How to correctly use a GMT?

[andrewjb88]

All,

Been wearing my new Tudor GMT for a few weeks now, touch wood all running perfectly!

I have been running the following set up:

GMT Hand is set to GMT time (currently 13:xx)
Hour hand is set to GMT + 1 because I'm in the UK and its currently BST (GMT+1)
Bezel is set so "12" is at the bottom where 6 is on the dial, Triangle is at top where 12 is.

In a few weeks when UK moves from BST I will set the hour hand to GMT+0 again. When I travel, mainly Europe I plan to just move the hour hand forwards or backwards to local time.

However on a thread on a car forum (thread is a watch forum) apparently I'm doing it all wrong and just need to move the bezel +1 hour, set the GMT time and then move the bezel forwards/backwards when I travel... all quite confusing. My first question to that was surely by moving it, it would move GMT as well?

So what is the "correct" way to use GMT watch?

Apologies this probably comes up a lot.

[watchwatcher]

I just keep mine set to local time and then when I travel, I adjust the hour hand to the new time zone.

[padi56]

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=55173

[TimeToWatch]

I have my 24-hour hand set to UTC time. Whenever I travel I’ll adjust the main hour hand to the local time zone and then rotate the bezel so that the 24 hour hand reflects the second time zone I’d like to monitor. By knowing the UTC offset of respective time zones, you can simply rotate the bezel to determine the time without ever adjusting the 24 hour hand.

[Dsmith1974]

You’re already doing it how I’d do it. Keep the gmt hand on gmt and quick set the hour hand when you travel or change TZ from BST/GMT.

I’d only use the bezel if I wanted to track a third time zone.

I guess there’s really no right or wrong. The features are there to use as you please.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[andrewjb88]

Pretty much how I'm using it then.

[minute_man]

Set your 24hr hand to GMT / utc

Set your hr hand to local / adjust for dst and traveling to another time zone.

With this setup, you can use the bezel to track a third time zone.

For example:
for Abu Dhabi (Zt = utc +4) turn the bezel 4 hours (8 clicks) counter clockwise. Read Abu Dhabi time with 24hr hand against the bezel and minute hand against minutes index.

For Mexico City (Zt = utc-5) turn the bezel 5 hrs or 10 clicks clockwise. Read time as above.

[Beckster]

As mentioned before how you use it is up to you. There are various ways you can set it up. Ultimately down to your preference. For me the gmt hand is always on my home time. Whenever I travel I’ll adjust the hour hand to the local time of wherever I’m at. This is because that’s the one I’ll be looking at most while I’ll still be able to quickly glance my home time by reading the gmt hand. Your watch, your choice

[Moving Chicane]

1. Wear it; don't hoard it.
2. Realize there are two independent clocks in it - a 12-hour and a 24-hour
3. Then play with bezel.... either offset based on UTC, based on time zone differences (what I do), or some other scheme.

Enjoy. :)

[stash21]

You are doing it correct. Gmt hand set to gmt.

[envuks]

Originally Posted by Dsmith1974

You’re already doing it how I’d do it. Keep the gmt hand on gmt and quick set the hour hand when you travel or change TZ from BST/GMT.

I’d only use the bezel if I wanted to track a third time zone.

I guess there’s really no right or wrong. The features are there to use as you please.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is the perfect answer

[Ravager135]

You're using it correctly if you ask me. I keep my GMT hand on my GMT-Master set to GMT time and the hour hand set to local time. I adjust the bezel if I want to read time in another time zone. If I want to read local 24 hour time (I set the bezel -4) to US EST.

My Explorer II, I keep the 24 hour hand (GMT hand) set to local time as that is how the watch was initially intended to be used.

[GreatScott]

Do it however you want, there is no wrong way.

For me personally, I keep the GMT hand to home time, hour hand to local time and only move the bezel to a 3rd time if needed, which is almost never.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[123Blueface]

Originally Posted by watchwatcher

I just keep mine set to local time and then when I travel, I adjust the hour hand to the new time zone.

Same here, with bezel as a third.

[HogwldFLTR]

First of all, fwiw, GMT's just have a moving bezel and the main hands with GMT hand always tied to the hour hand. In that case the bezel is either adjusted to GMT time or home time. Really it is only a tool and the owner's tool at that. They are free to use it however they choose.

On the Explorer II and GMTII watches the 24 hour had is independent of the primary hour hand. It is frequently adjusted to home time while the standard hour hand is et to local time. The need for the third time zone available on the GMMTIIs indicated by the rotating bezel eludes me but would be for a third time zone.

Again, it's the owner's choice as to how to use the watch. None else have a right to define the use for them.

[R!$]

it looks nice next to all the other Rolex although i never wear it anymore

[thlax]

With the minority of responses here...but GMT hand to = local/home time. Hour hand on local/home time and hour hand adjusted to timezone of destination when traveling (leaving GMT on home time).

I use my bezel like I would on Sub - to mark roughly a spot to time something or remember something at the time. I always keep my bezel with 12 at 6oclock so if it's adjusted I'll remember there was a reason why I changed it.

[thlax]

Originally Posted by HogwldFLTR

First of all, fwiw, GMT's just have a moving bezel and the main hands with GMT hand always tied to the hour hand. In that case the bezel is either adjusted to GMT time or home time. Really it is only a tool and the owner's tool at that. They are free to use it however they choose.

On the Explorer II and GMTII watches the 24 hour had is independent of the primary hour hand. It is frequently adjusted to home time while the standard hour hand is et to local time. The need for the third time zone available on the GMMTIIs indicated by the rotating bezel eludes me but would be for a third time zone.

Again, it's the owner's choice as to how to use the watch. None else have a right to define the use for them.

I agree third timezone has people sometimes. I used it in one of its possible ways by turning it +/- the number of hours I know a timezone is for someone away from me to be able to quickly check their time or day/night when i am home (e.g., being on east coast (USA), i'll turn it to the left 5 clicks when I am working with someone in London for a bit and just want a reference time based off my GMT hand set to follow local time).

Others may set GMT to GMT but home is home and I base off that

[nick800]

I do it a much more complicated way. I keep GMT hand set to overseas office, and hour hand to local.

When I travel, I change GMT to home and hour hand to local.

Total pain in the ass, but whatever. Helps me feel connected to where I am at the given time.

[jsausley]

It's actually described in the Rolex manual.

1) Set your bezel to 0 (12 at 6).

2) Set your GMT hand to the correct home time.

3) Set your quickset hour hand to the current time at your current locale.

4) Use the bezel for a third time zone.

If you travel from one time zone to another, you can easily change your quickset hour hand to the new timezone and your watch will not hack, so you will not lose any time and the GMT and minute hands will still be accurate.

If you travel to a second timezone and still want to track the time in a third time zone (let's say I'm from NYC, traveling to Las Vegas but I need to make conference calls to China) I can offset the 24 hour bezel so that the GMT hand will point to the time in China. Now all I need to get it back to home time is to take the bezel back to 0.

[easterbunny]

Originally Posted by GreatScott

Do it however you want, there is no wrong way.

For me personally, I keep the GMT hand to home time, hour hand to local time and only move the bezel to a 3rd time if needed, which is almost never.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

This is how I do it. Unless I lived in or cared about GMT, not sure why I would ever track it as a default.

[RTG]

I keep the GMT hand set to home time (mountain time USA). Hour hand I move back or forward depending on where I am visiting. Yesterday I was in Las Vegas (-1 hour), last trip was Frankfurt (+8 hours), next Poland (+8 hours). GMT hand is always on home time.

[challer]

This is how it was intended. Use the bezel to track home time.

Originally Posted by minute_man

Set your 24hr hand to GMT / utc

Set your hr hand to local / adjust for dst and traveling to another time zone.

With this setup, you can use the bezel to track a third time zone.

For example:
for Abu Dhabi (Zt = utc +4) turn the bezel 4 hours (8 clicks) counter clockwise. Read Abu Dhabi time with 24hr hand against the bezel and minute hand against minutes index.

For Mexico City (Zt = utc-5) turn the bezel 5 hrs or 10 clicks clockwise. Read time as above.

[JP(Canada)]

As the Tudor has a 'true GMT' movement with a jumping hour hand, I set the GMT hand to local 24 hour time, following the bezel lined up with the 12 marker. The regular hour hand is adjusted to where I am currently. If I'm home, both hands are synched to the same time.

The bezel can be set to track a time zone away from home. At a glance.

Hope that makes sense.

[JR16]

Originally Posted by JP(Canada)

As the Tudor has a 'true GMT' movement with a jumping hour hand, I set the GMT hand to local 24 hour time, following the bezel lined up with the 12 marker. The regular hour hand is adjusted to where I am currently. If I'm home, both hands are synched to the same time.

The bezel can be set to track a time zone away from home. At a glance.

Hope that makes sense.

Same for me. Just assumed this was the intended way.


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[Gotham777]

Originally Posted by TimeToWatch

I have my 24-hour hand set to UTC time. Whenever I travel I’ll adjust the main hour hand to the local time zone and then rotate the bezel so that the 24 hour hand reflects the second time zone I’d like to monitor. By knowing the UTC offset of respective time zones, you can simply rotate the bezel to determine the time without ever adjusting the 24 hour hand.

This! This is the easiest for the frequent traveler. The GMT master instruction book suggests setting the 24hr hand to home time.. I like mine set to UTC, after all it is a “GMT Master” and not a “Home Time Master” Of course the regular hour hand controls the date so you can change that if you are there long enough if you want.