Teddy Baldassarre
Here Are the 28 Best GMT Watches You Can Buy in 2026
Among all the functions offered by today's timepieces (we in the watch trade call them complications, because even the ones that look relatively simple, like a date in a window, involve a lot of complex micro-mechanics), the GMT or second time zone is one of the most practical and useful - especially as many of us are back in the habit, post-COVID, of spending time again in time zones other than our own - for business, pleasure, or some combo of both. Here we've gathered 28 of the best GMT watches on the market now for your perusal and your consideration if you're in the market for a ticking companion for your next trip. To narrow the list and keep it manageable, we are keeping it as much as possible to "pure" GMT watches, i.e., those with a GMT hand pointing at a scale rather than some other unconventional display, which unfortunately excludes models like the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Time Zone, Parmigiani Tonda Hemispheres, Arnold & Son Globetrotter, and any number of very creative high-end takes on a dual-timer. We've also left out world-time watches, GMT watches' more complex cousins that display all the world's time zones simultaneously (you can check out our list of world timers here) and multiple-complication watches in which the GMT function is paired with a chronograph, perpetual calendar, or other high complications (small complications like dates are OK). Finally, we included only watches with mechanical movements, which are more likely to appeal to a wo...
