LoupeLabLoupeLab

GMT Bezel Calculator

Select your home and travel time zones, then follow the step-by-step instructions to set your GMT watch bezel.

Traveler mode: You are traveling. The main hands show local time at your destination. The 24-hour hand tracks your home time.

New York (UTC-5)

7:47:01 PM

19:47 (24h)

London (UTC+0)

12:47:00 AM

00:47 (24h)

UTC Offset Difference

+5h

London is +5h from New York

How to Set Your GMT Watch

  1. 1

    Set the 24-hour (GMT) hand to 19:47. This corresponds to your home time in New York in 24-hour format.

  2. 2

    Rotate the bezel so 19:47 aligns with the 24-hour hand triangle. In traveler mode the bezel stays at the default position — no rotation needed. The 24-hour hand reads your home time directly.

  3. 3

    Set the main hour hand to 12:47:00 AM. This is the current local time in London.

  4. 4

    Reading: Main hands show local (travel) time. The 24-hour hand + bezel shows home time.

How GMT Watches Work

The 24-Hour Hand

Unlike the standard hour hand that completes a rotation in 12 hours, the GMT hand completes one full rotation in 24 hours. This lets you distinguish AM from PM for a second time zone.

The Rotating Bezel

The bidirectional 24-hour bezel can be rotated to offset the GMT hand reading. By rotating the bezel, you can track a third time zone, or make the GMT hand read a different timezone directly.

Note: This calculator uses fixed UTC offsets and does not account for daylight saving time transitions. Verify your offset if you are near a DST change date. The instructions assume a “true GMT” or “caller/traveler” style movement where the hour hand can be set independently.

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