Launched in 2020 and barely touched since, the Aquascaphe GMT was overdue an overhaul. Now it’s had one. The new Aquascaphe GMT Mk-II is the latest step in Baltic’s rolling refresh of its core collection, borrowing the reworked-case treatment first seen on the Aquascaphe MK2 dive watch. But the bigger story sits inside – a new movement finally makes this a true traveller’s GMT and somehow does it while dropping the price.
That headline change is the move from the outgoing Soprod C125 to a Miyota 9075, a 42-hour automatic with a true GMT complication. On the original, changing the displayed local time meant resetting the whole watch. The new movement lets you jump the hour hand on its own, without stopping the seconds hand or disrupting the second time zone. In practice, that means you can reset local time on the move as you cross borders, while home time stays exactly where it is – the way a GMT is meant to work for someone actually travelling. The Japanese calibre also undercuts the Swiss Soprod it replaces, which is how Baltic has managed to add the complication and still cut the price.
The GMT hand reads against a 24-click bidirectional bezel, and the insert – like the crystal – is sapphire, so it won’t pick up the scuffs an aluminium bezel collects. The new case also brings a crown guard, sharper angles and 200m water resistance, double the old 100m. It measures 39.5mm across, 47mm lug to lug and 13.8mm thick, on 20mm lugs. That thickness is the one real cost of the upgrade: the first-generation case stood 12mm tall.
The date sits at six o’clock to keep things symmetrical, in a neat, bevelled window with a paint-matched disc. Against the glossy black dial, the Super-LumiNova BGW9 indices and faceted, lumed hands keep everything clean and readable in the dark. For variety, the Aquascaphe GMT Mk-II arrives in four colourways – red, blue, grey and green – spanning everything from an understated everyday companion to something with more character on the wrist.
Then the price. €850 (approx. £730) on rubber and €915 (approx. £785) on a beads-of-rice or flat-link steel bracelet – still under the €930 the original asked in 2020. This afforable alternative to the Rolex GMT-Master II just got even more accessible while also being a better comparison. There are few accessible GMT watches that achieve that this cleanly.
Price and Specs:
More details at Baltic.
