Watch Sighting: Wenger Off Road Watch with GMT Dial

Still looking for a great gift idea for a man?  You might check out this Wenger Off-Road GMT watch.  It offers rugged good looks, a Swiss-made quartz movement, a unidirectional rotating bezel, and water resistance down to 100 meters (for swimming or snorkeling).  The 42 millimeter diameter case and 22 millimeter wide strap are perfectly proportioned for most men.

The small red hand on the dial should be set to point at the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).  The Greenwich Mean Time is the time at the Prime Meridian (0-degrees longitude).  When you read the GMT, you can mentally make the adjustment to any familiar timezone.  For example, Atlanta, Georgia, is GMT -5:00 hours.  When it's 7:30 a.m. at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich England, it's 2:30 a.m. here in Atlanta.  You can check your time difference here at GreenwichMeanTime.com.  There are a wide variety of ways that aviators and other professionals can use a GMT watch..

The Greenwich Royal Observatory - Photograph by Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent. (www.clemrutter.net). (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Wristwatch Review: Diesel Machinus Quartz Watch

A Watch Designed to Track Four Timezones

This is the Diesel watch that my wonderful wife gave me for my birthday.  It's the Diesel Machinus model DZ7359. 

Diesel Machinus model DZ7359

Diesel Watch Design

If you work for a multi-national corporation, this watch has a very cool design feature:  four subdials to keep time in four different time zones.  Now, you can coordinate with the UK, the US East Coast, the US West Coast, and Mumbai, India.  You pick the time zones and set the clocks independently.

A bridge in Mumbai, India

The Machinus has an interesting dial design that incorporates instrument panel and "carbon fiber" looks into a cohesive and modern design.  If you are looking for that distinctive big dial diesel look, you'll find it in this watch.  It has a 55 millimeter diameter case that is 14 millimeter thick case.  It's all secured by a robust 26 millimeter wide leather band.

Diesel Machinus watch (case back)

Diesel Watch Leather Strap

The genuine leather band for this watch is one of the strong points.  It is thick and robust.  It is properly sized for the bulk of the watch.  It has a rich, weathered, look to it and the patina of a comfortable pair of favorite shoes.

Diesel Machinus Leather Strap

Setting the Time on the Diesel Machinus

One thing you'll notice is that for subdials 1 and 3, there are crowns that stick out where the leather strap and case meet.  Those are used for setting the dials at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions respectively.

Diesel Machinus model DZ7359

Despite the odd placement of the crowns, they don't get in the way.  The subdials at 9 and 3 o'clock are set electronically by a button underneath each that advances the hours as needed.

Drawbacks to the Diesel Machinus

Any watch with unusual design features is sure to generate opinions.  In my opinion, the only real drawback to this watch is that the subdials are small and not easy to read.  I'd like to see this watch with slightly larger hands and more lume.  Basically, I love the sub-dials, but I don't have the eyes to read them well any more.  I can read them, but I do have to stop and focus on them.

Diesel Machinus Watch

Overall, the Diesel Machinus has been a great addition to my watch collection.  The multiple subdial design allows me to know the time where my far-flung co-workers live.  The style is a great blend of traditional and contemporary features.  It's an interesting and unusual timepiece that is sure to start conversation.  If you are looking for a gift for a watch collector, this is a great one.

The Best of Diesel Watches on Amazon

I've put together a page with some of best Diesel watches that I've found on Amazon.  It has the models that everyone wants. You can find my Best Diesel Watches on Amazon page here!