Towards the end of 2021, Miyota introduced us to the developmental GMT movement they had been working on - a brand new, Japanese made ‘true GMT’ calibre that would sit alongside the fantastic 9039, a movement we’ve used in many of our most popular watches.

Once the palpable excitement had subsided we went straight to the drawing board; we would develop a GMT watch using this Miyota 9075 automatic movement and, thereby, become one of the first in the world to do so. The pressure was on.

The design, however, was quick and assured - calling on our experience over the past 8 years we knew exactly what we wanted to achieve with this watch. It’s comprehensively furnished with the very best components, materials, finishes, proportions and mechanics. We’ve spent a long time developing the GMT case to sit beautifully on the wrist and almost disappear, letting the box-profile Sapphire crystal do its work, creating a remarkably open and bright dial through which to view the aero hands, date complication, applied indices, dial textures, multiple layers of construction and of course, the GMT hand.

The GMT marks a sea change in our attitudes to watch design and execution. From the moment you attach it to your wrist to the lifetime of service it will provide, we think you’ll agree it’s time well spent.

There’s More Than One?

A lot has been written about GMT watches and why they’re so desirable to own. It used to be the case that GMT watches were the pinnacle of watchland with only the most expensive models offering this revered GMT complication.

That fact remained true until very recently, for most Japanese movement manufacturers failed to offer such a beast - it was the job of the Swiss to offer GMT movements to the market. Of course, with Swiss manufacture come Swiss prices, and thus the GMT movement remained absent from our line-up. That would all change when first Seiko and then Miyota announced they were developing new GMT movements.

We’ve had close ties with Miyota for a long time and so it made sense to choose their calibre for our watch, but more than that, the Miyota GMT movement is what’s referred to as a ‘true’ GMT. What this means is that the main hour hand can jump in hour increments, forward or back, to change the ‘local’ time to whatever you fancy. The 24-hour GMT hand remains in place, slowly revolving around the dial showing your ‘home’ time.

The alternative GMT movement features a jumping 24-hour hand, with the main hour hand remaining in place; it’s easier to jump the hand that isn’t as obvious for referencing other time zones. This is termed an ‘office’ GMT.

We like the authenticity and connection to the history of the true GMT watch, and Miyota’s premium automatic range features incredibly reliable movements, so the decision was an easy one.

Now, being Marloe, we weren’t satisfied with just keeping two time zones, so we engineered the ability to keep tabs on a third! That’s where the bi-directional bezel comes into play. By offering this third time-zone reference you’re able to move the bezel quickly to an appropriate position to see what time it is in another part of the world. Easy as that. Instructions on how to set the bezel, and the correct way of setting up your watch for daily use, come later in the manual.

Balanced Design

The design process of the GMT was relatively quick, mainly because we knew exactly what we wanted to create: a case design that built upon our learnings to deliver an eye-catching, comfortable, discreet and compact watch; a box-profile Sapphire crystal to bring as much light into the dial as possible; bold colours and uncomplicated dial design; textures and finishes that exude quality and craftsmanship; and an overall balanced and considered design.

We believe we’ve achieved it, for the GMT sings on the wrist. The case size is bold yet wears neatly, thanks to the short lug-to-lug dimension and the bezel shrinking the dial diameter. Light plays on the chamfered edge of the bezel with brushed textures diffusing the light just so, to make the case sparkle. The box Sapphire floods the dial with light, emphasising the sandpaper textured dial, as well as the various levels, angles and complexities within. Applied indices - polished, chamfered and filled with luminous compound - catch the revolving light and stand proud above the dial surface. Depth, dynamics and a feeling of completeness follow.

It’s a proud moment seeing the GMT design come to life, through many months of iterative improvements. What you see today is the culmination of 8 years’ experience, and is a testament to dedication, perseverance and maturity in design.

The GMT will be available in April 2023.