One thing that you get into the habit of as a watch reviewer is playing “what if” with each new release. What if they had used this handset? What if the date was at 6 instead of 3? And on and on. So when a brand goes ahead and plays the same game with production watches, it’s interesting to see the end result.
GDG Watch took the MT-369 by Mathey Tissot and mixed and matched current design elements in a vintage form factor to give a new perspective, especially for people who might not be satisfied with what’s on the current market. I originally reviewed the Mathey Tissot MT369 collaboration with the Asia Mechanical Watches Group in 2021. The resulting watch was a solid alternative to more modern sports watches in a very wearable 34.5mm. The new GDG x Mathey-Tissot MT-369 reflects the changes that GDG has made to bring the watch forward to 2023.
The first big change is the addition of three new colors. The black dial, now named Night, is joined by a white (Retro), Sky (blue), and Yellow colorway. The Sky and Yellow colorways are exclusive to GDG. The colored dials also make the move to applied indices instead of painted ones, which add a nice touch of sparkle. The painted indices on the Retro and Night watches keep the vintage vibes strong. The lume is very solid on all four watches, with white applied on the indices and hands of the Sky and Yellow models and old radium Super-LumiNova featured on the Retro and Night watches.
The dials of the colored editions are even and bright. The Yellow has just a hint of red to it that makes it perfect for fall days. Given the very short days in New England in the fall and winter, I’m starting to see the attraction of wearing a pop of color on your wrist. The Sky is a vibrant turquoise blue that will definitely look amazing in a few months when winter has turned the world around me white.
The next big change is that the bracelet now takes cues from the modern Rolex bracelet design rather than vintage. The center links are polished, the expansion links are pinned, and the folding diver’s clasp has the oyster motif pressed in with the Mathey Tissot logo engraved on the safety catch. I think the polished center links work extremely well with the Sky and Yellow dials. It adds to the more jewelry-esque tone that modern Rolex has taken on in the last few design iterations. I do wish that the clasp was a hidden butterfly instead of the pressed metal. At this point, milled clasps are the standard expectation for a microbrand watch, and the pressed metal clasp just cheapens the whole thing.
However, on the Night and Retro watches, I think that the pressed metal clasp adds to the vintage effect, although the polished center link is incongruous with the otherwise matte dial. I think GDG could have leaned into the vintage a bit more and gone with a fully brushed bracelet. You can play “what if” with design elements from different eras, but the end result should still be a cohesive watch.
The final change is that the watch itself has grown a bit compared to the original MT-369. The case is now 36mm, and the bracelet tapers from 20mm at the lugs to 18mm at the clasp. The 20mm lug width means that should you get the urge to swap straps, the options are pretty much endless. But wearing the Yellow model around, I didn’t really find myself looking for other options. Sizing the bracelet was much easier than with the first MT-369 since the double screws have been replaced by pins. It’s a slight downgrade in security, but a massive upgrade in useability.
The movement is a Landeron 24. The Landeron name was bought by the Depa Swiss Movements Company, and their factory is not far from La Landeron, Switzerland. It kept perfectly adequate time while the watches were in my possession. It is a true time-only movement, with no ghost date position in the crown, which hacks and operates as seamlessly as you’d expect an ETA 2824 clone would.
At $549, the new MT-369 models are $150 more expensive than their predecessors. But when you consider the inflation of the last few years and the lack of “Swiss Made” competition in this form factor, the price is right in line with the market. Cross-shopping the MT369 with something like the Tissot Gentleman, you find a competitor that is significantly bigger at 41mm and also over $100 more expensive. For readers of The Time Bum, GDG has provided a coupon code TB20GDG369 for an additional 20% off the MT-369 models. If you’re itching for something brightly colored to get you through Northern Hemisphere winter or to complement your Southern Hemisphere summer, the GDG x Mathey-Tissot MT-369 collaboration is definitely one to consider.
For more information or to place an order, visit gdgwatch.com.
