Last week we featured our Top 5 Super-Cheap Mechanical Watches round-up. This week we have a list of the best travel watches for your next holiday. There were no criteria that we felt we needed to adhere to. We just picked our favourite watches that we thought would be the perfect companion on your next adventure.
Rolex GMT-Master II
Ah yes, the tried and true GMT-Master II from Rolex. An icon if there ever was one! To put it simply, this is one of the best watches you can buy, period. Be it a travel-specific purchase or not, the GMT-Master II is one heck of a watch! With its ability to simultaneously display two timezones (three, if you use the rotating bezel!), the GMT-Master II is my personal pick of the bunch. There’s a bunch of variations of this very popular piece from Rolex, but I love the darkness of the GMT-Master II’s dial and bezel. Oh, and with an affectionate name like “The Batman”, how can you go wrong?
Tudor Black Bay GMT
With a similar aesthetic to that of Rolex’s GMT-Master II, Tudors affectionate looking Black Bay GMT really does have everything you’d ever want in a travel friendly watch. COSC-certified, GMT functionality, a date window, and a super versatile looking meaning you can wear it with basically anything. Oh, and a 200m water resistant rating means you really can wear it anywhere!
Bremont Endurance
Not as subtle as the previous two watches in this list, Bremont’s Endurance is like a supped-up version of Rolex and Tudor’s GMTs. The Endurance is the kind of watch you’d want to wear while climbing the peaks of the Swiss Alps, or while deep-diving through wrecks of battleships from centuries ago. The Endurance is a nod to Bremont’s maxim of being “Tested Beyond Endurance”. What does that mean for you, exactly? Well, it means if you’re looking to add a bit of adventure into your holiday, you’d best opt for the bulletproof nature of the Endurance.
IWC Big Pilot
A tough one to consider as being a solid travel friendly watch but hear me out. Legibility, check. Versatility, check. Reliability, check. Ease of use, check. And damn good looks, check. IWC’s Big Pilot may be an absurd choice for this list, but with respect to sheer functionality, it’s a hard one to beat. It’s big, it’s super easy to use and set, and it can damn near front as your bedside clock.
NOMOS Glashütte Zürich World Time
This list wouldn’t be nearly as complete without a true worldtimer. NOMOS Glashütte’s Zürich World Time was such an easy choice for me. It has such an appeal combination of functionality, of technical prowess and of sound aesthetics that I just had to choose it over some very stiff competition. At the push of a button you’re able to see what time it is almost everywhere. You’re in Hong Kong and you need to know the time in Moscow? Too easy, press a button and you’ll quickly know. Don’t be mistaken by the guise of the Zürich World Time’s simplistic nature. This is a highly complex watch. But with a dash of fun.
Breitling Emergency
So, you’ve decided you want to fall off the grid completely. Maybe you’ve taken to solo hiking through the jungles of the Amazon. Or maybe you’ve decided to take a stroll across the Sahara. Or maybe, you’ve thought to yourself f**k it, and you’re going to kick it on a deserted island. Whatever your borderline insane holidaying destination is, if you’re going to be going to these extremes, then get yourself the Breitling Emergency. More tech than you’d ever need, and an ability to transmit an emergency distress signal for when you come to your senses, the Emergency is going to be your best friend when that time inevitably comes.