Two time zones and twice the fun: 5 of our favourite GMT watches
Few complications you’ll find on a wristwatch can claim to have more real-world practicality than a wristwatch equipped with a GMT complication. The ability to track two different time zones simultaneously is invaluable for a great many people in a great many different professions. With all that in mind, we thought we’d share with you five of the best GMT watches you can buy right now: GRAND SEIKO SBGN009 Released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first quartz watch, the SBGN009’s luscious blue dial has the kind of repeating pattern in the background that very few brands can pull off without it looking chintzy. Cue Grand Seiko, whose reputation for remarkable dial designs is now well entrenched. The colour-matched seconds hand, GMT hand, logo, and chapter ring provide true chromatic harmony with the two shades of blue on show. Limited to 2,019 pieces. Ref No: SBGN009 / Case size: 40mm / Case material: Steel / Movement: 9F86 / Price: $4000 MONTA ATLAS When you make the decision to purchase a travel watch for your next adventure, one thing that can offer peace of mind is an affordable price point, just in case it is misplaced. Monta play safely within…
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Harry Fane is one of the world’s foremost experts in Cartier, not just watches but the entire gamut of objets d’art that have been produced by the brand for more than 150 years. He cites his specific interest in the brand as being the golden age of the luxury maison from a creative standpoint, regarded as falling between 1919 and 1939, when some of the most important designs from the brand were developed. One of the reasons for Mr Fane’s fascination? A part of it boils down to the ambition to make the quotidian more beautiful. “Cartier had a great interest in making jewelled objects: Louis Cartier’s idea was to make a jewel into a utilitarian object and a utilitarian object into a jewel.” In an interview with the well-regarded vintage dealer A Collected Man, Harry Fane discusses his obsession with the manufacturer, and why his enthusiasm has failed to wane. Beyond his palpable passion for Cartier, Mr Fane’s comments are also peppered with fascinating facts about the brand, such as there being only 1803 Tank watches made by Cartier Paris between 1919 and 1960. You can read the full interview right here.
OK, let’s get something out of the way first, before I posit my argument and before the keyboard warriors have a chance to pipe up — I am not suggesting that wearing a Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch or whatever other fitness accessory you choose to wear while playing sport is a bad idea. No, I’m talking about mechanical timepieces, actual watches that have movements that don’t require software updates every fortnight, battery charges or a Bluetooth connection. Now, with that little disclaimer out of the way, let’s start with a short story about what happened to my beloved Longines HydroConquest last week on the way home from work. As I do most days, I was riding my humble push bike down one of Richmond’s main arterials, Swan Street. It had been a good day, and as a result I had what can best be described as a bit of pep in my step or, er, pedal. Yes, the watts per kilo stats were good — I was on the charge. My speed climbed to an indicated 45km/h — I was making killer time. And then it happened. I hit a manhole cover with such ferocity that my whole body was literally shaken to…