Steinhart GMT Ocean 1 Blue-Red 2

Steinhart is younger watch brand when compared to others, being founded in 2001 by watchmaker Gunther Steinhart in Augsburg, Germany. This company has its watches and parts made and assembled in the Jura region of Switzerland. Their collection includes pilot’s, divers’, marine watches, and many other pieces. Some of their design take inspiration in iconic models such as the Rolex Submariner, which makes some of their watches homage pieces. These have been in the middle of horological discussion for years, since they incorporate elements from iconic models into their own, without losing their identity. All Steinhart watches come equipped with third party movements, such as ETA, frequently personalized with some aesthetic alterations to their parts. Their first watch, and still one of their most popular model is the Ocean 1, which takes design cues from iconic Rolex models.

This timepiece is a previously-owned Steinhart GMT Ocean 1 Blue/Red 2, in excellent condition. When you see the watch in person you notice that it  does have presence and makes a statement. This isn’t just another homage watch, it’s bigger and heavier than it looks, you feel it in the wrist and at 42mm in diameter it accommodates to the majority of people without any problem. Its deep black dial with applied hour markers is beautifully ready for any occasion, providing high legibility in darker ambients, which is further enhanced by the luminescence in all the hands and markers. Two red applications contrast in the dark dial, the inscription “Ocean GMT” and the GMT hand itself which lets you track a second timezone. Protecting all of these features is a sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating, and a case made of 316L stainless steel, all in all providing a water resistance of up to 300 meters. The date window is placed at 3 o’clock with a magnifier. Its 120 clicks unidirectional aluminum bezel contributes to its classic diver design, easy to turn and allowing to track a second or third timezone with the blue/red (aka “Pepsi”) color scheme. Powering this piece is a ETA 2893-2, automatic movement with 21 jewels, providing up to 42 hours of power reserve. Finally there’s the 5 links jubilee bracelet, satin brushed and easy to adjust because of its screw links, with a safety deployment clasp and engraved logo. This watch comes in its full-set, with box and papers, as seen in the photos.

Either you need a daily watch for any occasion, a diver watch with proper water resistance or a timepiece that allows you to track different timezones for your business ventures, this Steinhart does it all. A truly versatile timepiece with design hints from the iconic Rolex GMT-Master II, well built, accurate and reliable with an excellent cost-performance relation.