Why Seiko and Bulova luxury watches are ideal for travel

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Sometimes it feels as though traveling doesn’t have the special appeal that it used to. Decades ago, people would wear suits and dresses to board an airplane. There would be lobster and champagne served throughout the cabin, and not just in first class. Today, you’re lucky to get a half-hearted apology when the flight staff rolls over your feet with a haul of overpriced sodas. Despite this unfortunate downgrade of the traditional panache of cross-country and international travel, you can add a bit of class back into the mix. 

Nothing brings back the heyday of jet travel like a luxury watch on your wrist. What’s more, a GMT watch allows you to keep track of the time at your destination and back home at a glance. If you’re going to take on the mantle of the well-accesorized nostalgic traveler, then you might as well do it with brands that were front and center in the era you’re calling back to. Seiko and Bulova are two brands that were a big part of midcentury travel culture, and their current travel watch offerings are a stark reminder of that heritage.

What is a GMT watch?

GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time. It’s the time zone that has been the historical time standard worldwide since 1884. It has since been replaced by UTC, or Coordinated Universal Time. Both GMT and UTC represent essentially the same thing. The only difference is that GMT was an interpretation of the actual time zone in Greenwich, UK, while UTC is the measure of the time in that same time zone using highly accurate atomic clocks. Regardless of the history and changes therein, multi-timezone watches were originally called GMT watches, and the name stuck.

This style of travel watch was originally designed for airline pilots so they could keep track of two, and sometimes three, time zones at once. They were often set to the time at the departure location, the destination, and Greenwich Mean Time. That way, pilots on long-haul intercontinental flights knew not only where they were, but when they were. As cross-country travel gained popularity in the mid twentieth century, these watches became popular with travelers who wanted to track multiple time zones just like the pilots were doing. 

How does a GMT watch work?

The primary way that a GMT watch tracks multiple time zones is through the use of a GMT hand. While most watches have an hour, minute, and second hand, a GMT watch adds a fourth. The GMT hand is usually differentiated from the other hands by color or design, so it stands out. You can set it to any hour that you wish, and it will continue to track that additional time zone for you. That way, any time you look at the watch, you can see the current time using the standard hours hand and the second time zone hour using the GMT hand.

Some GMT watches also allow you to track a third time zone with the use of a rotating bezel. The bezel will have either 12-hour markers or 24-hour markers. The wearer rotates the bezel in relation to the standard hours hand forward or backward to reflect the third time zone they want to track. Don’t worry if this sounds confusing at first. It’s far easier to manage once you’ve actually got the watch on your wrist. On top of that, most people get by just fine, only tracking two time zones with the use of the GMT hand. 

Seiko GMT watches

Seiko has been making some of the world’s best watches for well over a century, and GMT watches have been a part of that menu for decades. Perhaps one of the most well-known Seiko GMT models is the Seiko SSK001 Automatic GMT Watch. Not only does it have the aforementioned GMT hand and rotating 24-hour bezel, but it has real dive watch chops as well. It includes 100 meters of water resistance, so it’s just as capable in the hotel swimming pool as it is at 30,000 feet between continents. It’s the perfect go anywhere, do anything watch, and even looks great with a sport coat. While this is one of the most popular Seiko GMT options, it’s not the only one. The famed Japanese watchmaker has multiple watches to choose from that offer the same GMT magic in different styles and at different price points.

Seiko SSK001 Automatic GMT Watch

Seiko 5 Sports GMT Watch

Seiko Automatic 5 Sports GMT Watch

Bulova GMT watches

Bulova is another brand that was a midcentury timepiece staple. Its designs still resonate today, even when it comes to their reissue catalogue. Two of the company’s reissue GMT models have made a big statement in the watch world, and they’ll do the same thing on the jetway. Both have a GMT hand and a rotating bezel. However, while the Bulova Oceanographer Snorkel GMT has a gray-and-black color motif and a diver timing bezel to accompany its GMT hand, the Bulova Oceanographer Automatic GMT has an interesting red-and-blue color design and a 24-hour rotating GMT bezel. No matter which you prefer, both of these watches offer all the vintage looks and multi-timezone functionality that you want in this type of timepiece.

Bulova Oceanographer Snorkel GMT

Bulova Oceanographer Automatic GMT

More travel watches

Whether you’re a frequent traveler or you just want to keep tabs on another time zone for work or family reasons, a GMT watch from Seiko or Bulova is the way to go. Though these are two of the best brands for multi-timezone watches, they certainly aren’t the only ones. The following are a few more of my favorite GMT options for those who may not have found exactly what they’re looking for yet.

Timex Expedition Titanium GMT Watch

Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive GMT Watch

Tudor Black Bay GMT Automatic Watch

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