Today’s review is by Guest Bum Zach Gulsby, an Account Manager by day, and a lifelong wristwatch enthusiast. His Instagram handle is @zgulsby.
Am I a world traveler? Not really. Do I need to know what time it is in Murmansk? Probably not. So…do I need a GMT watch? No, but like many watch enthusiasts, I really want one. It’s one of those complications that screams cool, and makes you feel like an adventurer, even if you haven’t left your house in a while. And while the Explorer II is still on my ever-growing “list,” I wanted to scratch the GMT itch with a solid design at an entry-level price.
Enter the Geckota G-02 GMT. When Geckota started teasing this design on Instagram late last year, I was immediately hooked. It had crisp lines and a unique design that wasn’t overly homage-y. But before I dive into the watch itself, let’s take a step back and talk about Geckota as a brand.
Geckota is a sister company of WatchGecko, a small British company that is well known as an accessory and strap retailer. Where WatchGecko focuses on accessories, the Geckota brand primarily designs and sells watches. Enthusiasts are somewhat polarized about Geckota – some folks get hung up on the brand name and logo choice, which for some reason is nothing new for British brands. That said, their recent designs are hitting it out of the park. Aside from the G-02 GMT, take a look at the W-02 racing chronograph, R-01 dress watch, and W-01 jump hour automatic. In my opinion, these newer designs are spot on. All design work is done in house by Ben Adams, who I had the chance to speak with recently – I’ve included some of his comments throughout the review. All in all, I think the brand is trending in a positive direction.
When it comes to the G-02 GMT, here are the high-level specs (courtesy of the Geckota website):
· Case: 40mm diameter, 13.5mm thickness, and made of 316L stainless steel.
· Lugs: 20mm, 47mm lug to lug length. Not drilled.
· Crown: Signed, screw down, providing 200m of water resistance.
· Movement: Ronda 515.24H Quartz
The G-02 GMT comes in a few color variations, which are determined in part by feedback the Geckota team receives when floating designs on social media. The version reviewed here has a textured brown dial, BGW9 lume, and a fully lumed, grey 24-hour insert. Each model is available on either a strap or bracelet. Let’s dig into specifics, starting with the dial.
I am a big fan of textured dials, which have been popular in various forms for decades, but seem to be seeing a resurgence in 2020. In this case, the dial has a finely pebbled, almost eggshell texture that is not glossy but not quite matte. The dial branding is minimal, with “Geckota” above and “GMT” below, both in a minimalist, sans serif typeface. I cannot say enough about how pleased I am with this new font, which departs from the previous cursive style. It lends a bit more of a rough and tumble, outdoorsy feel to the watch.
The indices are a mix of Arabic numerals at 3, 6, and 9, with triangles at all other hours. It is reminiscent of an Explorer, but not overly so. When I asked Ben about the dial, he indicated that one of his favorite designs is the Rolex 5500 – a smaller version of the 1016 that sports the classic 3-6-9 motif. The minutes track has white hashes at every half minute, and red circles at the fives. It is difficult to see due to the domed sapphire, and this is one of my minor criticisms of the watch. When I asked Ben about it, he said that he wanted the minutes track to be “a slight hidden detail” and that it was evocative of “a bit of vintage quirkiness.” All indices have a heavily applied lume plot, backed by stainless markers that are brushed in the center with polished edges, a finishing technique echoed on the handset.
Both the lollipop hour hand and lozenge minutes hand are polished on the edges with a brushed line in the center. The seconds hand is fully polished. The GMT hand is lacquered white, setting it apart from the stainless hands. I love this handset and the finishing because it really ups the perceived value of the watch as a whole.
The 40mm case is also a fun departure from the norm, channeling a Nautilus or SNKK vibe. It is fully brushed, unlike the standard G-02 case, which has both brushed and polished elements. Ben said the fully brushed case was chosen to enhance the vintage feel and to bring more attention to the dial and bezel of the watch. Curved lugs help the watch to fit well on my 6.75” wrist. The crown is easy to grip and manipulate, making adjusting the time easy. The ball bearing, bidirectional bezel is a little harder to operate due to the shallower knurling, but once it is in place, it isn’t going anywhere. Mine has a small amount of play, but not a bothersome amount. The insert is well designed, with each indication milled out and filled with lume.
I ordered my version of the G-02 GMT on a President-style bracelet. The end links are hollow, and the bracelet uses split pins, which are tedious to handle but (I assume) help keep costs down. The clasp is simple and signed. While I generally always prefer a watch on its bracelet, that isn’t the case here. One and two-piece straps suit the outdoorsy feel well, and the bracelet makes the whole offering a bit too monotone. In any case, I intend to repurpose the bracelet onto another mid-size watch. For example, this bracelet will fit the Seiko Alpinist.
Priced at just $250, the G-02 GMT hits a pricing sweet spot for me and I suspect many others. Geckota has indicated that an automatic GMT is planned for release in the future, and it will not be a simple movement swap with the G-02 design. Since their recent releases have hit the nail on the head, I’m confident their automatic GMT will also be a stunner!
For more information or to purchase a Gekota of your own, visit geckota.com. ⬩
