AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

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Amor Vincit Omnia
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AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

I had rather expected 2021 to be a year when I reduced, rather than increased, the collection by selling off a few of the less worn watches. Surprise surprise – none have left and four have come in! :lol:

Just as a reminder, here is the collection from my August 2020 SOTC. Still intact, so these photos will do.
The moderns


Image


The vintages


Image


Though all superficially rather different, the four acquisitions this year do have something in common. That is, the ability to show different time zones, albeit in four rather different ways.

Having spent a thoroughly miserable winter in lockdown, missing out on three holidays abroad during 2020, I began to be hopeful about travelling again during the spring, when vaccinations began to be offered.

I had previously owned a lovely C60 GMT, which served me well as a travelling watch for a couple of years before the pandemic, but which I finally had to admit was a bit too big and heavy. I started threads on two forums seeking ideas for a classy, left-field GMT type watch and sure enough, along came the wonderful Ulysse Nardin San Marco GMT+/-.


Image


July finally brought retirement (in an official form at least) and a decision to take up golf after a lapse of some 30 years. A quick trip into Argos saw me emerge with this solar G-Shock which, among its other capabilities, covers all known time zones. I don’t really see it coming on any trips in the near future, though if I decide to do the Camino de Santiago again it would be an obvious choice.


Image


A relaxed holiday on a Greek beach was booked for September (first ever trip outside school holidays) and I experienced further doubts about the ability of the MeisterSinger to function as a solo traveller (its original designated function!). So a couple of weeks before departure the C63 Sealander GMT was added.

GODO? It went. It did!


Image

Finally, following a suggestion made to me out of the blue, the Glycine Airman Double-Twelve appeared in October. Another lovely all-purpose watch that is going to get some travelling time in the near future, without doubt.


Image

All four deal with different time zones in different ways. The G-Shock does it by ingenious electronics, the UN does it with a rather classy “true” GMT movement using pushers and a display window. The C63 uses an updated version of the classic GMT movement used on most CWs with this complication. And the Glycine does it in the simplest way imaginable, with a locking rotatable 12 hour bezel.

My original intention to crack on with my travel writing didn’t really happen; that is something for the future and I’m sure that at least the three mechanical watches will play a part in future adventures. I have made much of only taking one watch on trips, and that was the perfect solution for my recent holiday in Greece. Christmas and New Year in Cyprus may well see me going double-wristed with the UN and the Glycine. I’m having thoughts about a trip down the Nile next spring, and as yet have no idea which watch I shall take!
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by Richard D »

Your taste in watches has certainly changed.
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by StrapMeister »

Just fantastic Steve - a lovely collection :thumbup:
If I had to pick a favourite it would be the Ulysse Nardin San Marco GMT+/- :fondof:
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by Viognier »

Steve - that's fantastic that you've had a buying spree and GMT focused one at that!

They are all very different in appearance and candidly if it's in your buying price range, it really doesn't matter if they are a GMT or not to be honest (in my way of thinking). They are simply watches you like.

Well done! Now please start your travel writing so I can leverage for future trips!!!!
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by jkbarnes »

Wonderful additions! Man, that Sealander! It’s a beauty.
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by Jkpa »

Lovely collection overall and I’m also a huge fan of that UN!!
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Glad to see things are looking up for you Steve.

What you ought to do is get a quad watch winder, set your four GMTs to different time zones, say,

European, Cyprus perhaps
Far East or Australasia
West coast USA
East coast USA

. . .and put them on display.

You will then be set to carry out your International Forum Admin Team duties at any moment.

Guy

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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by strapline »

Really like the UN, Steve, but also the Glycine - the blue degradé dial is really lovely. Funnily enough a GMT is not a complication I ever find myself being drawn to, though they are undoubtedly very popular. I'm generally able to juggle different time zones in my head; a divers bezel seem much more useful to me for timing cooking, walks round the park, how much time remains on my parking ticket...oh, and diving of course.

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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 1:25 am You will then be set to carry out your International Forum Admin Team duties at any moment.
Alexa, what time is it in Brisbane? :D
strapline wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:43 am I'm generally able to juggle different time zones in my head; a divers bezel seem much more useful to me for timing cooking, walks round the park, how much time remains on my parking ticket...oh, and diving of course.
That’s chronograph and kitchen timer work. Except the diving, which I don’t do. The Sealander did enjoy the top metre of the Ionian Sea, though. :D
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Mulling over this thread, and the recent one where I introduced the Glycine, it has been mentioned that my taste in watches has “changed”. I’m not sure that’s the right word, in fact – I prefer to say that it has developed or broadened. It’s certainly fair and true to say that I wear watches today that I would not have considered a few years ago – fair comment.

I got a bit of a reputation for being into small, gold, old-fashioned dress watches. Thoroughly deserved at the time. and a few of my little old dress watches look very similar to one another; a sign of the times in which they were produced.

However, over recent years I have made a deliberate effort to expand the collection in different ways, avoiding too much repetition and trying to create a balance of style, brands, size, colour and function. I can think of a few superb collections on here that are more eclectic than my own (and in a couple of cases considerably larger!) but I don’t think there are too many that have much more variety.

What you see now is the result of a process that has been ongoing (with pauses) for several years and not an overnight transformation. The Glycine is perhaps the least predictable acquisition of recent times, but taking the trend as a whole it isn’t THAT far out.

I haven’t bought a vintage watch (or a gold one) for a long time! And I don’t wear them very often either! :lol:
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by timor54 »

Steve, your collection seems to be growing in unexpected directions. It's good to see you apparently stepping outside your traditional comfort zone, which is a very good thing.

Being very pedantic I'd take issue with your thread title; GMT watches have a specific function to display two timezone simultaneously with a GMT hand/indicator showing a second 24hr time zone. The G-Shock is probably best described as a world timer as you have to switch between time zones and your Glycine is a dual time as it can display two time zones on a 12hr basis. But you know this :roll:

Having said that, they're both fine watches and I'll grant you a bit of poetic licence in introducing such an enjoyable read.

Now I'd like to see you continue your horological voyage of discovery; get that Glycine on a Nato now!
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by iain »

You want to be careful with acquisitions of this type Steve. The admin team will be starting to debate removing the “AVOs playground” tag from the vintage watch section at this rate.

I suppose the day you buy a Bremont is the day we’ll really know there’s no going back.....
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by gaf1958 »

Can I make a suggestion for #5 Steve? Perhaps a rarer breed - combine the GMT complication with another popular one, the chronograph…

Hopefully, this will be taken lightheartedly and not send you scrambling down the rabbit hole. Again.

BTW, with the exception of the G-Shock, all lovely, desirable watches. I view the G-Shock as not really a watch; rather it’s more of a very tough, yet (now) somewhat primitive computer worn on the wrist. A seventies’ ancestor of the current crop of smartwatches, that has survived against all comers. Or a real-life pip-boy…
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by MiniMpi »

Nice to see your updated SOTC Steve.

The Glycine and the Sealander are the highlights for me :clap:
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Re: AVO October 2021. The Year of the Four GMTs

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

gaf1958 wrote: Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:20 pm Can I make a suggestion for #5 Steve? Perhaps a rarer breed - combine the GMT complication with another popular one, the chronograph…

Hopefully, this will be taken lightheartedly and not send you scrambling down the rabbit hole. Again.
Unlikely Gary, though it would be a combination of my two favourite useful complications.
BTW, with the exception of the G-Shock, all lovely, desirable watches. I view the G-Shock as not really a watch; rather it’s more of a very tough, yet (now) somewhat primitive computer worn on the wrist. A seventies’ ancestor of the current crop of smartwatches, that has survived against all comers. Or a real-life pip-boy…
I’ve led a sheltered life, clearly. I had to google to find out what a pip-boy was. :lol: The G-Shock was only bought as a banker against taking decent watches to the gym or the golf course. I have resisted smart watches.
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