Oak & Oscar Updates the Humboldt with a GMT Movement and 24 Hour Bezel

Hot on the heels of their successful collaboration with the US Olympic curling team (yes, that really happened, and there’s really a piece of curling stone in the casebacks of these watches) Oak & Oscar is back with a new iteration of their much loved Humboldt sports watch. The Humboldt GMT takes the classic three-hand layout of the Humboldt 12hr to the next logical step, adding an actual GMT function, and replacing the handy 12 hour bezel with a more complication-appropriate 24 hour bezel. Besides the added functionality of the new movement and layout, the Humboldt GMT also introduces a new clasp design to the Oak & Oscar bracelet (as well as some other refinements), which should make this watch even more wearable than earlier versions. 

The Humboldt was always conceived as a classic explorer’s watch. The Arabic numerals at cardinal positions (12, 3, and 9 here) are in the same spirit, if not the exact layout, of the classic Explorer, made by Rolex and associated with adventure of all sorts. The name of the watch was inspired by Alexander von Humboldt, an 18th century explorer and scientist, and major influence on Charles Darwin, who is credited with popularizing the idea that the South American and African continents were once joined and have been slowly moving apart for millenia (hopefully this comes in handy at your next round of pub trivia). In any event, it’s clear that Oak & Oscar’s goal here is to imbue the Humboldt with the spirit of curiosity and adventure that lends itself particularly well to a traveler’s watch, so it makes a ton of sense for the Humboldt to get a movement upgrade. 

In addition to the new complication, the Humboldt GMT also gets a brand new anti-shock and anti-magnetism enclosure that Oak & Oscar claims protects the movement from strong magnetic fields without significantly increasing the watch’s case height (12.5mm on a case measuring 39.5mm wide, if you’re keeping track). The system uses both a Faraday cage to maximize anti-magnetism as well as a rubber stabilizer to protect against sudden shock. As mentioned above, the watch also comes on a bracelet which includes a new micro-adjustment mechanism, allowing for tool-less adjustment on the go in a clasp that measures just 16mm wide, tapered from a lug width of 20mm. On paper, this would seem to be a pretty tough to beat bracelet/clasp combination, and we’re looking forward to getting a chance to try one out for ourselves at some point in the not too distant future. 

Powering the watch is the Sellita SW330, a GMT caliber that many enthusiasts are likely familiar with. This movement has the ability to independently set the 24 hour hand, which is ideal for tracking a second time zone from a static location (so-called “caller GMT” functionality). That said, with a 24 hour bezel and a little patience, you’ve got a great solution for tracking 3 time zones if you’re on the move. The SW330 is a reliable workhorse that we expect is a good match for the anti-mag and shock protections Oak & Oscar have provided it, and it’ll run for a total of 56 hours on a single wind. 

One of Oak & Oscar’s calling cards has always been an impressive sandwich dial construction, and that holds true on the new Humboldt. It’s available in matte black, white (inspired by the success of Olmsted) and navy blue. Each dial has plenty of contrast for easy legibility in just about any situation. 

The new Humboldt GMT is expected to ship in 5-10 weeks, and has a launch price of $1,985 on a bracelet, and $1,825 on a strap.