Answering The Basics: What Is A Hamilton GMT?

Many watch brands, such as Hamilton, have a collection of watches with a GMT function. Ever wondered what that is? You’re not alone; many people have the same questions regarding this function. 

With so many of the best and most luxurious watch brands offering this option, you will want to know what it is. Without knowing what it is, how it works or how to use it, there’s no point in investing in such a Hamilton GMT Automatic Watch. That’s why this guide is here to tell you everything you need to know about the Hamilton GMT or GMT watches in general.

Understanding GMT

Most of you might know that GMT is short for Greenwich Mean Time. It is easy enough to guess that GMT on a watch might mean these, yet many people aren't aware of it. GMT is the ‘zero hours’ according to the Royal Observatory in London. Such a time was adapted to set train schedules and to avoid delays. As you move from GMT, time is determined by adding or reducing it according to where you are located. Today, though, different countries or continents have adapted different time zones that coincide with their geographical location on the planet. 

As of 1972, the UTC( Coordinated Universal Time), derived from atomic clocks, is used for better accuracy. 

The Origin Of GMT Watches

Long before the Hamilton GMT, Rolex was the first to create a watch with a GMT function on it. This has a little something or a lot to, to be honest, to do with the increased frequency of air travel. People were travelling across the world to different time zones, and there was a need to know the time back home, especially for pilots. Thus, Rolex created the first GMT watch after they were requested by Pan Am to create a watch that would help their pilots keep track of time at the location from which they depart. 

Consequently, Rolex created the iconic Pepsi, the original name Rolex GMT Master, that could tell two time zones. It came with an extra hand that was different from the other hands that could tell a different time zone. 

Modern GMT Watches

These modern wristwatches came with an extra bezel or a numbered bezel that goes around the dial and the crystal with 24-hour markers. The standard dial of wristwatches follows 12-hour clocks, and the hands make a full rotation twice a day. The additional hand for GMT time completes only one location throughout the day. 

Moreover, the original Rolex GMT Master made this additional bezel of a different colour for legibility. The colours they used happened to be blue and red, thus earning it the nickname ‘Pepsi’, which is what people today know it as. 

How To Set Your Hamilton GMT Automatic Watch?

Hamilton has an amazing collection of watches, including the Hamilton Khaki Aviation, Hamilton Broadway, Hamilton Jazzmaster, and more. You will find many GMT watches among the other timepieces in these collections. Here’s how to set the dual time zones.

Setting Time On GMT Watches

Some watches come with a separate crown to control the GMT hand; in other watches, this moves right along with the rest of the hands. The bezel is also often rotatable. If your watch comes with a rotating bezel, you can set the time using the following steps:

• Set the local time but pull out the crown and turn it. If your GMT hand moves along with it well, it seems good; if it doesn’t, your watch might have another crown or multiple levels on the same crown. 

• Once you’ve set the local time, you can simply move the bezel according to the hours you need to add or reduce from GMT according to the location you’re in. 

• Then you push the crown back into the default position to get the watch running again. The smaller and similarly coloured or shaped hands will tell you the local time, and the separate hand will indicate the GMT time you have set. 

For instance, if you’re in UAE and travelling to Sri Lanka, you will want to keep track of the time in both places. You cannot pull out your phone to check the time as you trek up the Sigiri mountain. So you will have to set the time on your GMT watch. According to GMT standards, UAE is GMT+4 and Sri Lanka is GMT+5:30. So assuming the local(UAE) time is 10 PM, you can set the time like this:

• You pull out the crown on one level and rotate it until the hour and minute hands are at 10 and 12, respectively. 

• Then, you pull out the crown to the second level and rotate the GMT hand until it is on 10 as well. If your watch retains the GMT and local hands anchored, you will not have to do this step. 

• The bezel has 24-hour markers, so you will rotate it so the marker between 5 and 6 aligns with the 12 on the dial. It will make the GMT hand point towards 3:30, the time in Sri Lanka!

Moving the bezel clockwise accordingly if you want to know the time in a location that subtracts from GMT. 

Automatic Watches

Automatic GMT watches like the Hamilton GMT may not have a movable bezel. In such a case, move the GMT indicator ahead or behind the local time indicator. 

Final Words

Thus we have reached the end of our lesson about GMT and watches. Hope you enjoyed a look into the history and learnt how to set dual time zones. Now that you know how this works, you should check out Bijoux Eclore. We have a fantastic collection of luxury watches; you might find your first or next GMT watch!