Hands-On With The Spinnaker Dumas GMT Ocean Blue

Conveniently, “spinnaker” is one of those words that is the same in English as in Dutch — and French and German, for that matter. That makes it easy to remember this watch brand’s name. And with a name like Spinnaker, chances are that the brand has a link to the aquatic world. Indeed, its portfolio confirms this as most of it consists of dive watches. For my first hands-on taste of Spinnaker, I had a chance to check out the Dumas GMT, a hefty timepiece based on the brand’s Dumas diver. I was happy to find out more about this colorful GMT with a design heavily inspired by the famous professional dive watches from the 1970s.

To say the Spinnaker Dumas GMT dented the desk when it landed on it would be pushing it. However, the watch makes a lasting first impression based on size and weight alone. If you are familiar with the Spinnaker model range, you know that the brand creates vintage-inspired and modern-looking dive watches. The names of the different collections are based on famous aquatic figures. In the case of the Dumas collection, its name comes from Frédéric Dumas. The French writer was a good friend of the famous French underwater explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. He accompanied Cousteau on many of his worldwide explorations of the deep seas. Therefore, tying his name to a ’70s-style dive watch makes sense. Let’s find out more about the GMT version of the Dumas.

The Spinnaker Dumas GMT

This is not the first time we have covered the Spinnaker Dumas. In 2020, we published a review of the regular white-dial version of the watch. I am usually not a fan of white dials, especially not in larger watches. Understandably, then, it wasn’t my favorite model in the Dumas collection.

In addition, I prefer a GMT over a standard dive watch. It is easy to like the Dumas GMT over the three-hand version. But despite its transformation into a multi-time version of the Dumas, it still looks and feels very much like a dive watch.

Let’s go over some specs so you can get an idea of this traveler’s “beast of the deep.” The Dumas GMT has a 44mm stainless steel case with a 15mm thickness, 48mm length, and 300m depth rating. The retro-styled case is angular and does not feature lugs. As you will understand, a lugless case with those dimensions has a commanding presence.

The watch features a blue gradient dial, which starts light in the middle and slowly gets darker towards the edges. The lume-filled hour markers sit atop a dark blue ring that encircles the dial. This dark blue ring also holds the minute track, featuring slim white markers for most minutes and bolder, alternating white and blue markers for every five minutes. On the dial, we also find a date window at 6 o’clock and the odd numbers of a 24-hour scale. Because the watch also has a rotating 24-hour bezel, the Dumas GMT can display the time in three time zones simultaneously.

Taking inspiration from one of the great dive watches from the past

The Omega Ploprof-inspired handset is executed in five colors to liven up the dial even more. The hour hand is orange, the minute hand is unpainted steel, the lollipop seconds hand is yellow, and the 24-hour GMT hand is black with a red tip. Furthermore, just like the indices, all the hands have a filling of white Super-LumiNova.

In addition, the GMT bezel is executed in two shades of blue and features luminous markings for the 24-hour scale. With all of the lume lighting up green in darker conditions, you can keep track of a different time zone at any time of the day or night.

If you turn the watch around, you will get a glimpse of the Seiko NH34 GMT movement that powers the watch. This caller-style GMT movement is a proper workhorse caliber we often find in affordable GMTs. Spinnaker uses a customized rotor with the brand’s logo for this movement. Honestly, though, it doesn’t make the caliber look any better as the design is not the most flattering.

Overall, you could argue whether a watch with this kind of movement needs a display case back. For people just getting into watches, there is something nice about seeing the movement in action. But since I’m not new to watches, I’d rather have an all-steel case back and a slightly thinner case.

Wearing the Spinnaker Dumas GMT

The watch comes on a 22mm-wide solid stainless steel three-row bracelet. It offers a folding clasp equipped with a safety lock and push-button release. Although the bracelet tapers to 20mm wide at the buckle, it is still quite substantial. Additionally, the watch comes with a light blue rubber strap with dark blue keepers to match the bezel colors. This second option is my preferred one for a simple reason.

As you will understand, the bracelet adds quite a bit of weight. On the bracelet, the watch weighs a daunting 209 grams. The weight on the rubber strap is drastically reduced to 129 grams, making it much more wearable.

What remains are the case’s large dimensions. The 44mm case is not just large but rather chunky as well. Therefore, this watch is certainly not for everyone. As I am a big guy, the Dumas GMT does fit me well. Visually, it is very present but in a good way.

The colors are vibrant and summery, which helps visually balance the size. In addition, the rubber strap physically balances the watch on the wrist. Looking at the Dumas GMT on the strap, you will see that it is a colorful water-going GMT offering quite a bit of ’70s charm.

Final thoughts on the Spinnaker Dumas GMT

The latest addition to the Spinnaker Dumas GMT collection is the first with a gradient dial, which suits the watch nicely. On top of that, I like the two shades of blue that the brand picked for this new addition. They work well together, making for a summery, aquatic-looking version of the Spinnaker Dumas GMT that’s available for US$550. This brings me to the question of who this watch is for.

Given its size, this is not a watch for people with small wrists. If you want a slightly smaller dive-watch-based GMT from Spinnaker, the brand has you covered with its Fleuss, Bradner, and Croft collections. The last one is substantially smaller and thinner than the Dumas GMT, making it a great pick for people with smaller wrists.

If you can pull off the size of the Dumas GMT, it will be a good pick if you are just getting into watches and love the characteristic 1970s style combined with fresh colors. Also, if you already have a collection of watches, this could be a great retro-styled summer piece. The Dumas GMT is solidly built and can take anything you throw at it during the warmer months.

Whether taking it on underwater adventures or using it as a colorful travel watch, the Spinnaker Dumas GMT will serve you well. This new Dumas GMT is a great example of the brand’s colorful collection and will be a good pick if you are in the market for an affordable ’70s-style diver-based GMT.

For more information, visit the the official Spinnaker website. Let us know your thoughts on this Spinnaker Dumas GMT in the comments below.