The Best Travel and GMT Watches of Watches & Wonders 2024 and The Geneva Week

Long praised for being some of the most practical and relevant timepieces around, Travel and GMT watches are classics that most brands need to have somewhere in their collections. Whether we’re talking about classic multi-time zone watches with a central 24-hour hand, dual-time models with additional indications on their dials or complex world-time timepieces, the Geneva Watch Week and Watches and Wonders 2024 gave us the opportunity to discover a myriad of new models in these categories. And here are the 5 most appealing Travel and GMT Watches we’ve seen.

Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT

Let’s start strong, with an absolute winner… It’s not often that we are as enthusiastic as that, but the new Black Bay 58 GMT is a fantastic watch, a new model that simply answers what the watch community was asking for; a more compact, slimmer BB GMT. And here we are, with a 39mm case with 12.8mm thickness, still capable of diving, with an almost “coke” bezel (sorry Rolex fans…) and a mix of modern and vintage features. The gilt accents on the bezel and the dial have been a topic of discussion but I feel they work great in the constant of the 58. The rest… typical Tudor, with a true GMT movement, now Master Chronometer certified, a third time zone function thanks to the rotating bezel, some slight differences with a classic Black Bay 58 (the crown, for instance) and overall impressive quality/price ratio. Tudor gives the choice between a rivet steel bracelet or a rubber strap, both with micro-adjustment (the latter option is good but not as visually appealing as the steel bracelet).

Quick facts: 39mm x 12.8mm steel case – bidirectional bezel with black and burgundy anodised aluminium inserts and gilt markings – sapphire crystal, screwed crown and back, 200m water-resistant – matte black dial with gilt hour markers and hands – calibre MT5450-U (Kenissi) with true GMT function, 4Hz, silicon hairspring, 65h power reserve, Master Chronometer – rivet-style steel bracelet or black rubber strap, both with Tudor T-fit clasp with micro-adjustment – EUR 4,420 on rubber, EUR 4,630 on steel

Rolex GMT Master II 126710GRNR “Bruce Wayne”

The watch community was expecting a GMT Master II “Coke” in white gold… Rolex gives a “Bruce Wayne” in steel. While nothing has changed technically speaking, this new version adds something missing in the collection; a more subtle, more discreet, almost monochromatic watch – somehow the direct descendant of the old black bezel version (the 116710LN), sharing the same green hand and GMT mention. The main difference comes from the use of a two-tone bezel (a prerequisite now on all GMT Master II), in a grey and black version introduced last year in Rolesor and yellow gold editions. Sitting next to the Batman (black-blue), the Pepsi (blue-red) and the Destro or Sprite (black-green), this new 126710GRNR a.k.a Bruce Wayne is the most discreet, most timeless version. And that’s actually a very pleasant thing! Apart from that, the GMT Master II is still one of the best traveller’s watches on the market.

Quick facts: 40mm x 11.9mm Oystersteel case – bidirectional bezel with 24-hour monobloc Cerachrom insert in grey and black – sapphire crystal, screwed crown and back, 100m water-resistant – Black lacquered dial with white gold hands and markers, green lacquer 24-hour hand – Calibre 3285, true GMT, in-house, automatic, Superlative Chronometer, 4Hz, 70h power reserve – Oystersteel Jubilee or Oyster bracelet with Easylink comfort extension – 126710GRNR – EUR 11,000 on Oyster bracelet, EUR 11,200 on Jubilee bracelet

Santos de Cartier Dual Time

Praised for its sporty-chic style and the casual elegance you expect from a Cartier, the Santos now receives for the first time a traveller’s function, but not in the classic shape of a GMT hand. Instead, and to keep the original design of the watch almost untouched, Cartier went for a so-called dual time solution, adding a 24-hour sub-dial on its sports watch. Independently adjusted by the crown, the integration of this function is elegant and fairly practical. The rest is typical Santos, with a slightly large case (but it’ll be hard to have this function in the mid-size edition) and a subtle grey dial. The movement is outsourced – Cartier doesn’t tell the origin, which is most likely Sellita.

Quick facts: 40.2mm x 47.5mm x 10mm steel case – sapphire crystal, solid back, 100m water-resistant – anthracite, sunray-brushed dial, dual time indicator with day/night function at 6 o’clock – outsourced automatic movement with dual time function by the crown, 4Hz, 40h power reserve – steel bracelet with QuickSwtich interchangeable system and additional alligator strap – CHF 8,800

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164G Denim Blue

While many Patek fans mourned the discontinuation of the Aquanaut Travel Time 5164A in stainless steel earlier this year (Patek is removing steel references one after another…), the brand compensates with an edition in white gold with a handsome denim blue colour scheme (which is the theme of the year at PP). Apart from this new precious attire, the watch remains very casual in this subtle grey-blue tone and still wears like a charm thanks to its relatively compact dimensions. Like all 5164 references, it relies on a practical dual-time function with two pushers on the side to adjust the local hour hand in one-hour increments forwards and backwards. Surprisingly, the water-resistance is now rated at 30m but that’s a topic we’re investigating… Besides that, the Aquanaut Travel Time 5164G is a truly lovely watch!

Quick facts: 40.8mm x 10.2mm white gold case – sapphire crystal front and back, screwed crown and back, 30m water-resistant – dual time function with pushers on the side of the case (local hour hand in one-hour increments forwards and backwards) – denim blue dial with embossed Aquanaut pattern, white gold applied numerals and hands, day-night function – calibre 26-330 S C FUS automatic, in-house, Patek seal, 4Hz, 35-45h power reserve – Denim blue composite strap with white gold folding clasp – EUR 62,600

Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1

Last but certainly not least, here’s one of the most impressive traveller’s watches ever, and one of our highlights of the Geneva Watch Week 2024, the Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1… The watch that addresses one of the major challenges faced by traditional world-timers: Daylight Saving Time (DST). The solution is this incredibly complex central module with each of the 24 rollers having four positions, which can be switched by pressing the crown: UTC, AST (American Summer Time), EAS (Europe and America Summer Time), and EWT (European Winter Time). This fascinating take on the world timer is powered by a 10-day hand-wound movement with 744 components, a flying tourbillon and a perpetual calendar with rollers. Quite a watch, quite a price tag but clearly a technical feast that needs to be explored in length in our in-depth article.

Quick facts: 46.3mm x 17.85mm titanium, platinum or pink gold case – sapphire crystals front and back, 30m water-resistant – openworked dial with blue aventurine – world time function on 24 rollers with complete DST function, perpetual calendar on rollers – calibre R28-70-00X, in-house, hand-wound, 744 components, 2.5Hz one-minute tourbillon – alligator strap with folding buckle – from CHF 650,000