A collective nuance amongst watch enthusiasts and amassers is when their dearly beloved and almost always super expensive GMT timepiece doesn’t display the correct timezone. This issue is widespread but does predominantly affect mechanical watches displaying the times in Sydney and Auckland, in particular. Up until now, this concern was all but swept under the proverbial rug. Until now. Introducing the CuleM Watches World GMT Collection, arguably the perfect GMT for the avid-travelling, precision-loving watch collector.
With an ability to accurately and correctly display the time differences in 24 of the world’s timezones, including the time difference between Australia and the rest of the world, the World GMT is a marvel, especially considering this is the first luxury watch collection from the independent watchmaker. The World GMT combines CuleM Watches founder, Matthew Culem’s two passions, mind-expanding travel and luxury watches, into one very well put together watch.
The World GMT Collection is made up of three distinct families: The Portal, The Lights and The Frame, with each design drawing inspiration from the waves of the ocean. And as distinct as each family is, there’s a consistency in each of their designs, drawing familiarities and similarities with each other. Different but uniform, each model is unique and yet quite comparable to its variation.
The Portal edition comes in four very beautiful and very appealing colour schemes. There is a blue, black, grey and gold model, each featuring a stunning avant-garde and ultra-contemporary depiction of the world map in three-dimensions. This look is both very unique and very intriguing, speaking to not only the appeal of a true GMT timepiece, but also to one that goes one step further to showcase its purpose.
The Lights edition features a blue, black and gold model, but instead of a three-dimensional world map, we have a one-dimensional map with tiny white luminescent dots. The appeal of The Lights variant is that the magic truly happens at night where the luminescent features of the watch truly come to life.
The Frame edition looks far busier than The Portal and The Lights editions. Again, this comes in a variety of colours, with each model depicting defined edges surrounding the continents, along with a 24-hour circle of clouds floating above. This is an interesting design, and again like The Portal it’s quite a modernistic approach to what is fundamentally a very old complication.
While each family of models has a distinctly different look, each piece shares the same foundation. A 40mm wide case with a sapphire crystal and a unique crown is the consistent variable with each model, as is the open sapphire caseback displaying the 24 GMT timezones. And each piece will come with two Italian leather straps with interchangeable pins, ensuring comfort, the extension of the World GMT’s luxurious watch, as well as the reliability and supple nature of premium leather goods.
Through the same caseback you can view the automatic ETA 2893-2 calibre. This is a workhorse of a movement, more than adept at powering the World GMT, and with a power reserve of just under two-days, you can rest assured that there is plenty of longevity to your accurate timekeeping.The addition of the date complication is welcomed, elevating the World GMT’s functionality beyond being purely a travel-oriented watch.
The World GMT collection offers a plethora of aesthetic options and differences to cater for everyone’s individual tastes. There are so many interesting aspects to the World GMT that really appeals to me. From the dial to the unique display of the timezones on the caseback, the World GMT does well to charm on many different levels. Definitely one of the coolest GMTs I’ve come across in a long time.