When it came to sitting down and deciding which, out of the rather spectacular bunch of GMT watches there are on the market, I’d choose to take on holiday with me, I set myself some specific guidelines.
For starters, if you’re going to be taking a GMT watch on holiday, placing it into a plastic tray at airport security and wearing it on foreign soil, I think it’s safe to say you probably wouldn’t want to be carrying around something that equates to several months of income.
Farer Lander Sea Coast. Credit: Farer.
Don’t get me wrong, a Rolex GMT Master II would be a fabulous watch to take with you on international adventures, but when it sells for over £12k second-hand, it’s not one I’d want to risk flashing around on holiday. This is one of the many reasons many are turning away from Rolex at the moment… but that’s an entirely different article.
Another few prerequisites for a GMT watch, for me, would include durability, water resistance and comfort. It’s likely your holiday is going to include some varying rates of temperature, possibly some interaction with water, and ideally plenty of sightseeing, exploration, and rest. For me personally, comfort is key; it doesn’t have to necessarily feel invisible, but I don’t want to feel like I’m trailing around a large, bulky timepiece for the entire holiday.
Finally, I’d want my holiday GMT watch to look the part. It needs to be dressy enough that it’ll suit those nice sunset dinners, but again not too delicate that you become fearful of damaging it during the daytime. If we’re thinking of a warm, tropical holiday, I’d also like something with an aesthetic to match the summer vibe. As someone who loves a colourful watch dial, a summer holiday is the perfect excuse to go bold. So, with that in mind, I landed on the Farer Lander Sea Coast 36mm watch.
Farer Lander Sea Coast. Credit: Farer.
This bright turquoise, 36mm GMT watch ticks all the boxes I set out. It’s nicely compact, sitting low and reserved on the wrist at 36mm wide, 11mm tall and with a lug-to-lug width of 41.2mm. It’s not invisible, that’s obvious, but it’s a comfortable size especially for those that have smaller to mid-size wrists. Its slender height includes the box-shaped sapphire crystal glass that sits on top, treated with anti-reflective coating.
The case is stainless steel with a mix of brushed and polished finishing with a detailed crown placed at 3 o’clock, inset with a bronze cap embossed with the Farer logo. Its case back is transparent for a nice view of the mechanical movement inside and it maintains a 100 metre water resistance. It’s a perfect rating for those that enjoy shallow swimming in the sea or the pool.
Farer Lander Sea Coast. Credit: Farer.
Its most notable feature is, rather obviously, the dial. As I mentioned, a summer vacation is a great excuse to go bold with dial colours and the Farer Lander Sea Coast 36mm watch delivers a tropical spearmint sunburst display to suit. The attention to detail on the dial is impressive for a watch of this price. It has a recessed centre for hosting two Superluminova-coated syringe-shaped hands for the hours and minutes, a blue seconds hand with the Farer ‘A’ at the tip and a bright reddish-pink GMT hand with its own luminous arrow.
On the raised outer section of the dial, the Farer Lander Sea Coast 36mm watch presents large lumed white Arabic numerals, a 24-hour scale to use with the red GMT hand and a white 60 minute scale at the farthest edge. A date window is also included at 3 o’clock which blends in nicely with the rest of the dial and its colour matched backdrop. Fuelling these functions is the tried-and-tested Sellita SW330-2 automatic movement. It beats at 28,800vph, contains 25 jewels and runs for 56 hours off the wrist before requiring winding.
Farer Lander Sea Coast. Credit: Farer.
The Farer GMT comes on an array of rubber, leather, or metal straps so you can easily mix and match the band depending on your go-to holiday style. My personal favourite is the Milanese bracelet. At just £1,265, the Farer Lander Sea Coast 36mm watch really does tick every box for a solid, reliable, comfortable, and attractive GMT.
Farer Lander Sea Coast. Credit: Farer.
Before I leave you, I did want to mention some other worthy contenders that were extremely close to making the top spot. I recently reviewed the Baltic Aquascaphe GMT and this is another well-sized and affordable GMT watch that looks great and plays the part for €920. The Longines Spirit Zulu Time is another worthy contender. It’s a little more expensive but combines the GMT complication with classic aviation aesthetics. It also arrives with a chronometer-certified movement and ceramic bezel insert for £2,950.
The Longines Spirit Zulu Time. Credit: Longines.
But what do you all think… Which GMT watch do you take on holiday with you? Let us know in the comments below!
