Born from the aviation boom in the 1950s, the GMT watch helped pilots and travelers cross time zones without losing their home time as a reference. Cell phones and technology have made keeping track of times around the world super easy, but still, old school GMTs still carry a certain cachet with watch enthusiasts, who appreciate traditional mechanics now more than ever before.
Now, Shinola is getting on board with the popular complication by adding an automatic GMT to its Monster dive watch line. Possessing the same design ethos as the rest of the Monster collection, this new addition is not a dive watch at all but a timepiece that’s primed for the skies. Still, the watch can definitely handle any swimming you encounter in your travels, with 10 ATM water resistance and a NATO strap option that’s made from upcycled #tide ocean-bound plastic.
Obviously, the major draw here is the automatic GMT movement. Featuring a delightfully stubby fourth hand that sets independently and rotates once every 24 hours, your second time zone is tracked by the bidirectional bezel and its 24-hour ceramic insert. The timepiece is powered by a Swiss-made Sellita SW330-01 movement, which is nicely decorated and can be seen through a display caseback. Shinola thankfully brings down the diameter from the dive watch as well, going from 43mm on the standard Monster watch to a crowd-pleasing 40mm for this GMT. A three-link stainless steel bracelet is also in tow, which can be swapped out tool-free.
You can grab Shinola’s The Monster GMT Automatic from the Detroit brand’s online store for $1,995, with shipments starting next month.
