On a typical GMT watch, the extra hand makes one revolution every 24 hours. Read it against the watch’s 24-hour markings to see a second time zone and tell whether it is morning or evening there. The regular hour and minute hands may show your local time, but hand-setting behavior varies by movement—check your watch’s manual before changing the time.
Find the GMT hand and its 24-hour scale
Look for the additional hand, often a distinct color or shape, and the scale marked from 1 to 24. That scale may be printed on the dial, around the inner edge of the case (the rehaut), or on a bezel. Unlike a standard 12-hour display, a 24-hour reading distinguishes AM from PM in the zone shown.
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On many watches, the standard hour and minute hands show local time while the GMT hand shows a reference zone. That arrangement is common, not universal: the way the hands move when you set the watch depends on its movement.
Choose which time zone the GMT hand should show
Pick a reference zone that will be useful to keep visible—for example, home time while traveling, UTC, or the time where someone you regularly contact lives. The 24-hour hand’s reading is meaningful only in relation to the zone you assign it. “GMT” remains familiar watch terminology; UTC is the modern civil and aviation time standard, as explained by Timex.
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Set the watch using its own instructions
Do not assume that a crown position or setting sequence from one GMT watch applies to another. Manufacturers use different arrangements, including crown positions, bezels, and case pushers to select or adjust time zones, and many GMT functions move in hourly jumps. Follow the manual for your exact model, especially for the date.
Examples of model-specific setting methods
In Tudor’s tutorial for the GMT model it describes, pulling the crown fully out and turning it sets the reference time using the 24-hour hand and minute hand. Moving the crown one notch out adjusts the regular hour hand in one-hour increments for local time. These steps apply to that described model, not every GMT watch.
Citizen’s instructions for the 9054 movement use a different sequence. They also warn that turning the crown in the reverse direction during that movement’s date-setting procedure can result in an incorrect date. Consult the relevant manual rather than adapting another model’s steps.
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Read the second time zone
Once the watch is set, read the GMT hand at the 24-hour scale and identify which time zone it represents. On the GMT-Master II covered by Rolex’s user guide, the center minute hand supplies the minutes for the 24-hour reading. Rolex describes the bezel method this way: “An alternative time zone can be displayed by using the rotatable bezel and the 24-hour hand (which usually displays the reference time).”
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Use a rotating bezel to read a third zone, if supported
A fixed 24-hour scale lets you read the GMT hand’s assigned reference zone. A rotatable 24-hour bezel can shift the scale relative to that hand, allowing certain watches to display a third zone while retaining local time and the reference-zone reading.
For the GMT-Master II procedure documented by Rolex, first place the bezel’s triangle opposite 12 o’clock. To display a target zone ahead of the reference zone, turn the bezel counterclockwise by the hour difference; for a zone behind, turn it clockwise. Read the GMT hand against the bezel, with the center minute hand showing minutes. To return to the reference-zone display, put the triangle back at 12 o’clock. Tudor also describes using a rotatable bezel to show a third zone on the model in its tutorial; bezel operation is model-specific.
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Account for offsets and daylight-saving changes
Not every civil time-zone difference is a whole number of hours, and daylight-saving rules can change a location’s offset. Do not assume your watch can set the GMT hand in half-hour or quarter-hour increments: that capability depends on the movement and is not established for GMT watches generally. Check your manual for available adjustments and date behavior when the reference zone’s offset changes.
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- BLACK DIAL: this handsome men’s watch features a striking black dial with luminous dial indicator hands and markers and date calendar to keep you organized
- BLACK & GRAY BEZEL: with a 24-hour bezel and easy-to-read fourth hand, this GMT watch helps you keep time as you travel
- DURABLE UTILITY: these versatile men’s wrist watches feature a 42.5mm stainless steel watch case and bracelet, for a classic, timeless look.
- WATER-RESISTANT: this rugged sports watch is water-resistant up to 100 meters
- 4R34 CALIBER: equipped with the reliable 4R34 caliber, these automatic watches for men ensure the most accurate in self winding timekeeping, with 41 hours of reserve power and manual winding option
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