![]() Now, as some have said to me over the years, well, you have a big wrist. Case engraving aside, I do love the overall look of the case shape, not only because it does have a unique look about it, but it feels well, the lugs are not overly long at 48mm, and that allows this 42mm watch with a large protruding crown to wear well on the wrist. Draken puts the engraving on every watch they have done, and some may love it, but I am not in that camp. It’s like a billboard for the brand on the side of the case, and in general, I am not a big fan of watches plastering their name or logo on every part of the watch either. But I just do not care for this on watches and I never have. Some may say I am harping on this, as I mention this in the video as well, and this is an issue that is completely subjective. The bezel isn’t exactly what I would call a coin edge either, as the cutouts are thin upside-down triangle shapes and they do allow for a great grip and look, and that case, while still on the thick side at 14mm, does have a unique shape and taper, which does make this watch look slimmer than it actually is, but there is one glaring issue-maybe not glaring as the case isn’t reflective, but its the name brand engraved into the case. The look and feel of the Draken Tugela GMT are rugged, though no sharp areas or unfinished areas that I can find, and grip on the bezel, the massive knurled crown is exactly as it should be, easy to grasp and use. That doesn’t mean the case is perfect though. It is true that this case and bracelet do not have a hard coating, and yes, bead-blasted watches do scratch and really you can’t buff them out, but you can get the watch re-blasted if you feel it needs it after a lot of wear, but I have found that blasted watches are kind of like a fine leather jacket, the scratches tend to fade after a bit, and the whole thing has what some would call a patina, much better than say a brushed or polished watch after a lot of hard use. ![]() But it also has that tool watch look about it, or what many have defined as a tool watch, that rugged and no-nonsense watch, that not only has functions but can take a beating and still keep looking good. Pretty much every surface of this watch and bracelet is finely bead blasted and as such, this is meant to be used as a tool watch, and with 300m of water resistance and highly legible dial, and the GMT function, this most certainly is a tool watch. The case design is what I would call utilitarian. Speaking of the bezel, that insert is anodized aluminum, and those numbers and markers are filled with lume, and you can get a stainless version of this black dial, as well as a blue dial with aluminum and a lume dial, with blue accents. ![]() The bezel is 48 clicks, has a nice solid feel, and is bi-directional, but you really don’t need to worry about the bezel moving out of place, as it is not sloppy at all. No, it does not have an independent hour hand you can set, as a Rolex GMT does, but they still both complete the same function, allowing you to track two time zones, they just go about it in different ways. So, some may be wondering, is this a bad thing? It all depends on how you plan to use your GMT watch. You set your hour and minute hand as you would on any other watch and then you can set the date or the GMT hand, rotating clockwise for the GMT and counter-clockwise for the date. If you are familiar with the ETA 2893, then you should know that the Sellita version is pretty much the same. One of the first things watch enthusiasts want to know when it comes to a GMT, is how the GMT hand operates. Unlike the Unimatic, the Draken Tugela GMT isn’t made of titanium, it is a solid chunk of blasted stainless steel and somewhat reminds me of microbrands of old like Boschett and Zixen, but has a tapered case design while still a little chunky, is only 42mm wide and has a crown reminiscent of Marathon Watches, not to mention a Sellita SW330-2 GMT movement, all for $999, even less with the code WR10, which will knock the price down to $899. There are many GMT watches out there and currently, in the microbrand scene, quite a few brands are releasing GMT movements, with Unimatic selling out 100 in a few short hours.
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