The sea of microbrand watches runs deep and wide, and the waters can be challenging to navigate when it comes to finding quality and originality. We’ve covered Singaporean microbrand RZE in the past, and we continue to be impressed by their titanium-only offerings. This time, the brand builds on its Fortitude pilot’s watch with the launch of a new GMT version, simply known as the Fortitude GMT-S.
While the standard Fortitude GMT looks much like the original non-GMT version, the GMT-S uses some new design elements including a sunburst dial, skeletonized hour and minute hands, and matching baton markers. The second hand and the GMT hand carry over from the Fortitude GMT. The GMT-S’s Grade 2 titanium case is downsized from the GMT by 1 mm to a very manageable 44mm. The 12mm thickness and 47mm lug-to-lug height remain the same. Our two favorite case features are the turbine fixed bezel and the large crown, with its attractive and functional red crown tube that warns you when the crown hasn’t been screwed in all the way.
Pop of Color
The RZE Fortitude GMT-S comes in two dial colors, new bright blue and shiny grey. Light plays beautifully off both dials, and the sunburst finish adds great personality. The surface finishing of the hands, markers, RZE dial logo, and even the date window frame play the same light game. These are the kind of considered details that outdo even premium brands. Lume is Swiss SuperlumiNova BGW9 that casts a bright blue hue that lasts through the night.
The RZE Fortitude GMT-S is comfortable on the wrist for hours. Its 12mm thickness is impressive for a true GMT and the 20mm titanium bracelet tapers to 16mm at the clasp. The push-button micro-adjust feature of the clasp accommodates wrist-swelling nicely with five locking positions. The case and the three-link bracelet have been hardened to 1,200 Vickers using the brand’s UltraHex coating, which keeps the Fortitude GMT-S looking pristine, unlike untreated titanium watches from other brands.
Details Matter
Watch nerds will be impressed with the Fortitude GMT’s flyer, or “true GMT Miyota 9075 automatic complication. A flyer allows the wearer to adjust the first time-zone hour hand independently of the minute hand when in the crown’s first position, and the second time-zone (yellow, in the case of the Fortitude GMT-S) can be set using the second crown position. It’s called a flyer GMT because you can set both hands to your city of departure’s time and then independently and quickly set the 12-hour hand to your arrival city when you land. It’s no-fuss and truly practical. The power reserve is a more than decent 42 hours. Water resistance is 100 meters, good for a watch that will never go diving.
What impresses me most are the attention to detail and the feature set. You get fresh styling, true GMT functionality, hardened titanium, a temperature and chemical-resistant VITON gasket, and micro-adjustability for well under $1k. Rather than calling it a bargain, the RZE Fortitude GMT-S is a tremendous value. The brand is doing things right over and over again. We can’t wait to see what they have in store next.
