GMT watch configurations.

[DC Engineer]

Curious to know how you guys use your GMT function. I generally set the dial-hands to local time (America/ET) and the 24-hour hand on GMT. If I'm tracking time in say France by chance I'll rotate +2.

[Clutch Cargo]

Here's a link from a few months back

[77T]

I set to GMT myself...

[Tools]

Use it the way it is most useful to you...

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by Tools

Use it the way it is most useful to you...

Exactly. For me the default mode is to have the hour hands synched, both reading home time. When I travel I set the 12 hour hand to the local time wherever I go and leave the 24 hour hand to continue reading home time off the bezel. For any other time, I just move the bezel the appropriate way.

The reason I set the 24 hand to home time is simply because I am much more familiar with TZs around the world in relation to my home time, and not to UTC. For example, I live in California. If I travel to NYC but want to know what time it is in Chicago or Hawaii, I know Chicago is two hours ahead of Pacific time and Hawaii is 3 hours behind. But I don't know off the top of my head that Hawaii is UTC -10 or Chicago is UTC -5.

For those that are familiar with offsets in relation to UTC then setting the 24 hour hand to that makes sense. But I would imagine most people are more familiar with the time in other places in relation to their own home time.

[bplein]

Originally Posted by T. Ferguson

For those that are familiar with offsets in relation to UTC then setting the 24 hour hand to that makes sense. But I would imagine most people are more familiar with the time in other places in relation to their own home time.

The only way you know the relation to your own time (for places that are more than, say, 2-3 time zones away) is to look up their UTC offset on the internet, and then subtract that from your offset.

To me it's easier to look up the time and just set it that way. In other words, Tokyo is +9 (9 clicks counter clockwise), and home is -5, etc.

BTW, as I was reminded a while back on a similar thread, these multitude of options are for GMT-II only. With GMT(1), the 24hr hand always matches the regular hour hand. It's your choice if you set the watch to UTC/Zulu and use the bezel to show local or other TZ, or if you set the watch to local and use the bezel to determine other time zones. The GMT-II is much more flexible, but harder to set correctly after the reserve runs out.

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by bplein

The only way you know the relation to your own time (for places that are more than, say, 2-3 time zones away) is to look up their UTC offset on the internet, and then subtract that from your offset.

No, looking up the offset to UTC is not the only way. When I wanted to know the time difference to Manila I asked a friend who travels there regularly, and he told me it was 15 hours ahead. He didn't say it was 8 ahead of Zulu and we are 7 behind so that totals 15.

And on the internet when I want the time difference between somewhere and home I can go to a website where I plug in L.A. and the other city and it gives me the times. UTC never enters into it. Here you go:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Besides, the main use for my GMT is when traveling, to always have my home time reference. By having the 24 hour hand on home time I don't have to do anything when I land at my destination besides set the 12 hour hand to local time. No need to also move the bezel to set home time as an offset to UTC because home time it already is set. Not a big deal really except during my stay I'd always be checking to see if the bezel was correctly placed or had moved inadvertently. Not a problem when set to home time because the marker is always located straight up at 12 o'clock.

[Hairdude1]

I always set it to GMT and local time CST

[Runnin' Rebel]

My GMT hand is always set to -3

Just took this


Sent from blah, blah....

[Ravager135]

If you're a purist: the 24 hour hand should be set to GMT time on the GMT Master and the 24 hour hand should be set to local 24 hour time on the Explorer II.

In reality: do what you like.

[yld2rob]

Originally Posted by Ravager135

If you're a purist: the 24 hour hand should be set to GMT time on the GMT Master and the 24 hour hand should be set to local 24 hour time on the Explorer II.

In reality: do what you like.

I set this way as well

[Chainring]

I set to GMT time.

[jctrolex]

I'm confused

[travisb]

Mine's always set to home time.

[Rolexitis]

Originally Posted by travisb

Mine's always set to home time.

Me too. I rarely travel so I really don't need the GMT but its so damn pretty!

[Rolexitis]

Originally Posted by jctrolex

I'm confused

[Degas]

Blue hand on GMT time (:

[Turbo23dog]

24 hour hand set to GMT and 12 hour hand set at my local time (eastern, daylight savings time) which is -4 from GMT until DST ends, which then will make my local time -5 from GMT.

[watchwatcher]

I usually keep my mine set to local time...then when I travel, all I have to do is adjust the hour hand and I can instantly track home time as well.

[azguy]

Originally Posted by watchwatcher

I usually keep my mine set to local time...then when I travel, all I have to do is adjust the hour hand and I can instantly track home time as well.

Me too, this is the way to do it, who the heck cares about GMT time

[kilyung]

Originally Posted by azguy

Me too, this is the way to do it, who the heck cares about GMT time

Pilots.

[JackDFD]

I fly often and use GMT time for my record keeping. I keep it locked in.

Dallas Fire/Navy Chief
Rolex Explorer II
Lüm-Tec M26, SCB1

[sea-dweller]

Here in CA, 12 hour hand to PDT/PST and 24 hour hand to GMT. When in a different local time zone, 12 hour hand to the local time and 24 hour hand to PDT/PST (my time back home).

[kilyung]

I have my GMT hand set to local time so my watch can double as a compass.

[jcd]

I work in aviation. I'm surrounded by clocks set to GMT, but I still like to have all my GMT watches set to GMT too. For some reason, I always look to my watch instead of the clocks around me to verify "zulu" time. I don't know why, I suppose just because I love my watch?

[MitchSteel]

I set my GMT hand to Miller Time

[second time]

At home:


dial hands on local time
Bezel zero (the triangle) at 12 o'clock reading GMT on 24 hr hand



Away:


No adjustment to dial hands(still home time)

Move bezel so 24 hour hand reads away time (new local time)

If I want to know GMT whilst away, just move bezel triangle back to 12 o'clock and read GMT on 24 hr hand.

This method sounds complicated but actually requires the least amount of adjusting when you enter a new time zone. ie the crown does not have to be unscrewed.

[Angrypuppy]

Originally Posted by jcd

i work in aviation. I'm surrounded by clocks set to gmt, but i still like to have all my gmt watches set to gmt too. For some reason, i always look to my watch instead of the clocks around me to verify "zulu" time. I don't know why, i suppose just because i love my watch?

+1

[Piloto]

As a pilot:

24hr hand on Zulu (GMT). Dial hands on local (home) time.

When I travel to a destination, if I am there less than 40 hours, I leave the dial hands on home time, and rotate the bezel to show "local" time using the pointer. This saves wear on the jumper. Yes, I'm probably over cautious.

If at a destination more than 40 hours, I utilize the hour hand jumper to jump to destination time, then set the bezel to show home time with the pointer.

When I show back up to the airport, bezel goes back to Zulu, then after we hit cruise altitude, I jump the hour hand back to home time.

[landroverking]

Gmt.