You probably know Core Timepieces for their Seven Sins model, a dive-style watch with switchblade hands that uses its date complication to display the seven deadly sins instead. It is a unique piece, if not everyone’s cup of tea. Today, I have their second model, the $599 Fury GMT, a dive-capable tool watch that turns Core’s distinctive aesthetic in a more conventional direction.
The review sample was a prototype, so bear that in mind if you notice any marks or flaws in the photos. Otherwise, all elements are the same as in the production watches.
Core’s website describes the Fury as inspired by “hot rods, tattoos, and the late-night tinkering in the garage of our youth.” At first glance, you might not peg this as an automotive watch as those are generally chronographs in either a vintage race-timer style or else decorated with identifiable race livery colors (blue/orange Gulf, anyone?), but the Core Fury GMT does not come from that school of motorsport. It’s more like the street-racing “Hemi-powered drones that scream down the boulevard” in Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run. It’s apparent in the flame job motif embossed on the dial and printed on the bezel, as well as the dial variant’s names: Green Machine (aqua), Two-Lane Blacktop (gray), and Orange Clockwork (orange). Maybe the last one is a stretch as it references a work that wasn’t about cars at all, but then again, that Durango 95 did “purr away a real horrorshow…”
2023 is the year of the affordable automatic GMT, so it should be no surprise that Core went with the new Seiko NH34a, the movement that brought mechanical four-handers to the masses. It hums beneath a screwed-down lid that paraphrases Alexander Pope’s Epistle II: To a Lady On the Characters of Women, entreating us to “die of nothing but a passion to live.” I think the original “rage to live” would have made more sense for a watch called the Fury, but “passion” is probably more familiar to the modern ear in this context.
Like the muscle cars of old Detroit, the Fury is an imposing hunk of metal. It measures 42mm wide, 50mm long, and a mighty 15.5mm thick from its case back to the top of its domed sapphire crystal. An angular tonneau case with a brushed finish and 22mm lug width makes the most of this size. It sounds like a brick, but those short lugs allowed it to fit my 6.75″ wrist just fine, although, I assure you, it was not hurting for presence.
I would also note that the watch, while large, is not at all heavy. Both the case and the bracelet are titanium, so despite their mass, the Fury is surprisingly lightweight.
You might be confused by the Green Machine name as the watch appears blue in its product shots. While its vibrant color changes depending on your light source, it is identifiably green although I’d be more inclined to describe it as aqua given the blue cast it can sometimes display. Like all in the Fury line, the Green Machine features an embossed flame design on the dial. The raised part of the flame is also textured, adding dimension to the design. It’s a bold element, so I’m glad Core placed their applied hex nut logo out of the way at 9 o’clock. From there, it also balances the framed date window at 3 o’clock. All the applied markers are polished, as is the handset, with the exception of the contrasting red second hand.
Core used Lumibrite to significant effect on the hands, markers, logo, bezel, and even the date wheel. It looks fantastic and glows strong. High marks for lume!
The bezel is bidirectional with 24-hour markers. Unlike some GMTs, it is a 120-click unit, so the action is tighter than many smooth-sliding friction bezels, and also more secure, displaying no looseness or back play. My one criticism is that it did not offer much tactile feedback as it clicked through its positions.
I like the bezel’s two-tone aluminum insert that ties to the dial color, and love that its markers are engraved and lume-filled. Those ribbed, cog-like teeth on its edge look terrific and offer excellent grip. On the other hand, I don’t think the bezel’s grey matte finish does it any favors. Had it matched the dark center links it would have made a stronger statement.
Core supplies the Fury with a strap as well as a bracelet, but the review sample arrived without it. It’s a Barton Elite silicone, so I can tell you from experience that it’s a perfectly fine strap, and besides, the bracelet is far more interesting. It comes equipped with a signed, locking, push-button clasp, and quick-release spring bars for easy, tool-free replacement. I think the charcoal-colored racing strip formed by the center links fits the Fury’s design theme rather well.
As noted above, the bracelet is made from titanium, so those thick rounded links are light on the wrist. Light weight also means that when you rattle it, the bracelet sounds light too. I know some folks will long for the more solid impression you get from stainless steel, but this is a feature, not a bug.
My only real issue with the bracelet is its shape. Its roundness is at odds with the case’s angularity, which is particularly jarring where the end links meet the lugs.
The Core Fury GMT has a lot going for it: titanium, great use of color and lume, and an excellent choice of movement. I took issue with some of the design choices, but as I said at the beginning, Core watches are not for everyone, and indeed, were never meant to be. If the Fury is for you, then head over to coretimepieces.com to place your order.
