As spring and summer approach, no doubt many of you (and certainly we) have aspirations to travel more – or have already laid plans. Of course, one of the joys of watch collecting and enthusiasm is being able to travel and forge new memories with our watches. The ideal travel watch is arguably one that doesn’t skimp on any functionality but also doesn’t shout too loudly. Even beyond watch theft, we want traveling to be about the experiences and people and not only about the watches. To that end, this edition of the Windup Watch Shop Chronicle aims to highlight watches that would make solid travel companions thanks to their low-key profiles and relatively affordable price tags. Regardless of which direction you take, there’s adventure to be had ahead.
G-Shock GMWB5000
Pound for pound, and dollar for dollar, there is no beating a G-Shock in functionality. The GMWB5000’s feature list is too long to list, but highlights include Bluetooth, alarm, and world time capabilities, both of which can certainly come in handy when you find yourself in a remote location. Not only that, the GMWB5000 is also able to tap into what is called Multiband (or multi-band) 6. This special receiver enables the watch to receive regular signals from WWVB, a time signal radio station near Fort Collins, CO, and keep the watch synchronized to atomic oscillators. Rounding out this incredible watch’s complications is Casio’s solar movement for battery-free operation and an elegant yet refined stainless steel case. It’s not just atomic time-telling; it’s bringing an atomic bomb to a knife fight. As far as low-key travel watches go, this is as sophisticated as it gets.
Seiko Prospex Alpinist GMT
When it comes to Seiko, there is perhaps no name more famous, more revered, when it comes to archetypal adventure watches than the Alpinist. With its roots in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the outdoor-focused Alpinist line has always catered to climbers, explorers, and pioneers. In more recent history, the Seiko Alpinist achieved cult classic status in its SARB017 reference. Its stunning green dial, unique cathedral hands, and charming and useful inner rotating compass bezel made it a highly desirable and collectible watch. Seiko, not one to leave its fans hanging, has reintroduced this watch as part of its elevated and sport-focused Prospex line. The new Prospex Alpinist GMT also now adds a complication that couldn’t be more at home. In both black and blue variations, the stunning dial, distinct hands, and secondary bezel all make triumphant returns. It is as wearable, stylishly discreet, and even more capable than its predecessors; suffice it to say, the Alpinist name is in good hands.
Seiko 5 Sports GMT
Mention these three letters to any Seiko enthusiast, and you’ll receive a smile, a heart-warming origin story, or both. It’s the watch you’ve always known and loved – it’s the SKX. The Seiko 5 Sport GMT series combines the aesthetic and case design of the classic SKX watches of yore with the Seiko 5 nameplate to build a new icon, a future classic. Thanks in large part to the Seiko 4R34 movement, the Seiko 5 Sport GMTs became among the first truly affordable GMT watches and has unsurprisingly become a smash success. With its durable stainless steel case and charming five-link bracelet, 100 meters of water resistance, rotatable bezel and bi-colored rehaut, this Seiko continues the lineage of excellent and attractive watches under $500 that can and will go with you to the ends of the earth. You can configure yours in a variety of colors – for an under the radar travel watch, we’d choose charcoal gray or blue.
