Trends always come and go among the best watches on the market, but one thing which has proved incredibly popular of late is the GMT function. Perhaps that's because it's one of the few mechanical watch functions which is still about as useful as any equivalent on your phone.
Or, maybe it's because a host of more affordable GMT movements have been unveiled of late, making it easier than ever to get in on the act. That's exactly the case with this, the Marloe Day GMT.
Among the highlights of its spec sheet is a Miyota 9075 movement. That's an affordable travellers GMT, making this one of the most affordable watches with that complication on the market. Let's dive in to see if it's any good.
Of course, that movement is the star of the show here. And let's get one thing straight early on – this is a travellers GMT. You may hear it called a "true" GMT elsewhere among the watch collecting community. That's silly, though – the suggestion being that other kinds of GMT are somehow false? We won't be indulging that sort of nonsense here.
Anyway, rant over, let's crack on. The beauty of the travellers GMT is that the hour hand is free to jump in hourly increments at the first position. That means you can land in a new time zone and change the hour hand, leaving your GMT hand firmly rooted in place.
That's something which is traditionally only found on watches costing much more than this. Popular models like the Norqain Neverest Glacier GMT and the Tudor Black Bay GMT use this, but cost a few thousand pounds each.
That's encased in a 42mm stainless steel housing. The light blue dial is gorgeously textured, with simple applied indices around the outer edge. Hour and minute hands are stylish and nicely polished, while the red GMT hand appears to float thanks to a colour matched stem.
There's 50m of water resistance to be had here. It's no dive watch, then, though it should be resistant enough to withstand the rigors of daily life.
What's the Marloe Day GMT like to wear?
Having spent a week with this on my wrist, I feel well placed to tell you about how it wears. And, the short answer is: really nicely. My review model came on the Nytech strap, which puts a nylon top on a leather back. It's effortlessly comfortable to wear, though I might opt for one of the full leather options if given the choice.
The 42mm case is right on the limit for me, though it did wear well. Head on, you'd say it probably wears a smidge smaller than the measurement would suggest. It's something of a gentle giant, with a very broad feeling dial that doesn't feel too chunky on the wrist.
Even that box crystal isn't too much of an issue. Sure, you probably wouldn't be getting away with it on dressy occasions, but this isn't really the watch for that anyway.
In practice, that GMT movement is fantastic, too. I can't tell you exactly how it ran, but it was close enough to time that I never felt the need to time it. Make of that what you will.
The travellers GMT style hasn't always been my top choice, but I can certainly see the appeal. This one is perfectly decent feeling, too. You might question whether or not a more affordable movement can keep pace with more expensive models, and this one certainly can.
Is the Marloe Day GMT worth the money?
This is a much tougher question to answer. At £749, the Marloe Day GMT enters one of the toughest, most competitive market segments there is.
You're in the world of popular classic brands like Seiko and Tissot, as well as more well-regarded microbrands and start ups like Christopher Ward. That's a really congested market segment with a lot of truly brilliant options.
And look, to get a travellers GMT at this price, there are obviously going to be some concessions. The overall feel of the watch in hand isn't quite as premium as others in this price range, for example. It's not bad just not quite as good as some others. In fact, it's more of a pat on the back for the wider market than a demerit here.
Ultimately, then, it comes down to what you like. And if you like the design of this, it's a worthwhile pick up. It's a nifty watch, and it's likely to remain one of the cheapest, coolest ways to get a travellers GMT on your wrist.
