Yr in Review: the Finest Travel Watches of 2025

Travel watches have been on absolutely the rise in recent times. Where dive watches had been as soon as the default choice for a primary sports activities watch, GMTs, twin occasions, and world timers have been making a reputable play for wrist time with lovers of all strata. There are sensible causes for this — actions just like the Miyota 9075 and Seiko NH34 have made together with a GMT complication in a watch extra inexpensive than ever — however I believe sensible causes solely scratch the floor of this precipitous rise. To inform the entire story, you must search for the romantic.

There’s an inherent attraction in journey watches. They’re optimistic and remind us to remain on this planet even after we’re caught at dwelling, or work, or within the myopia of day-to-day life, when the little issues round us cease us from trying additional. I believe this attraction was solely bolstered by a compulsory two-year keep inside, at dwelling, and I don’t suppose it’s by likelihood that our collective launch again into the world post-COVID coincided with the rise of the journey watch.

I imply, positive, in a world the place our telephones robotically modify to new time zones, and most of the people’s most well-liked journey watch is an Apple Watch, mechanical journey watches (or, actually, analog — there are some fairly stellar quartz choices available, you don’t must look additional than the Timex Q Continental GMT for proof of that) could also be extra talismanic than crucial, however I don’t suppose there’s something improper with that. So, with all that out of the best way, I’ve pulled collectively a by-no-means-definitive listing of a few of my favourite journey watches from 2025. Enjoy, and be sure you tell us what journey watches grabbed your consideration this yr — as all the time, we’d love to listen to from you.

Traska Venturer GMT Ref. 4216 — $785

Let me get two issues out of the best way right here: First, that is the one conventional flyer-style GMT on this listing. We all know that if you would like a terrific journey watch, you may’t go improper operating out to your native AD and choosing up a flyer-style GMT from Rolex, Tudor, or Longines, however for this roundup, we’re gonna go in one other route, and spotlight among the different choices on the desk. Don’t come at me.

Second, I’m wholly biased on this one. I’m actually penning this story with a Traska Venturer GMT on my wrist. I personal this watch, I’ve reviewed this watch, and I’m an unabashed and vocal proponent for this watch. If you’re on the lookout for an inexpensive and good-looking GMT watch that you would be able to put on every single day, you may cease studying right here; the Traska Venturer GMT is your reply.

The newest iteration of the Venturer GMT, which launched this summer time, is about as near good as you could find from a sub-$1000 microbrand GMT. It’s a watch I’d have killed to have obtainable after I first began accumulating within the early 2010s, and it’s an actual mark of simply how far microbrand watchmaking has come over the past twenty years. This yr’s mannequin of the Venturer GMT is the sixth iteration of the mannequin line, and introduced with it a number of key updates over earlier references. When matched with different updates made over time, the tip result’s a watch that’s nearly good.

It’s additionally the primary entry on this listing that might qualify as what I would name a “dress GMT.” That’s to not say it’s a gown watch — it’s not, it truly is about as core a basic sports activities watch as you could find — but it surely’s additionally clearly not a software watch. I’m working onerous to keep away from falling again on a trope-y cliche right here, however I’ll say that this can be a watch that might be straightforward to journey with, no matter vacation spot.

Dennison ALD Dual Time — $890

Is there a model in latest reminiscence that had a greater first yr than Dennison? Hold on, I’ll wait. The model, which revived a dormant however vital title in British watchmaking, relaunched late final yr to large, and well-deserved, acclaim. In slightly below a yr, they’ve received the GPHG Challenge Prize, launched a crush of fantastic manufacturing fashions, restricted editions, and collaborations, and located their method onto the wrists of among the world’s most discerning collectors. And higher than all that, these are watches I’ve began seeing on the wrists of people that couldn’t care much less about watches in the event that they tried.

With stone dials, an unashamed ‘70s vibe, and a quartz movement, the initial launches of the Dennison ALD were a breath of fresh air, but I admit that for as much as I loved the watch, I had a hard time telling if Dennison was going to be more than a flash in the pan. I just couldn’t see what the following step for the model could be. I’m not fearful anymore. Because with the ALD Dual Time, Dennison confirmed not solely a self-assuredness in their very own design language and instincts, however additionally they made what’s undeniably top-of-the-line journey watches of the yr.

This isn’t the watch you’re going to tackle a dive trip to the Great Barrier Reef, and this isn’t a GMT watch dressed up for spelunking. This is only a great-looking, enjoyable, compact, stone dial gown watch that occurs to have two quartz actions, two crowns, two units of fingers, and the power to loosely inform the time in two locations directly. And with a surprising number of dial choices in numerous stone finishes (the case is on the market in both metal or yellow gold PVD), the one cause I don’t already personal one in all these is that I can’t decide which one I’d need.

Sinn 613 St UTC — $4,230 (On Bracelet)

Okay, now for one thing fully completely different as a result of, typically, you desire a massive hunk of metal software watch. If that’s the case, permit me to advocate the Sinn 613 St UTC. If what you’re on the lookout for is a massively over-spec’d dive chronograph that additionally occurs to have a GMT complication thrown within the combine, then that is completely the look ahead to you. At 40mm throughout (41mm for those who measure the bezel), 15mm thick, and water-resistant to a full fats 500m, this isn’t a watch that may match beneath a shirt cuff or play properly with a tux, however for a weekend spent exterior, or within the water? This is the watch you need.

For Sinn devotees, the 613 St UTC shall be a well-recognized proposition — it feels very very similar to an orientation-swapped EZM 13.1. That’s as a result of it mainly is that. Or, not less than, the non-UTC model of the 613 St is that. The UTC model of the 613 St feels extra like a logical extension of the road, and a refinement on high of all of it. The white subdial for the chronograph operating minutes helps maintain that complication distinction, whereas the greyed out UTC (the terminology Sinn makes use of for his or her caller GMT complication) retains that complication current with out overwhelming the remainder of the watch.

For my cash, that is the Sinn it is best to get on the tail finish of 2025, and for those who dwell a life the place you hardly ever, if ever, end up in a go well with and tie on the street, that is most likely the very best journey watch on the listing for you. And for those who really feel you actually don’t want the UTC performance, the Sinn 613 St Diver’s Chronograph is simply as cool for $3,570, and would make simply as compelling a journey companion for the traveler who solely wants to concentrate to 1 time zone at a time. And if you wish to save a bit extra money, and are on the lookout for some extra colour, then the $2,790 Doxa Sub 250T GMT is one other nice choice from this yr.

Nomos Club Sport Worldtimer — $5,190

There’s an previous adage in journalism that a very powerful tales aren’t those that make the entrance web page; a very powerful tales are those journalists discuss on the bar after work. In watch journalism, the twist could also be that the very best watches aren’t those that get essentially the most protection; they’re the watches all of us exit and purchase with our personal cash. Well, a whole lot of my pals are ending the yr with the Nomos Club Sport Worldtimer on their wrist, and, to me, that tells the entire story.

Basically, what I’m saying is that if this isn’t the watch of the yr, I’m undecided what was. I actually can’t consider one other watch that grabbed as a lot consideration, as a lot wrist time, and was as attainable, as sensible, and as nicely executed as this one. It took an already very cool proprietary journey complication (one which considerably splits the distinction between a world timer and a GMT with out actually becoming in both field) and made it extra strong, cheaper, much less thick, and extra universally interesting. 

It’s the journey watch I’d advocate to nearly anybody, and probably the very best execution of a journey complication on this listing. It’s a pleasure to make use of and a pleasure to put on, and it’s an ideal instance of a model making use of its personal perspective to make a watch solely they may. For the form of journey most of us do, the push-button time zone change is as straightforward as a journey complication will get, and with its lengthy lugs, svelte case, and considerable colorway choices (though most of these are restricted and lengthy offered out), the is a watch I count on we’ll be loving for a very good lengthy whereas.

Ming 29.01 Midnight — CHF 22,000

If what you needed out of 2025 was a Ming journey watch, you had an excellent yr. I’m consistently amazed by simply how a lot Ming has completed in beneath a decade, and this yr solely bolstered that. 3D printed titanium straps, killer dive watches, and unbelievable moon phases bowled me over, however my favourite releases of the yr from Ming had been simply the pair of journey watches. The 29.01 Midnight Worldtimer and the 37.11 Odyssey Dive GMT had been good bookends to a yr the place Ming took one other large step ahead.

Unfortunately, for the needs of this train, there might be just one, and for nearly as good because the 37.11 certainly is, my coronary heart lies with the 29.01 Midnight. A successor to the beforehand launched naked grade 5 titanium 29.01 from 2023, the 29.01 reinvented the mannequin with a black and orange aesthetic, a DLC coating, and a black rubber strap. In their press supplies, Ming positions the 29.01 Midnight because the “Batman” to the sooner launch’s “Bruce Wayne,” and I don’t suppose that’s far off the mark, and the blacked-out Batman aesthetic traces up superbly with the skeletonized “flying blade” lugs and skinny, bezel-less case.

And it’s a real world timer, exhibiting the time in 24 time zones concurrently, because of a rotating base dial with 24-hour markings. The watch’s metropolis ring sits on the underside of the sapphire crystal, as does the hour observe, which, by the way, are every lumed generously with HyCeram Super-Luminova X1. The 24-hour observe can be lumed, however meant to glow a faint orange, so when the cabin lights are out, you’ll certainly nonetheless have the ability to observe your time zone, and the time zones of all of your family members (except they dwell in an odd offset like Sri Lanka, Nepal, or India). I’ve lengthy been interested in Ming’s hyper-modern tackle watch design, and 2025 was not a yr the place that modified. If something, watches just like the 29.01 Midnight solely bolstered my adoration.