard L.U.C GMT One Black
Another standout is the Chopard L.U.C GMT One Black. Its stealthy black aesthetic completely differs from our previous pick, but it’s no less stylish because of it. The trick to this GMT is that it might look stealthy at first, but you will find many interesting details once you zoom in. The watch was introduced in 2021 and features a 42mm ceramized Grade 5 titanium case that is 11.71mm thick. Matching that case is a hand-finished black dial with a vertical satin finish. It also features a circular-grained chapter ring with a mixture of spearhead-shaped indices and numerals in white Super-LumiNova and a large date window at 6 o’clock.
Placed on the outside of the chapter ring, you will find the 24-hour GMT disc in light gray and black. While the ring does make a distinction between the day and night with the two shades, it all fits the general stealthy theme. It’s a look further enhanced by the black handset filled with white Super-LumiNova. The great thing is that there is no doubt about what each hand displays, including the GMT hand, which usually gets a contrasting color. In this case, the shape alone tells the story.
The in-house L.U.C 01.10-L caliber
The watch is powered by the brand’s in-house L.U.C 01.10-L caliber. The automatic COSC-certified movement operates at 28,800vph and offers 60 hours of power reserve. Operating the movement is easy thanks to the two crowns. The upper one lets you set the central time and date display. The lower crown controls the GMT function by moving the 24-hour ring counterclockwise one hour at a time. The kicker is that the movement also looks stealthy behind a tinted sapphire crystal, which fits the watch’s overall theme. Chopard produced 250 pieces of the L.U.C GMT One Black, each with a price of €14,100.
Lorca Model No.1 GMT
Our last pick is the debut release from New York-based microbrand Lorca, the Model No.1 GMT. This timepiece walks the fine line between a stylish retro-inspired daily wearer and a more utilitarian GMT flawlessly. It is the kind of watch that will have you looking at it time and time again to discover new details. The Model No.1 GMT is certainly not your average fixed-bezel GMT. While you could put it in that category because of its features, the design elevates it to a handsome everyday watch that feels at home in a variety of different situations.
The watch has a 36mm stainless case with a slightly larger 37mm bezel, an 11.2mm thickness, and a 44mm lug-to-lug. Because of the flat bezel and the substantial dial aperture, the watch does wear a little larger than the size might suggest. Plus, the look of the watch on the comfortable steel bracelet adds some visual mass to the overall picture.
The watch is available with a black or silver dial, and both versions feel completely different. The black dial is more about contrast, whereas the silver dial gives off a softer overall image. Nacho also noted more subtle differences in his review, showing that Lorca founder Jesse Marchant has a great eye for detail.
Flawless integration of the GMT function
Inside the case, you will find the Soprod caliber C125. This automatic movement operates at a 28,800vph frequency, has 42 hours of power reserve, and offers an impressive accuracy of ±4 seconds per day. It is a capable power source for Lorca’s beautifully styled first effort, a perfect gentlemen’s GMT. This is a versatile watch that works well on the bracelet and various straps. After trying the watch on, I can say that the magic of the Model No.1 GMT is that it feels like a great elegant daily watch first and a GMT watch second. Its flawless integration of the GMT function in the overall design makes this US$1,750 Lorca Model No.1 a great and affordable final pick for this list.
Final thoughts on our list of gentlemen’s GMTs
There you have it — a list of not-so-obvious GMT watches that bring something different to the table. Of course, our “gentlemen’s GMT” label is a little tongue-in-cheek way of describing these five watches as stylish timepieces that break the Rolex-inspired mold. But as always, we would love to hear about your favorite watches that could qualify for this list. Please share them in the comments below. Finally, as always, we will see you next week for another list.
