Zelos Introduces their First GMT with the Miyota 9075 “Flyer” Movement

The rise of the affordable “true” GMT continues to be a strong trend in the microbrand arena, as more and more ready new watches sporting the Miyota 9075. This caliber is beginning to feel like a true game changer in the space, allowing brands whose bread and butter are sub $1,000 watches to offer a much sought after complication that consumers would previously have to spend many times that amount to acquire. The latest entrant in an increasingly crowded marketplace for these watches is an old favorite of ours: Zelos. 

Zelos watches have always represented value, whether we’re talking about divers under $500 or a Swiss tourbillon with a case made from exotic titanium alloys. Their watches have a colorful, materials oriented style that places a high value on texture and provides their customers with something unique. For this first batch of GMTs, which are part of the Mako line, each option is quintessential Zelos, meaning that even the most conservative watch in the group is still pretty memorable. 

Of the three new GMTs that make their debut today, the most simple is the Mako 300M GMT Frost, which appears at first to be a stark white dial, but is actually fully lumed, so when the lights go out and the lume is completely charged, the entire dial glows, with the “black lume” hands and hour markers standing in relief. The orange arrow in the GMT hand and a bit of text in the same shade are the only additional colors found on the dial, which is somewhat unusual for Zelos, but the minimalist presentation (if you can call a full lume dial “minimalist”) works here. 

Next up is the Mako 300M GMT Blue Meteorite, which as the name implies features a bright blue PVD meteorite dial. This time the accent color is yellow for the GMT, which is a nice match for the blue tone, while still allowing the dominant color to take center stage. The third watch, and the one that to me feels like the most experimental and niche, is the Mako 300M GMT Mosaic MOP. This one features what Zelos describes as a black mother of pearl dial inlaid in a “turbine” mosaic pattern. What that means in practice is a psychedelic, multi colored dial that seems to have a pinwheel effect. It looks as if a canvas with many colors of paint splattered onto it was rotated at incredible speeds. While certainly not for everyone, I think it looks great. 

In terms of specs, the new Mako GMTs are in 40mm stainless steel cases that are 300 meters water resistant and just 12.5mm thick. Those are pretty good proportions for a sports watch with this much water resistance and a GMT complication, which is a key benefit of the slender Miyota 9075 caliber. The 24 hour bezels, which allow for the potential tracking of three time zones, are all in polished ceramic, and loosely color matched to their respective dials. The watches come mounted to a matching stainless steel bracelet with a quick adjust clasp. 

All three are available as of today, with the Frost coming in at $529, the Blue Meteorite at $629, and the Mosaic MOP at $549. Zelos