GMT
GMT, shortened notation of Greenwich Mean Time (mean solar time at the Greenwich Prime Meridian), or previously also known as world time, basically refers to the display of an arbitrarily adjustable second readable time zone in addition to the existing time display. While the hour hand circles the clock twice during the day in a 12-hour rhythm, the GMT hour hand only moves across the dial once within 24 hours. This is usually color-coded from the other pointers to make it easier to distinguish. The functionality and visibility of the GMT time also includes the rotating bezel. This is labeled at intervals of 2 hours and is also highlighted in color to match the rest of the clock.
Well-known examples of watches with a GMT function are the Rolex GMT Master series or the Tudor Black Bay GMT series from the Rolex subsidiary. The Omega Seamaster 300 GMT is also well known. For the Rolex GMT models, the aforementioned bezel is even the inspiration for their nickname. With the reference 126710BLRO, for example, which is also called “Pepsi”, it is the blue-red bezel. The “Batman” (reference 116710BLNR and 126710BLNR) owes its name to the blue-black bezel; in the new Rolex GMT Master II reference 126720VTNR, the name “Sprite” can be traced back to the association with the brand and the interplay of black and green.
The GMT function was first installed in 1953 by Glycine SA in their Glycine Airman model. At this time, in the early 1950s, the first transatlantic flights appeared and so the demand increased among pilots and certainly one or two passengers for watches that could display two time zones. 2 years later after the Glycine Airman, Rolex received the order from the former airline Pan Am to build pilot watches for their pilots, which, in addition to being easy to read, also enabled the display of a second time zone. Rolex released the company's first GMT watch with the reference 6542. Since this launch, the GMT-Master and later the GMT Master II have become masterpieces of watchmaking and have since become one of the best-known and most prestigious Rolex models.
We would like to invite you to take a look at our GMT models on our homepage. Put a piece of history on your wrist and add another eye-catcher to your outfit.
