RZE Fortitude GMT
These days you can’t shake a stick without coming across a GMT watch and the RZE Fortitude GMT is the young watch brand’s second GMT. The first was the Ascentus GMT, a new case and dial design. The Fortitutde GMT is the evolution from the three-hand version of the Fortiutde, released a few years ago.
The specs mostly stay the same: a 41mm titanium case and bracelet with the Ultraflex hard coating, a sandwich dial, sapphire crystal, and that turbine bezel. There are a few changes though, such as the addition of the GMT hand courtesy of the Miyota 9075 movement, new dial colors such as this Turbo Teal or the Crimson Red, and the now this traveler watch has an updated clasp with on-the-fly adjustment, and pricing starts at $699.
ย ย Specifications
- Case: Solid Grade 2 Titanium with UltraHex Coating
- Case Size: 41mm
- Case Thickness: 12mm
- Lug size: 20mm
- Lug to Lug: 48mmย
- Movement: Miyota 9075 GMT movement
- Water Resistance: 100mย
- Crown: Screw Down Crownย
- Sapphire Crystal
- Titanium Bracelet with UltraHex coating
- Screw Down titanium case back
Price $699 (As shown) $739 with rubber strap and bracelet
https://www.rzewatches.com/pages/fortitude
RZE took their long-sold-out Fortitude pilot watch and upgraded it with the Miyota 9075, possibly one of the most used movements in the last year in the microbrand watch world. This movement continues to be popular because it mimics the Rolex GMT, among others, with an independent moving hour hand, to easily set your current time once you arrive, and use the arrow GMT hand as your home time. This is what is referred to by many as a true or travelers GMT movement.
As I have discussed quite extensively over the past year, this movement also deletes the quick set date option, so you will need to move that hour hand around to set your date, and then go ahead and set your time if you haven’t worn it for a few days, which is possibly my biggest gripe about this movement. Otherwise, it does what it says, and it’s a very affordable true GMT, hence its popularity.
The RZE Fortitude GMT retains the same design as the original, with the Oris Pro Pilot look about it, while still adding its DNA, all in grade 2 titanium, with the invisible hard coating. This hard coating, like many others are using, gives the titanium or steel some extra scratch resistance, but don’t think of this as a scratch-free watch. It can scratch, just like anything can, but it should keep your watch looking newer and longer. That is unless you are the case back, which I found can get scratched pretty easily, as it seems they decided not to give the hard coat treatment to the back of the watch.
The jet turbine-style fixed bezel is still here, as well as that massive 8mm crown, and when unscrewed you see that red aluminum crown tube, a signature of this model from RZE. Crown operation as well as setting the time, GMT hand, etc is fantastic in my opinion, and I love this large crown on a relatively smaller watch at 41mm, and yet it doesn’t look oversized, or clownish.
The only dial colors to make their way from the original to the GMT are the turbo teal as I have here and the black dial, so far no white or grey, and grey is the one I wish they had made. I am a sucker for the monotone colorways, and I love a good grey dial and think it would have looked great with the yellow GMT hand. The teal dial got an upgrade as well, as not only is it more of a gradient dial than before but it is much more of a teal color, with more of that blueish hue than the green of the previous model.
The RZE Fortitude GMT is still a sandwich dial, it still has the gravel or pebble texture, and the date at 6 clock, though it is now more of a traditional squarish cutout, and the date wheel numbers match the color of the GMT hand. You still have numbers in front of the indices as well, but this time they are 5-minute increment numbers instead of the 24-hour time, as that has now moved to the chapter ring, to line up with the GMT hand.
One other thing that hasn’t changed is the readability. The hands are large and crisp and along with the colors make them stand out against the dial. It may sound silly but some brands forget that while we watch enthusiasts love a good-looking watch, and it may be a fashion item for us, we still want to be able to tell the time easily. RZE understands that we want both functionality and form.
The bracelet and end links are the same as well, though they feel more refined than the original, which I chalk up to better manufacturing over the last few years. It makes sense that any brand wants to continue to improve, and the level of finishing on the RZE Fortitude GMT is just a little bit more refined, a little more crisp, and a little smoother all around. The end links seat well into the lugs for a nice transition and the link bracelet has a unique look about it, and like a lot of watches these days, everything can be easily removed or adjusted.
Quick release pins to take the bracelet off in seconds, one piece screws to hold the links together, and now the on-the-fly adjustable clasp, to help obtain that perfect fit or just to give you a little extra room or a little tightening, whenever you need it.
That makes the bracelet even better than the original, and combined with it being all titanium, the RZE Fortitude GMT looks and feels great on my 7 1/2 inch (19.05cm) wrist. There is an option at checkout to add one of RZE’s custom rubber straps, which I do love, but unless you are just absolutely against bracelets, I can’t see why you would ever take this bracelet off, as a big part of this watch’s aesthetic is the bracelet in my opinion. Like anything, opinions vary, but this is a watch that is meant to stay on the bracelet.
I do feel the lume on the hands though could be improved, but I do have a caveat for that. While it is true that the lume on the hour and minute hand is not as prominent as the sandwich indices and GMT hand, they do look brighter in person than the camera pics up. While you shouldn’t have any trouble seeing the time in the dark, I do think the hour and minute hand could use another coat or two of the lume compound.
I think it was a smart move for RZE to make a GMT Fortitude. After all, the original model is completely sold out, so it was definitely popular, and with it being a pilot watch and the GMT craze that is still going on, it just makes sense. They retained pretty much everything I liked about the original, and even though the updates beyond the movement are subtle, they are appreciated.
I would like to see the case back get the hard coating, and another layer of lume on the hands, but other than that, this is another great release from RZE, and at this point, that is not surprising. While this Fortitude is not my personal favorite of all the RZE releases, I can say I have really liked every watch I have reviewed from them thus far, and just really dig their design language.
For more about RZE and to see all available models, head over to their website.ย
