Rolex GMT vs. Tudor GMT: which one should you prefer?
When we speak the word wristwatch, certain companies and watches come to mind; they are high-brand and fancy.
Companies try to innovate and develop new ideas with the increasing demand for luxury wristwatches, although this is not necessarily a modern thinking way.
Today we want to compare Rolex GMT vs. Tudor GMT, two of the most high-quality and well-known brands.
Both of these companies are Swiss-based, and they had an idea in the year 1995 to create something new; they got inspiration from a pilot that was constantly traveling from point A to point B: The GMT series.
Interestingly Rolex and Tudor are not the only brands that attempt to create the GMT series. However, they are the leading in GMT watches industry.
So, get ready to witness the comparison of Rolex GMT vs. Tudor GMT.
Table of Contents
What is a GMT watch, and how does it work?
Most people see the GMT branding and the similar design and immediately think that one of the companies copied the other, but this is not true.
The GMT in this series stands for Greenwich Mean Time; these watches have a dual timeline on their system; let us elaborate.
When a watch is GMT series, it has both the 12 hours and 24 hours rotatable timescale; in other words, you can set your watch to two time zones simultaneously.
The Rolex first invented this system.
History says that the CEO of Rolex was an Airplane enthusiast, and he would travel to different parts of the country.
Then the idea of GMT was born to help the pilots and people who travel a lot to see two time zones at once.
After a while, no one couldn’t compete with Rolex over their GMT Master series, but eventually, the Tudor stepped up to this Swiss legend and challenged them, and in some ways, they were successful.
Today Rolex’s biggest competition in the GMT series is Tudor.
This competition lives on until you are reading this article, but we want to take matters into our own hands and settle this conflict and, in the end, see which one is the best GMT, Rolex GMT or Tudor GMT?
Rolex Master GMT vs. Tudor Black Bay GMT
In this part of the article, we will be dividing the competition into several parts and inspecting them individually.
In the end, we will get to the answer of which one wins this competition.
First of let’s start with Rolex, shall we?
Rolex Master GMT
The Rolex Master GMT is a masterpiece of this company.
The first part that we will be discussing is the case and durability:
Pros and Cons of Rolex GMT durability test:
| Pros | Cons |
| Ultra-hard ceramic | It doesn’t have titanium series |
| Sapphire crystal is the front glass | – |
| Water-resistant up to 200 meters | – |
This simple chart shows that besides the lack of a titanium case, this watch is a legend in durability. The bezel and the frame have mixed ultra-hard ceramic to give it maximum durability.
The front sapphire crystal glass protects the watch face and the dial against extreme conditions.
And the seal all around this model ensures water resistance up to 200 meters deep into the water.
The next category of this competition is the design:
Pros and Cons of Rolex GMT design test:
| Pros | Cons |
| Ceramic finish | Lacks leather strap |
| Fantastic color selections | Same concept as other series |
| Satin finish on the bracelet | – |
| The calendar lens on the sapphire | – |
Judging from the chart, we can see that Rolex has always led with its design; the only fact that might be a negative point is the same old fashion design that all Rolex series have.
However, the little fine details differentiate this watch from its competitors like Tudor black bay GMT.
Let’s go to the last part of the test: The features.
Pros and Cons of Rolex GMT features test:
| Pros | Cons |
| It comes in several special edition series | Less water resistance rate compared to the mariner series |
| Magnetic resistance | – |
| +70 hours power reserve | – |
If you pay attention to this chart, you will understand that Rolex always does its responsibilities to perfection.
There are some limited special editions Rolex Master GMT series, such as:
- White Gold
- Yellow Gold
- Rose Gold
Of course, the price rate will be increased when the materials change in these series.
On the other hand, Rolex has several models with up to 30 bars of water resistance standards. However, those series are Divers’ specialty.
The next matter or order is to test the Tudor Black Bay GMT and see how it will perform against the Rolex GMT.
Tudor Black Bay GMT
Although this model was released way after Rolex GMT, it holds up to its reputation.
Let’s start testing the limits on the Tudor GMT:
Pros and Cons of Tudor GMT durability test:
| Pros | Cons |
| Stainless steel case | Lack of more durable material |
| Sapphire glass | Steel bracelet |
| Waterproof up to 200 meters | – |
The Tudor GMT is almost equal to Rolex; you might ask why?
Although this watch doesn’t have the ceramic option, Rolex has the waterproof option to compensate for that shortage.
Waterproof and water-resistant are different things. When a watch is water-resistant, there is a slight possibility that it might absorb water, but in the case of waterproof, that is impossible.
Pros and Cons of Tudor GMT design test:
| Pros | Cons |
| Anti-reflective glass | It doesn’t have a clock or calendar |
| Two dial colors | Way too much contrast in hand shapes |
| Slightly thinner | – |
When it comes to design, this brand spent less effort than Rolex.
If you put these two models side by side and remove the logo from the dial, you cannot tell which one is.
We are not saying that Tudor copied the Rolex GMT design but had more potential.
The dial color option and the thinner case are a plus point that Rolex doesn’t have.
And the last part is to test the features.
Pros and Cons of Tudor GMT features test:
| Pros | Cons |
| One limited series | – |
| Up to 70 hours of power reserve | – |
| Magnetic resistance | – |
Compared to the Rolex GMT, this model has fewer limited edition watches; this brand’s only one for this specific model is the yellow and black gold Caviar.
The power reserve and the magnetic resistance come in a tie with Rolex.
Now, keep all of this information and charts in your mind, and let’s move on to the conclusion of the “Rolex GMT vs. Tudor GMT” article, and we will get the results on which one should you prefer: Rolex GMT or Tudor GMT.
In closing
We analyzed all aspects to decide which one of the watch models we mentioned (Rolex GMT and Tudor GMT) is the best one to get.
Considering the price difference between these two models is more than half, we have to expect more from Rolex because it’s much more expensive.
However, we decided that we cannot tell you which one of these watches is a better option for you. The Rolex GMT and the Tudor GMT are fantastic watches; the matter is a personal preference.
We suggest you go through this article one more time, and after reading all of the charts once more, you can decide which one is better for you.
We are happy that you stayed with us until the end of this article.
If you have ever used any of these watches, we would love to hear your opinions on these timepieces. We will be responding to all of your questions regarding the ” Rolex GMT vs. Tudor GMT: which one should you prefer” article.
The only thing you have to do is contact us via the comment section below.
FAQ
Is Rolex GMT better than Tudor GMT?
- We cannot say. Based on our observations in this article, we cannot say which one is better. You have to review yourself and decide which one is better.
Are Rolex GMT and Tudor GMT the same watch?
- Absolutely no. they are from two different companies, the only thing that makes us doubt is the resemblance between these two models, but they are pretty different.
Is the GTM series in Rolex only included in Master Collection?
- No, other collections like the Oyster and the Sea-Dweller have the same branch of watches: the GMT series.
