A Super-Affordable, Well-Made GMT Watch: No Longer a Fantasy
Welcome to Dialed In, where we’ll highlight the very best, most interesting, and coolest new watches in the world.
The watch: The Baltic Aquascaphe GMT
The single best thing about this watch: It’s, hard to choose just one standout quality for Baltic’s new GMT, but let’s start with the price: $1,200 for the beads-of-rice bracelet and $1,105 on a rubber strap. Rarely will you find a GMT—a travel-minded watch with a second hour hand, made to keep track of two time zones at once—with a mechanical movement, style, and this level of attention to detail for less than $1,500.
The backstory: One reason it’s so difficult to pick just one great thing about this watch is Baltic’s origin story. The Parisian brand launched on Kickstarter in 2017 and immediately became a cult favorite in the watch world for its modern take on vintage touches. Baltic is a true micro-brand. And doesn’t it feel good to support independent brands and watchmakers?
Post-Kickstarter, the diver-inspired Aquascaphe was the first watch that Baltic released, after starting with the retro-looking Bicompax chronograph and and the dressy HMS.. Now, the brand’s gone back to where it all began for a GMT version of the model.
This watch matters in the world of watches because: It’s a love letter to vintage pieces of watchmaking past. The retro beads-of-rice bracelet, the domed sapphire case, and even the typography—everything about this piece screams old school. Look closely at the ‘6’ on the bezel: see how it curls around without ever fully touching? That’s what’s known as an “open six” typeface and, as Hodinkee points out, is “a style of type commonly seen in the date wheels of early 1970s Rolex watches.”
Also not to be slept on: the unique and mellow color combinations. The watch comes in grey, green, or orange (the other half on each bezel is a navy blue), and the word Aquascaphe and the GMT hand match the model’s color. That’s just one example of the way Baltic pays attention to detail. On the caseback is a cool-looking world time layout and the crown features Baltic’s big ‘B’ logo on top of a sandblasted finish (remember: sandblasting a watch is a great idea!).
But a GMT watch now? Really? Sure, the GMT watch is designed with travel in mind, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t reserve a spot in your sheltered-in-place collection. Keep track of Zoom party attendees in different time zones, know for certain when it really is five o’clock somewhere by setting your second hand to the time in Australia (16 hours ahead of New York!), or just let that burnt orange/mossy green color wash over you until it’s safe to travel again.
Where and when to buy it: The Baltic Aquascaphe GMT is available on the brand’s website now.
Originally Appeared on GQ
