# Alpina GMT, impressions after the first few days



## Tony N (Sep 14, 2016)

Hi All

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I have had my GMT for a few days now, and over all it has been very enjoyable. I purchased it with the bracelet and a few days ago received my Ostrich Leather band, so have now been wearing it with that for the last few days.

Prior to this, I was wearing the Alpina Pilot for the couple of week preceding the arrival of this one. Although both are 44 mm cases, the GMT feels heavier than the Pilot. With the bracelet it was substantially heavier, but with the leather Strap, still heavier than the pilot with strap. I do not have an accurate scale, so am just going by the feel on the wrist.

The finish looks great, although there is no see-through back, so movement can not be seen, but the case, lugs bezel and everything looks well made, and polished parts well done, brushed parts looking great too. Accuracy is amazing, as with the other Alpinas I have had, at +2 or 3 secs per day.

I do have two complaints though. The 24 hour marking on the dial are way too small for quick glance reading. Most other GMT watches I have had, have had this in huge font on the bezel. Being on the bezel also has the advantage that it can be turned and set to different time zone very quickly. Apparently Alpina choose to give priority to the compass function, than the GMT function, even though they named it the GMT!

My other complaint is that the date changes with the 24 hour GMT hand, and not the main hand. I own and have owned many GMT watches from other brands due to frequent travel to the Far East. Every single one has the date change associated with the main hour hand and not the GMT hand. To me that makes sense, as while travelling, I set the 24 hour hand at my home time of Pacific Time USA, and set the main hand, to the local time. I therefore want the date changed by the local hand, not to see what the date is at home! It is a small point, but it does bug me, specially since Far East is close to a day ahead, so my date is off by almost a day !!

Here are some photos:

As the watch was received with the bracelet









As it is now with my new Ostrich Leg Strap









and the wrist shot









Cheers everyone
Tony


----------



## Nokie (Jul 4, 2011)

Looks great on the strap. 

I hate polished center links on bracelets, so the strap you have on it really makes the dial pop and gives it more class, IMHO.


----------



## Mechanicalworld (Feb 21, 2016)

If the date is off by almost a day can't you set it a day ahead and it would be correct most of the day in your time zone?


----------



## Tony N (Sep 14, 2016)

Mechanicalworld said:


> If the date is off by almost a day can't you set it a day ahead and it would be correct most of the day in your time zone?


Yes, can do that, but problem is where I travel to, the time will change at 3 in the afternoon then, so have to choose if I want the correct date in the morning, or in the afternoon and evening. In any case is a design flaw, and I guess I can live without looking at the date !!


----------



## Aonarch (Jan 2, 2017)

Why are the bezel numbers crazy? Significance?


----------



## Tony N (Sep 14, 2016)

Aonarch said:


> Why are the bezel numbers crazy? Significance?


That is the compass function !!


----------



## BriarAndBrine (Jul 28, 2015)

Nice! ;-)

Mine, unfortunately, had an issue with the GMT function and had to go in for service. It's my first new watch to immediately be serviced so is naturally a bummer. But, hopefully all will be well when it returns. If not, I guess I'll have to buy the Omega seamaster GMT I've been wanting. I expect the Alpina to be in tip top shape, though, so I suppose I'll have to buy the Seamaster anyway...


----------



## OmegaDP (Dec 17, 2013)

I did a catch and release on this model and I regret letting it go. Really like this watch. The date/GMT issue described above can be annoying for sure. I hope to track another one of these down in 2017!

Great addition!


----------



## ikorman (Jan 30, 2010)

It was one of my options for a GMT watch when I was in the market for the feature recently. I went with Omega 2234.50 but this Alpina was up there in the list.


----------



## TMH478 (Jan 2, 2013)

Tony N said:


> Hi All
> 
> Hope everyone had a great weekend. I have had my GMT for a few days now, and over all it has been very enjoyable. I purchased it with the bracelet and a few days ago received my Ostrich Leather band, so have now been wearing it with that for the last few days.
> 
> ...


That's a nice strap! If you don't mind me asking, where did you get it from?

-Tim


----------



## TMH478 (Jan 2, 2013)

I currently have mine on a Bas & Lokes suede strap.

-Tim


----------



## Tony N (Sep 14, 2016)

TMH478 said:


> That's a nice strap! If you don't mind me asking, where did you get it from?
> 
> -Tim


Hi Tim.

Got it from Combat Straps in Montreal. Aaron does amazing things with all kinds of leather. 
Cheers.


----------



## TMH478 (Jan 2, 2013)

Tony N said:


> Hi Tim.
> 
> Got it from Combat Straps in Montreal. Aaron does amazing things with all kinds of leather.
> Cheers.


Thank very much for the referral! I'll check him out!

-Tim


----------



## raheelc (Oct 29, 2010)

I picked up this watch a few months ago, definitely a quality piece. However, the date/GMT hand function also bugged me quite a bit, and it got to a point that I just returned the watch because it was something that I found I couldn't live with.


----------



## NoleenELT (Jul 27, 2010)

Sorry to bring up an old review, but thanks for sharing your thoughts! I was very interested in the watch, especially because they are pretty affordable used, but the "36" bezel drives me crazy.

There are actually other non-GMT versions of the Alpiner with an hour bezel that would be more useful. I tried contacting Alpina to see if that bezel can be purchased and if it can be swapped onto this watch, but after a few email exchanges I got nowhere.

The new Alpina Pilot GMT is also interesting.


----------



## Buschyfor3 (Nov 12, 2018)

NoleenELT said:


> The new Alpina Pilot GMT is also interesting.


Agreed - the new Startimer Pilot Heritage GMT is quite a looker, especially with that 70s-esque tonneau-style case. Both of the blue dial options look spectacular, although I wish the full navy blue dial came on the brown/cognac leather strap like was shown in some of the early press photos.

However, I've read that the date function is still tied to the GMT hand and not the local hand, thus you still have the persistent issue with the watch not always displaying the correct date depending on where you are in the world relative to the time set on the GMT hand.

I've also heard that the watch is still very hard to find at the moment, since it was just announced back in September.


----------



## raheelc (Oct 29, 2010)

Buschyfor3 said:


> Agreed - the new Startimer Pilot Heritage GMT is quite a looker, especially with that 70s-esque tonneau-style case. Both of the blue dial options look spectacular, although I wish the full navy blue dial came on the brown/cognac leather strap like was shown in some of the early press photos.
> 
> However, I've read that the date function is still tied to the GMT hand and not the local hand, thus you still have the persistent issue with the watch not always displaying the correct date depending on where you are in the world relative to the time set on the GMT hand.
> 
> I've also heard that the watch is still very hard to find at the moment, since it was just announced back in September.


I was interested in this watch too, but the date issue kills it for me. Gnomon watches has the blue dial/white chapter ring version in stock last time I checked.

Instagram: @rych_watches


----------



## r-gordon-7 (Dec 6, 2016)

Opps, sorry, duplicate but edited post - read it below...


----------



## r-gordon-7 (Dec 6, 2016)

Having the date function permanently tied to the GMT hand would be a deal-killer for me as well. 

For years, the only watches I have bought have been GMT models, as my in-laws live in Beijing, while we live in the Pacific time zone here in the US. Even though I frequently look at my watch to see what time it is in Beijing (for instance, to remind my wife - who doesn't care to wear a watch - it's time to call her mom or sister, etc.), most of the times I look at my watch, it's to check my local time - and virtually all of the times I look at the date window, it's when I'm here in my local time zone and I simply want to double-check today's date (e.g. when check writing, etc.). Having it show the wrong date most of the time for where I am most of the time would be counter-productive and likely lead to mistakes... When I'm checking Beijing time from here in on the US West Coast, my mind pretty much automatically tells me whether the date in Beijing is still today's date or "tomorrow's date" should I need to know the date there - but frankly, most often, all I need to know when checking Beijing time is the time in Beijing, not the date anyhow. And when we do travel to Beijing, the ~11/12 hour flight is long enough that there's plenty of time for me to reset my watch for the main dial & date window to read Beijing time & date, and for the GMT hand to read my home time. And on the flight home, same thing in reverse - plenty of time to simply reset my watch so that the main dial and date window always shows where I am, and so the GMT hand always shows "the other place".

If a watch manufacturer feels there's sufficient market interest in a date window driven by the GMT hand, why not make a complication for the date window to be driven by either the standard hour hand or the GMT hand at the user's selection (with an indicator on the dial as to which hand is currently selected...) After all, we watch lovers love cool complications, right?


----------



## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

r-gordon-7 said:


> Having the date function permanently tied to the GMT hand would be a deal-killer for me as well.
> 
> For years, the only watches I have bought have been GMT models, as my in-laws live in Beijing, while we live in the Pacific time zone here in the US. Even though I frequently look at my watch to see what time it is in Beijing (for instance, to remind my wife - who doesn't care to wear a watch - it's time to call her mom or sister, etc.), most of the times I look at my watch, it's to check my local time - and virtually all of the times I look at the date window, it's when I'm here in my local time zone and I simply want to double-check today's date (e.g. when check writing, etc.). Having it show the wrong date most of the time for where I am most of the time would be counter-productive and likely lead to mistakes... When I'm checking Beijing time from here in on the US West Coast, my mind pretty much automatically tells me whether the date in Beijing is still today's date or "tomorrow's date" should I need to know the date there - but frankly, most often, all I need to know when checking Beijing time is the time in Beijing, not the date anyhow. And when we do travel to Beijing, the ~11/12 hour flight is long enough that there's plenty of time for me to reset my watch for the main dial & date window to read Beijing time & date, and for the GMT hand to read my home time. And on the flight home, same thing in reverse - plenty of time to simply reset my watch so that the main dial and date window always shows where I am, and so the GMT hand always shows "the other place".
> 
> If a watch manufacturer feels there's sufficient market interest in a date window driven by the GMT hand, why not make a complication for the date window to be driven by either the standard hour hand or the GMT hand at the user's selection (with an indicator on the dial as to which hand is currently selected...) After all, we watch lovers love cool complications, right?


Just set the date a day behind to show the date you want to see in your time zone


----------



## r-gordon-7 (Dec 6, 2016)

yankeexpress said:


> Just set the date a day behind to show the date you want to see in your time zone


But setting the watch's date a day behind the date of the GMT hand's time zone would still mean the date would change based on the GMT hand's time zone's midnight and not the local time zone's midnight, so, unless I'm missing something (entirely possible), the watch still wouldn't be displaying the local time zone's correct date for at least part of each day anyhow...


----------



## tand (Dec 3, 2012)

Thanks for pointing the date gmt thing. Basically forcing you to use the gmt for local time or ignoring the date on watch when you travel. A huge issue for me.
Just shows how difficult it is to make a true gmt.
I wonder how many other gmt struggles like this.

1 question does the hour jumping forward but also backwards with the main hand.


----------



## FishTime (Jun 21, 2018)

I have this watch, love it, but it did drive me to do a lot of research on other watch models where the date changes with the GMT hand. I went through dozens and never found another that implements it this way. I do think it could be useful if you travel a lot and you are more interested in keeping track of your home date/time.


----------

