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Zelos GT
Watches inspired by or in collaboration with cars are nothing new, yet they always seem to be popular. Case in point with this Zelos GT, which is already sold out at the time of this writing. I am not sure how many of these were made, but they did sell out quickly, par for the course with most Zelos releases. The good news is, Zelos plans to make more, bad news is you’ll have to wait 5- 6 months, so sometime towards the end of 2025. It’s easy to see why this one was so popular- it has a 40mm stainless cushion-inspired case, dials painted with automatic paints, like this one I have here, dubbed the Heritage. They are all powered by the Miyota 9133 power reserve movement, color-matched date wheels, 100m of water resistance, and a link bracelet, all for $399.
Specifications
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DIAMETER: 40MM
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LUG TO LUG LENGTH: 45MM
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THICKNESS: 10.8MM WITHOUT CRYSTAL, 12.5MM WITH CRYSTAL
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160 GRAMS
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CASE: 316L SS
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LUG WIDTH: 20MM
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MOVEMENT: MIYOTA 9133 WITH PR DISPLAY
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WATER RESISTANCE: 100M
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CRYSTAL: SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL WITH ‘BOX’ SHAPE
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LUME: SUPERLUMINOVA BGW9
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BRACELET: STEEL WITH QUICK ADJUST CLASP
Price $399
https://zeloswatches.com/collections/gt
Following up on my video review above, I want to discuss the car that inspired the Zelos GT, no, it’s not the Ford GT, if that is what you were thinking, I thought the same myself, but it’s the Lamborghini Miura. I was able to have a talk recently with a friend of mine, one who is even more obsessed with cars, and he had a few things to say. The Lamborghini Miura was never raced, something incorrectly stated in the video. It was a streetcar only. The other was that it was never offered in the Gulf liveriy colors, as shown in this Heritage I have for review. The Ford GT40 was though, and I do wonder if this Zelos GT was originally intended to be inspired by the Ford GT, but maybe they couldn’t use that name or likeness.
Whatever the inspiration was, the Zelos GT is quite a cool and affordable sports car-inspired watch. The 40mm stainless steel case is dual finished, beautiful lines of brushing and polishing, the crown guards not only protecting the crown but almost looking like chrono pushers, a sleek cusion case deesin that curves towards the lugs at the end, and to top it all off, a screw down crown as this watch is 100m water resistant. The crown itself does kind of bite into your fingers, ever so slightly unrefined, but its nice that it screws down and that they gave it proper water resistance, making it an every day wearable piece.
As much as I love the case of the Zelos GT, the dial is where it shines. This is one of 3 variations of the lineup that has the vertical racing stripes; other models feature solid colors like British racing green or Rosso red, and two models feature forged carbon cases, one with racing stripes and one without. But for me, the Gulf color, as I refer to it, was the standout. That light blue and orange is such an iconic color and just signifies a race car to me, even though the Lamborghini Miura wasn’t a sports car. The date wheel is color matched, the dial is completely uncluttered with only the brand and model logo on the dial, and of course, a power reserve disguised as a fuel gauge, which is a nice touch. Giving great contrast against the brightly colored dial are gunmetal colored applied indices and hour and minute hands.
Around the back, you’ll find the silhouette of the Lamborghini Miura, which is really where I assumed this was inspired by the Ford GT from the beginning. When I first received the watch, I had not looked at the website or read any copy about it yet, and seeing the case back and this dial color, that is what I assumed. But it is the Miura, and either way, quite a cool case back, and I love that they went with a silhouette instead of artwork of the whole car.
The stainless link bracelet of the Zelos GT attaches with quick-release pins, as most watches do these days, especially microbrands. The end links curve perfectly into the lugs, and the bracelet tapers from 20mm to 16mm at the clasp. The clasp is a newer version of the Zelos quick-adjust clasp; there is no button to depress on the inside. Rather, you kind of just apply pressure through the bracelet, and you can move the link in or out to help obtain a better fit. The bracelet links are said to be mimicking the louvered engine cover of the Miura. I’m not sure I see that, but I do see more of an H-link style bracelet, which goes well with the case. My only critique here is the satin brushing, which I find rough in appearance, and it cheapens the overall look of this otherwise beautiful piece.
And possibly saving the best for last, is what this Heritage Zelos GT looks like in the dark. While the indices and tips of the hands are lumed, the highlight here is that blue paint is lumed as well, meaning yes, this is a full lume dial. You would not expect a watch with this color dial to glow in the dark, but it does, and it looks amazing. Lume technology seems to advance every year, and this is one great-looking watch in the dark.
I have no trouble admitting that I adore the Zelos GT. Pretty much everything is extremely well done on this piece, bracelet finishing aside, and at $400, I find this to be a very fun sports car-inspired watch that isn’t over the top and looks and feels great on the wrist. Confusion on my end of which car it was meant to be inspired by really doesn’t matter; this is a fun, affordable piece that can be worn every day, and with this Gulf or Heritage dial, would be a great summer watch as well.
Unfortunately, as I stated at the top of this review, these are sold out. They sold out before I was able to publish this review, and that I do apologize for that, but hopefully you will be able to snag one later in the year. But if this batch release was any indication, don’t wait too long, as this Zelos GT is hard to catch!
