News Attractiveness of "GMT watch" that does not just know the local time and models that attracted attention in 2021

What is the appeal of a GMT watch that is more than just telling the local time?

Perhaps because there were more impressive watches than in previous years, the one that stood out among the watches announced in 2021 was the model with the GMT function. Simply put, it's a wristwatch with a function that allows you to check the home time (home country time) and local time (local time), but on the other hand, GMT watches have charm that goes beyond just such practicality . [See all photos]

A GMT watch born at the request of an airline

A GMT watch is a combination of a 24-hour GMT hand in the center of the dial and a rotating bezel that displays the time in two or more places. clock to display. As a matter of course, the former world standard time = Greenwich Mean Time is greatly involved in its birth. At the International Meridian Conference held in 1884, when the meridian passing through the Greenwich Observatory in England was defined as the prime meridian, the world was divided into 24 time zones. In other words, for every 15 degrees of longitude from Greenwich, there was a time difference of +1 hour to the east and -1 hour to the west. The watchmaker Louis Cottier of Geneva, Switzerland, incorporated this regularity into watches, and in the 1930s, the Louis Cottier-style world time, which allows you to know the time in 28 major cities around the world, appeared. Many brands including Patek Philippe adopted it. However, this method of engraving many city names on the bezel makes the display complicated, and the user cannot instantly read the time zone that the user wants to know. In the 1950s, when intercontinental flights became popular, Pan American Airlines asked Rolex to develop a watch that could display only two times. In response to this, the GMT watch pioneer "GMT Master" was born in 1954 (released in 1955), and in 1982, it was equipped with an independent adjustment function for the hour hand, making it possible to display a third time zone. "GMT master II" comes up.

Attraction is the unique design of GMT watches

Since then, watch companies equipped with GMT functions have been released. Originally developed at the request of airlines, it was a watch for pilots, but as the number of business people and tourists who frequently travel abroad increased, GMT watches gained popularity. The practicality of being able to read the time in two places without troublesome operations was supported, but on the other hand, the unique design of GMT watches also attracted attention. In many models, the GMT hands are colored in vivid colors to enhance the visibility of the home time, which is a nice accent to the design. In addition, the model with the 24-hour time zone on the bezel incorporates a two-tone color to make it easier to distinguish between day and night, and the practical design also affects the appearance. This design, created by Rolex for the first GMT Master, has become an element that reflects the individuality of each company since various brands began to release GMT watches. Now that it is not suitable to travel freely, it is good to enjoy the design work while choosing the best partner model in preparation for the coming day.