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GMT & World-Time Watches · Page 5

The Audible Joy of Alarm Watches Worn & Wound
Feb 20, 2026

The Audible Joy of Alarm Watches

One of the most useful watch complications in horological history is also one of its most forgotten.  The ring of a mechanical alarm may seem like a lost artifact, like a rotary phone dial or a manual transmission, all once the necessities of 20th century civilization. And yet, functionality of a settable and mechanical-winding alarm into the tiny confines of a wristwatch is an impressive mechanical feat, one underrated among dive bezels, world timers, pulsations scales, and tachymeters.  The alarm watch was meant for the everyman, whether they’re travelers, titans of industry, or merely early risers. Just like there is appreciation for a watch’s ability to do more than just tell time, there is the aural sensation for a watch to produce something more for the senses than just sight. Eterna was the first to patent an alarm caliber as early as 1908, eventually introducing an alarm wristwatch in 1914 at the Swiss National Exhibition in Berne. It was an impressive achievement, but it wouldn’t last: there was the problem that the alarm could only sound for less than 10 seconds, barely enough to rouse a moderate sleeper, as well as the fact that when the alarm was set, accuracy suffered.  However, the Eterna did achieve something significant: it spurred Vulcain, in nearby La Chaux-de-Fonds, to begin developing its own alarm mechanism in 1942. The resulting Vulcain Cricket, debuting in 1947, fixed its predecessor’s shortcomings: namely, separate barrels for the alarm s...

Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex GMT-Master II Alternatives In 2026 Fratello
Feb 20, 2026

Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex GMT-Master II Alternatives In 2026

Another Friday, another list! This week, we continue our series looking for alternatives to some of the world’s most popular watches with five alternatives to the iconic Rolex GMT-Master II. The Crown’s iconic GMT watch set the standard for travel watches. While its legacy is undeniably grand, the modern GMT-Master II is not always the […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Rolex GMT-Master II Alternatives In 2026 to read the full article.

Owner’s Review: the Elliot Brown Holton Automatic GMT Black Whiteout Worn & Wound
Feb 19, 2026

Owner’s Review: the Elliot Brown Holton Automatic GMT Black Whiteout

I want to let you in on a secret of mine: As I was preparing to attend my first Windup in October of 2023, I swore to myself that I wouldn’t make any impulse watch purchases at the fair. In all honesty, I was still pretty new to watches at the time, and I wanted to make sure I fully understood both the watch’s mechanics and the brand I was buying from before committing to a purchase. Making it through that first fair unscathed, I decided this self-imposed restriction was pretty smart. After coming on staff and being wonderfully overwhelmed working those first Windups, I managed to keep that internal promise for over a year before I finally made my first purchase last year in Dallas. Having learned a ton from working my first fair (namely, wear good shoes and drink way more water than you think you need), I went into Chicago with an entirely different game plan. While the primary goal was and still is to capture the moments that make Windup so special, I also wanted to start meeting the people behind the brands that I’d heard so much about. In doing so, I found myself chatting with the crew from Elliot Brown Watches. At the time, I hadn’t heard of the brand (or many others in the room, to be honest), but it was the fact that they stood in front of their booth, rather than behind it, that drew me in. While I didn’t walk away with anything this time, I started paying attention to their brand as they released the Arne, a Founder’s edition of the Beachmaster, and th...

SJX Podcast: Louis Vuitton & De Bethune Travel in Style SJX Watches
Feb 19, 2026

SJX Podcast: Louis Vuitton & De Bethune Travel in Style

SJX has just returned from the Tokyo launch of Louis Vuitton’s third independent watchmaking collaboration, this time with De Bethune. Episode 29 of the SJX Podcast covers what it means for both brands, and unpacks the details of both the GMT Louis Varius wristwatch and the monumental sympathique clock that it can be paired with. Brandon and SJX also provide hands-on analysis of the Escale Worldtime and Daniel Roth Extra Plat Skeleton that debuted during LVMH Watch Week in January. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.  

Bremont Introduces the Terra Nova Jumping Hour Stealth Black Worn & Wound
Feb 17, 2026

Bremont Introduces the Terra Nova Jumping Hour Stealth Black

Certain watch niches are riskier than others; for instance, seemingly every brand has tried a dive watch or chronograph because they are guaranteed crowd pleasers with straightforward functionality, whereas a world timer or moonphase complication is a little trickier to market to a general audience. In that corner of hyperniche sits the jumping hour watch, which to a non-watch nerd, is both visually and functionally baffling. But Bremont is no stranger to the jumping hour concept, having released successful models with the complication in the recent past. How have they fared with their latest iteration, the Terra Nova 38 Stealth Black? Let’s jump in and find out. While a seasoned horological expert may be familiar with a jumping hour complication, the casual shopper likely isn’t: basically, instead of displaying a sweeping hour hand, a jumping hour watch points to the current hour and “jumps” to the next hour once 60 minutes have elapsed. Conversely, it may instead display the hour in a window, with an imprinted disc moving below that ticks over to the next digit, much like a date window. The Stealth Black opts for the latter presentation, which gives it a clean, retro-futuristic design that differs from previous models in the brand’s jumping hour catalog, and their Terra Nova line more broadly. As the name suggests, the Stealth Black is characterized by its 38mm black DLC stainless steel case, finished in black diamond carbon-like coating, which gives it a sci-f...

Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT Vs. Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT Fratello
Feb 15, 2026

Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT Vs. Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT

It’s that time of the week again - time for another Sunday Morning Showdown! This time, Mike and Jorg face off in a battle of rugged GMTs. Jorg’s pick is the recently introduced Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT, which takes on Mike’s Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT. Both are rugged GMT pieces with dive-watch roots. […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT Vs. Christopher Ward C63 Sealander Extreme GMT to read the full article.

Review: The Leica ZM 2 (and M-11 D) Worn & Wound
Feb 13, 2026

Review: The Leica ZM 2 (and M-11 D)

If you ever find yourself in the fortunate position of reviewing watches, you’ll quickly start compiling a mental list of the watches you’d like to see, wear, and spend time with. It’ll be a long list, and no matter how many watches you try, it’s not a list that will ever get shorter. I’ve been doing this for a few years now, and one watch that has always been near the top of my list was the Leica ZM 2, a passive GMT watch made to a high standard from - and there’s no other way of putting this - a camera company. Unfortunately, the ZM 2 has managed to continually elude me. That is, until now. There’s plenty to say about the ZM 2, but before we get into this too deeply, let’s get two things out of the way: First, I’m not sure it was a good move for Leica to rename its flagship watch so soon after launch. It’s confusing for the consumer, and a bit annoying to anyone trying to cover the watch. So, for clarity’s sake, let me say that the ZM 2 is the same watch launched under the L2 name a few years ago, and it’s the same watch that was reviewed under that name by other outlets. It’s a confusing move, one that has, I think, made it slightly harder for the ZM 2 to grab a foothold than it otherwise might have been. Which is a bummer because (and this is my second point): This watch is great, full stop. I loved wearing the ZM 2, and I would happily own this watch should I ever find myself in a position to do so. I know some will question Leica’s thi...

Citizen Introduces the Promaster Land GMT Worn & Wound
Feb 11, 2026

Citizen Introduces the Promaster Land GMT

So vast and varied is the Citizen lineup, that it’s easy to miss new releases, even when they definitely shouldn’t be missed. It’s that breadth and diversity of models that make Citizen such a storied brand, and two new Promaster models are fresh on the scene to add even more flavor.  The Promaster Land GMT touts travel-ready capabilities of the Promaster Air GMT, but focuses it on grounded robustness instead of pilot task-managing. All of that sounds complicated, but really boils down to aesthetics, materials, and sizing. With two dial color options, the Promaster Land is burly and simple, but bold enough to catch some attention on the wrist. Both models feature a 39.5mm stainless steel case with a fixed 24-hour GMT bezel, giving the watch a muscular, no-nonsense silhouette, whether on the provided bracelet or strap. Even numbers receive the numeral treatment on the bezel, with indices marking the odds. The crown sits at 6 o’clock, matching the date window, and providing a standard, balanced profile that appears almost soft, given the dimensions of the case, and the typeface used.  The two dial colors reflect the practicality-first design ethos of the Promaster Land: red and blue, or reference BJ7150-50W and BJ7150-09L respectively. Both feature the same detail accoutrements, with large, effortlessly visible white numerals and hour, minute, and second hands, and a yellow, arrow-tipped GMT hand. A relatively subtle minute track circles the dial, but doesn’t dra...

Hands-On: the Jack Mason Strat-o-timer GMT Frontier Worn & Wound
Feb 11, 2026

Hands-On: the Jack Mason Strat-o-timer GMT Frontier

There are two types of watch reviews I particularly enjoy writing. One is a review for a watch that is truly bonkers. Something either outrageously expensive, avant-garde in its design sensibilities, off the beaten path and kind of rare, or some combination of all of the above. These are the types of watches I personally gravitate towards as a collector (well, not the outrageously expensive part, but the rest of it) and I find that typically I have an awful lot to say about them. It’s fun to write these reviews because it feels like I’m sharing my actual enthusiasm for something in a really pure and direct way.  The other type of review I like to write is for watches that are basically on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to my taste. It’s a challenge (if not necessarily fun in the same way) to write about a watch that brushes up against my own biases. It’s a useful exercise as a writer to evaluate something that is outside of your wheelhouse and comfort zone. And it certainly makes for better and more interesting copy than writing about a watch that is simply generic, neither a challenge to your taste or something you’d plunk down the credit card for to purchase yourself.  The new watch from Jack Mason is, for me, decidedly in that second category, a watch that I can tell from one photo is objectively nice and will have a strong following among enthusiasts, but is just not the type of thing I typically go for. The new Strat-o-timer GMT Frontier i...

Hands On: Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime SJX Watches
Feb 10, 2026

Hands On: Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime

One of Louis Vuitton’s most distinctive complications, the Escale Worldtime was recently revised and upgraded, giving it improved legibility and an in-house movement. The nips and tucks have given the watch a sleeker, more refined aesthetic, while making the technicolour dial more readable. It’s still far from a “tool” watch, but the second-generation Escale Worldtime has all of the charm of the original that’s now grounded in solid, credible watchmaking. Initial thoughts I’m biased because I am a fan of the original Worldtime, right from when it was launched in 2014. The original was decidedly impractical, way too expensive, but an imaginatively different take on the classic Louis Cottier world time. The new model has all of the appeal of the original, but with a superior execution in substance and form. The new version has smoothed out all of the rough edges of the original, quite literally in some respects. The case is now finer, with more refined lines and a gently domed crystal, for instance. Functionality has improved substantially with a hand for the minutes and a jumping hours display. And the movement is now a latest-generation calibre, part of a family of industrial-haute horlogerie movements developed by LFT that is an achievement on its own. The LFT VO12.01 movement features a 22k pink gold rotor with a guilloche rim The Escale Worldtime costs over US$90,000, or about 10% more than the Patek Philippe World Time ref. 5330G in white gold. The Escale, ...

A New Batch of Worldtimers from Farer Have Arrived Worn & Wound
Feb 5, 2026

A New Batch of Worldtimers from Farer Have Arrived

It’s hard to keep track of all the watch trends that come and go over a calendar year, and while it’s not been as smoking-hot-popular as skin divers and GMTs, the worldtimer complication has been enjoying some time in the sun recently. Joining the herd is the Farer World Timer 2026 Collection, which beefs up an already-impressive (and early to the trend) lineup with three new colorways. In fact, the Farer World Timer was first launched in 2019, well before recent additions that have piqued the watch world’s interest, and it’s that confident backlog that has allowed Farer to introduce three new pieces with a level of design refinement that other relative newcomers may lack.  Before we dive into the new colorways, let’s get the basics down: each Farer World Timer sports a 39mm 316L stainless steel case (and varying finishes depending on the model) with an impressive 11mm of thickness, and a democratic 45mm lug-to-lug measurement. One crown, inset with a Farer “A”-embossed bronze cap, sits at the 3 o’clock position, while the other, wearing a World Timer marque, rests at 10 and operates the outer rotating bezel. The crowns, domed sapphire crystal, and exhibition caseback ensure a decently robust 100 meters of water resistance. Inside, a Sellita SW331-2 Elabore movement should guarantee reliability, accuracy, serviceability, and a 56-hour power reserve. A bespoke Farer rotor is color-matched to the central 24-hour disc on the dial.  Speaking of that disc, it...

Introducing – Around the Dial in 24 Hours with the New Farer World Timers Monochrome
Feb 5, 2026

Introducing – Around the Dial in 24 Hours with the New Farer World Timers

British indie brand Farer was founded in 2015 by four friends with backgrounds in watch retail. Using Swiss-made mechanical movements, Farer offers a portfolio of confident designs with an eccentric British twist and competitive prices, thanks to the brand’s direct-to-consumer approach that eliminates intermediaries. The name Farer, derived from Old English terms like seafarer and […]

Introducing: The Louis Vuitton × De Bethune LVDB-03 Louis Varius Fratello
Feb 5, 2026

Introducing: The Louis Vuitton × De Bethune LVDB-03 Louis Varius

Collaborations in high watchmaking are nothing new, but most stop at the wrist. The LA VDB-03 Louis Varius Project goes a step further by pairing a modern GMT wristwatch with a large mechanical clock designed to wind and reset it automatically. Developed jointly by Louis Vuitton and De Bethune, the project brings together a contemporary […] Visit Introducing: The Louis Vuitton × De Bethune LVDB-03 Louis Varius to read the full article.

Hands On: Louis Vuitton x De Bethune LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project SJX Watches
Feb 2, 2026

Hands On: Louis Vuitton x De Bethune LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project

Following collaborations with Rexhep Rexhepi and Kari Voutilainen, Louis Vuittion turns to De Bethune’s Denis Flageollet for its biggest independent collaboration to date, both literally and figuratively. The release spans two timekeepers - the first is the LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius, a heat-blued titanium wristwatch that can be wound and set by the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius, an ambitious métiers d’art Sympathique clock. Initial thoughts Having worked on Sympathique clocks for Breguet during his spell at Techniques Horlogères Appliquées (THA) in the 1990s, Mr Flageollet revisits the concept on his own terms. De Bethune is one of the few independent brands with its own clockmaking workshop, which is a testament to Mr Flageollet’s experience gained at THA. The Sympathique clock is finely wrought, with several charming artistic flourishes embodying De Bethune’s house style with a generous use of blued titanium. While this Sympathique arguably is a historical tribute rather than state-of-the art, it is nonetheless easier to use than its antecedents, with a simplified docking process that doesn’t require the watch’s strap to be removed. In terms of usability, this Sympathique is arguably the most advanced to date; moreover, both clocks can be paired with any of the watches in the series, an interchangeability underlining the precision of make that was absent in historical Sympathique clocks. Denis Flageollet at the launch event in Tokyo. The massive ornam...