The Connection Between Watches and Travel
There is a strong relationship between watches and travel, as watches are necessary instruments for those who travel extensively. It’s simple to keep track of time when traveling with GMT watches, like the recognizable Rolex GMT-Master, which shows a second time zone. Different GMT watch designs are referred to by terms like “Caller” GMT and “Flyer” GMT. World Timer watches facilitate international navigation by concurrently displaying the time in several cities. For vacation watches, water resistance is essential, and ISO standards guarantee longevity. Every traveler needs a trustworthy watch, whether for practicality or style.
Common Travel Watch Terms
GMT
A watch that shows a second time zone in addition to “Greenwich Mean Time” (GMT) often has a 24-hour bezel and a fourth hand. Most people agree that the original GMT watch was the Rolex GMT-Master reference 6542, which was created in 1954 to allow Pan Am flight pilots to monitor both local and GMT time while in flight.
“Caller” GMT
On a Caller GMT, the 24 hour hand is adjusted independently of the other hands. After pulling the GMT hand’s crown out to the first position, you can rotate it clockwise to set it in hourly increments on a 24-hour scale. By rotating the crown out to the second position, you can change the time displayed by the primary hour and minute hands. As you go, the 24-hour hand will appear.
“Flyer” GMT
The primary hour hand (local time) can be changed by the Flyer GMT in steps of one hour. Furthermore, the Flyer/Traveller GMT is by far the most useful when traversing borders and time zones.
World Timer
A world timer is a kind of watch that shows the time in several cities across the world, usually with a revolving bezel, however there are several variations available. These might be electronic or mechanical.
12-Hour Bezel
A spinning bezel with engraved numbers 1 through 12 that the wearer can rapidly set by simply offsetting to find out the time. (For example, you can adjust the bezel three clicks to the right until the number “3” shows above the watch’s 12 o’clock index to find out the time in New York when you’re in Los Angeles.)
Water Resistance
The ability of a travel watch to withstand immersion in water is essential. Given this, ISO 6245 is a standard for dive watches that defines 100m of water resistance, while ISO 22810 is much broader and does not specify a specific depth rating. If you want to use your watch frequently, we suggest getting one that complies with ISO 6245 and is water resistant to at least 100 meters.
Quartz Watch
In some situations, carrying a cheap backup watch can be useful, especially if you’re heading somewhere far from home or participating in an exceptionally risky activity. A cost-effective and dependable Casio watch serves as a perfect substitute for quartz timepieces.
Best Travel Watches
Casio World Time AE1200
With Casio, you get everything you could possibly need, including a stopwatch, calendar, timers, alarms, and more. The most noticeable feature for tourists traveling across the globe is definitely the globe time indicator, which displays the current time zone in addition to a map-shaped LCD indicator that shows the time on the main LCD panel. Very fantastic for about $30! Along with some outstanding shock resistance, you also get 100m of water resistance.
Tudor Black Bay Pro
The Tudor Black Bay Pro is a very practical tool watch that is difficult to argue with. It combines design cues and functionality from multiple Tudor and Rolex watches. It has an impressive 70-hour power reserve, an in-house “flyer”-style GMT movement, 200m water resistance, multiple strap options, and a 39mm wide, well-proportioned design. It wears well and neatly bridges the gap between upscale goods and military-grade hardware intended primarily for functionality, albeit being a tad thick at 14.6 mm in height.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante
If you’re a true aficionado of haute horlogerie, Parmigiani Fleurier’s Tonda PF GMT Rapprapante is one of the more enticing selections. The white gold hour hand on the stainless steel watch starts to hop in one-hour increments when the pusher is engaged at eight o’clock, revealing a rose gold local hour hand underneath it. Despite this, the watch looks to be a simple timepiece. Simply click the button on the watch’s crown to realign the dual hour hands.
Monta Atlas
The Monta Atlas incorporates many of the features that make a watch suitable for any environment, including excellent looks, a comfortable case, excellent proportions, and superb build quality, in addition to adding GMT functions. The Atlas is available in an array of hues and can be styled for any occasion—it can be worn in the water, with a suit and tie, or even when exploring the most isolated regions of Scotland, as I have done with one. The watch has a strange appearance because the 24-hour scale is situated on the rehaut rather than the rotating bezel.
Breitling Chronomat UTC
The need for worldtimer watches has a brutally effective, if not particularly discreet, solution with Breitling’s Chronomat UTC: insert a fully independent, tiny, quartz-powered timepiece within the strap. The Chronomat is an impressive piece of equipment in the first place—44 mm by 14.45 mm—so the additional bulk shouldn’t be a problem. The mechanical movement can continue to tick for 70 hours after the Chronomat is taken off your wrist. This is known as the power reserve of the movement. Additionally, it resists water for 200 meters.
TAG Heuer GMT Autavia
To commemorate the line’s 60th anniversary, TAG Heuer has unveiled three new Autavia models for 2022, including a three-hand GMT model and two new chronograph variants. The watch emphasizes legibility and simplicity with its automatic movement that lasts for up to 50 hours after you take it off. Its 42mm steel case, which is water-resistant to 100 meters, houses an uncluttered blue dial with glow-in-the-dark Super-LumiNova-coated hands and numerals. Another benefit is the availability of readily interchangeable straps, including fashionable woven NATO bands and conventional leather or stainless steel straps.
