Affordable Alternatives to Rolex GMT Master

I’ve been asked more times than the numbers printed on my watch whether I think the Rolex GMT Master is worth it. Yes, it’s a holy grail watch for many and offers high levels of design details and functionality difficult to find elsewhere But, not everyone can – or wants to – drop that kind of money on a watch (myself included). So, if I was to seek out a watch similar in style to the Rolex GMT Master, but one a whole lot gentler on your bank account, here are the affordable alternatives I’d suggest…

This is an obvious one, but it would be wrong not to include it. Sister company to Rolex, Tudor has basically a carbon copy in looks to the Rolex GMT Master known as the Tudor Black Bay GMT – and this one is just a fraction of the price of its sibling. You can find designs with the same “Pepsi” dual-toned red and blue 24-hour bezel as well as sleek black, navy and white dials set with the famous Snowflake hands. You also still have a manufacture chronometer-certified automatic movement with an impressive 70 hour power reserve. Price: Starts from £3,500

A GMT watch I don’t think gets the attention it deserves is the Davosa Ternos Professional GMT TT. For just over £1,000, you’re getting an extremely handsome GMT Master-esque design inclusive of a high-tech ceramic bezel inlay, a 200 metre water resistant surgical steel case, sapphire crystal glass and a Swiss made automatic movement. And without getting Davosa into too much trouble, that hour hand looks a little all too familiar… Price: £1,150

If it’s a Swiss made GMT watch you’re after, then I also recommend the Tissot Seastar 1000 GMT. You can find even more affordable variants of this model with quartz movements, but if it was me, I’d save up a little more and go for one powered by the Powermatic 80 automatic movement. With an 80-hour power reserve, it trumps even the Rolex GMT Master. It also comes with a handsome two-toned 24-hour bezel, a beautiful vertically textured dial and as its name suggests, a 300 metres water resistance (1,000ft). Price: £750

If it was me and I wanted a GMT watch that looks like the Rolex GMT Master, then I’d go for the Seiko 5 Sports SKX GMT. This is once again another impressively affordable alternative with tech to boot. We’ve got GMT complication, a 24-hour bezel, luminous hands and markers, a full stainless steel case and bracelet and a 100 metre water resistance. Inside, is Seiko’s in-house Calibre 4R34 automatic winding movement. Sure, it’s not Seiko’s best movement, but it’s still reliable, robust and offers a reasonable 40 hour power reserve. Price: £420

Our final affordable alternative to the Rolex GMT Master, and our cheapest at that, is the Timex Q GMT. This is a watch for those of you that aren’t fussed about Swiss craftsmanship nor are you fussed about the type of movement housed inside. It’s a quartz-powered timepiece placing a retro twist (intentional or not) on the GMT Master design. It has a lovely barrel-shaped case, a fine-link metal bracelet and a thin dual-toned GMT bezel in the familiar shades of red and blue. The dial also matches the 1970’s-inspired case with rounded hour markers and beige colouring. Price: £200