The Best GMT Watches You Can Buy In 2024

GMT watches are favored for their practicality and versatility, making them popular among frequent travelers, pilots, and professionals who work across different time zones. The salient feature of a GMT watch is to allow the wearer to keep a track of at least two time zones simultaneously. To achieve this, the dial gets an additional hand, also known as the GMT hand, which points to a 24-hour scale to keep the time of the second time zone. Some GMT watches are pretty much straightforward in their functionality, but the category quickly escalates with features like rotating bezels and extra subdials for greater functionality. With a wide variety of functions packed into GMT watches, choosing the best one can be overwhelming. To simplify your search, we have curated a list of our favorite GMT timepieces – from the legendary Rolex GMT-Master II 'Pepsi' to Patek Philippe Calatrava 37 Pilot Travel Time, here is a list of some of the best GMT watches you can buy in 2024:

Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II 'Pepsi'

Affectionately known as the Rolex Pepsi for its striking red and blue Cerachrom bezel, the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II Ref. 126710BLRO-0002 houses a black dial. Apart from a bidirectional rotatable 24-hour graduated bezel, the watch also includes an arrow-tipped hand that goes around the dial once every 24 hours. This red 24-hour hand displays the home reference time in the first time zone, which the wearer can read on the bezel's graduations. You can also easily set the traveler's local time using the winding crown. Waterproof to 100 meters, the 40mm Oystersteel case comes equipped with a scratch-resistant sapphire and cyclops lens over the date and is paired with the Oystersteel bracelet. The self-winding Manufacture Rolex 3285 powers the watch, achieving approximately 70 hours of power reserve.

Tudor Black Bay GMT

The Black Bay GMT is a 41mm steel timepiece that is equipped with a bidirectional rotatable 48-notch bezel in steel with a 24-hour graduated anodised aluminum disc in matt burgundy and blue. The rotating bezel displays the time shown by the 24-hour hand and can be turned to 48 positions in either direction while the date window shows the current date. The 24-hour hand moves around the dial once every 24 hours and corresponds to the reference time. It shows a second or a third time zone based on the position of the bezel. The Black Bay GMT Ref. M79830RB-0001 is paired with a riveted steel bracelet and powered by the self-winding manufacture caliber MT5652, delivering a power reserve of around 70 hours.

Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time

The Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time offers a 37.5mm case in white gold, which houses a blue lacquered dial and comes paired with a navy blue calfskin strap. The skeletonised hour hand indicates home time. Both time zones have separate day and night indicators; the local window at nine o'clock for local time and the home window at three o'clock for home time. A highly practical feature for travelers, the date is perpetually synchronized with local time because the time zone pushers also increment or decrement the date if the local time hour hand passes midnight either clockwise or counterclockwise. The Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Ref. 7234G-001 is driven by the self-winding caliber 324 S C FUS movement, generating a maximum power reserve of 45 hours.

Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Chronograph Solar Impulse

The Omega Skywalker X-33 Chronograph rightfully adds to Omega Speedmaster's legacy that is etched in space history. The Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 Solar Impulse Ref. 318.92.45.79.03.001 is a limited-edition watch powered only by solar energy. Packed inside a 45mm titanium case, it is worn on a blue and green-bordered polyamide NATO strap. The blue and green dial features white transferred indexes and hour markers coated with white Super-LumiNova. Powered by the quartz chronograph Omega caliber 5619 with special functions tested and qualified by the European Space Agency, this Speedmaster uses analogue hands and LCD windows display to show several functions, like three different time zones, chronograph, timer, mission elapsed time, phase elapsed time, three alarms, and perpetual calendar.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT

The Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT is one of the world's slimmest self-winding watches to pack a chronograph and GMT function. A coveted piece in the luxury sports watch segment, the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Ref. 103661 features a sleek monochromatic design in satin-polished stainless steel, paired with a silvered dial. The 43mm steel case is paired with a matching bracelet. This Octo Finissimo catches your attention with its tri-compax layout where small seconds appear at nine o'clock, 30-minute elapsed times at six o'clock, and the GMT function inside the subdial at three o'clock. The pusher on the caseband at nine o'clock adjusts the local time in one-hour increments. The watch is powered by the automatic BVL318 caliber, which is a record-setting movement with a thickness of just 3.30mm.

TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT

TAG Heuer's Aquaracer collection is a host to several highly functional dive watches. This year, the brand presented the latest generation of the Aquaracer Professional 300, offered with a GMT complication. First in the lineup of 42mm steel models is the Ref. WBP5115.BA0013, which features a green sunray brushed dial with a green GMT hand. This model is paired with a steel bracelet. The Ref. WBP5114.BA0013 and Ref. WBP5114.FT6259 house a blue dial with a light blue GMT hand. While the former comes paired with a steel bracelet, the latter is offered on a blue rubber strap. The automatic TH31-03 COSC movement drives all three GMT iterations, beating at a frequency of 4Hz and churning out a power reserve of around 80 hours.

Cartier Tonneau Dual Time

Now a rare find, the Cartier Tonneau Dual Time is one of the brand's most cherished timepieces. This GMT watch finds its home inside a beautiful 46mm yellow gold case, whose charm is further augmented by a red alligator leather strap with a yellow gold pin buckle. Its watch face being the most interesting part of the package presents a white dial with black Roman numerals, which has been divided in two for the GMT function. With two dials, the watch features two crowns, each used to set the time for different time zones. Powered by a quartz movement, the watch leverages two distinct mechanisms to power two sets of blued steel hands. The watch's tonneau shape also allows this GMT watch to boast elegantly curved sides and rounded edges.

Montblanc Star 42 Traditional Chronograph GMT

The Montblanc Star 42 Traditional Chronograph GMT is a 42mm stainless steel watch that packs a black-coloured guilloche dial with Arabic numerals and silver-plated leaf and baton hands. The watch is completed with a black alligator leather strap with a steel pin buckle. The Star 42 Traditional Chronograph GMT Ref. 102135 is equipped with the self-winding caliber MB 25.03 chronograph movement, which indicates the elapsed seconds via a central chronograph seconds hand, elapsed minutes in a 30-minute counter, and the elapsed hours in a 12-hour counter. The date display is found in the aperture at three o'clock. This chrono engine also incorporates a GMT complication, which enables tracking of the second time zone using a GMT hand. The automatic engine achieves a power reserve of around 42 hours.

Panerai Radiomir 3 Days GMT Oro Rosso

The Panerai Radiomir 3 Days GMT Oro Rosso Ref. PAM00598 packs both panache and functionality with its 47mm polished Goldtech case and GMT complication. The case, which is equipped with a sapphire crystal and paired with a black alligator leather strap, is set with a polished Goldtech bezel. Its see-through sapphire crystal at the back offers a view of the hand-wound mechanical P.3001/10 caliber movement, which enables several functions, such as the power reserve, small seconds at nine o'clock, hours, minutes, date at three o'clock, and GMT differential. The Goldtech case finds a charming contrast with its blue dial, featuring luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. The mechanical movement beats at the frequency of 3Hz and delivers a power reserve of around three days.

Grand Seiko Hi-Beat GMT SBGJ277 And Spring Drive 3-Day GMT SBGE307

The Grand SGBE307 Spring Drive GMT is a 44.5mm titanium watch with a matching H-link bracelet. The SBGE307 houses Grand Seiko's 9R66 Spring Drive movement with added GMT functionality. The 9R66's automatic winding movement offers a power reserve of around 72 hours. The reddish-brown of the GMT hand contrasts well with the white dial showing a lion's mane pattern. With GMT functionality, the local hour hand and the 24-hour hand can be set to different time zones to track the time in two locations at once. In the SBGJ277, the green color of the rotating bezel contrasts with the white of the dial, which sits inside a 44.2mm steel case that is paired with a matching bracelet. The mechanical Hi-Beat 36000 GMT 9S86 movement powers the watch, achieving a power reserve of around 55 hours.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Twenty

Louis Vuitton, known for its historical association with travel, introduced the Tambour watch in 2002. Building on the original, this year the brand unveiled the Tambour Twenty. Limited-edition of 200 pieces, the watch is packed inside a 41.5mm drum-shaped steel case paired with a dark brown alligator leather strap. Sitting inside the case is the brown sunray brushed dial with applied Arabic numerals and baton indexes. The yellow 12-hour counter at six o'clock pairs with an elongated yellow central chronograph seconds hand featuring a unique lozenge-shaped counterweight, alongside yellow chronograph hands. The La Fabrique du Temps LV 277 automatic movement is a high-frequency caliber based on the historic Zenith El Primero movement. Operating at 5Hz, this column-wheel chronograph movement provides a power reserve of approximately 50 hours.

Breitling Navitimer Chronograph GMT 46

The Navitimer Chronograph GMT 46 Ref. A24322121C1P1 delivers a highly practical dual time zone system for easy timekeeping. An additional red-tipped central hand shows the time in another part of the world on a 24-hour scale, indicating day or night in that location. The watch is encased in a 46mm stainless steel case paired with a blue alligator leather strap. The caseback is also engraved with the time zones of the world's major cities, making it a standout GMT watch for both travelers and collectors. The self-winding mechanical Breitling 24 movement enables multiple functions, such as the 1/4th second, 30 minutes, and 12 hours. This engine operates at a frequency of 4Hz and offers a power reserve of around 42 hours.

Longines Master Collection GMT

The Longines Master Collection GMT watches are limited to 500 pieces each, crafted from either 18K yellow gold or 18K rose gold. Both references house the same frosted silver dial, which showcases a 24-hour scale with Arabic numerals, a railroad minute track, 11 applied gold Roman numerals, and a date aperture at six o'clock. Gold hands mark the time, complemented by a black GMT hand that matches the numerals on the 24-hour scale. These Longines Master Collection GMT watches are paired with an anthracite gray leather strap. Both iterations are driven by the Longines L844.5 caliber. This self-winding mechanical movement is visible through the transparent sapphire caseback and offers a power reserve of up to 72 hours.

Kurono Tokyo GMT 1

The GMT complication in the Kurono Tokyo GMT 1 simplifies tracking different time zones. Rather than adjusting the 24-hour hand, the local hour hand can be independently adjusted in one-hour increments forward or backward, with the date adjusting accordingly. The 24-hour arrow hand in red is filled with Super-LumiNova. With its bi-directional bezel, the watch offers a variety of timekeeping functions beyond a third time zone. The watch sits inside a 38mm highly polished steel case, which is paired with a black calf leather strap. Nominated as a finalist in the 'Challenge' category for the 2023 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève Awards, the Kurono Tokyo GMT 1 combines a bold art-deco design with the high-frequency Miyota 9075 movement, crafted in Japan, operating at 4Hz, and offering a power reserve of approximately 42 hours.