Sometimes we surprise ourselves!
Having recently undertaken a couple of Holton bespoke projects where colour was part of the brief, we decided that for this year’s British Watchmakers' Day, our limited edition model would be our iconic Holton Auto GMT and colour would be our starting point.
We then got a little carried away and added a brushed case and bracelet. So, a double whammy for 2025, a blue dialled Holton Auto GMT and red chapter , for the first time in a brushed steel case and limited to just 10 pieces. Actually, we’ve gone a little dizzy
We're always looking to improve what we make and expand our range, when it's the right thing to do.
As soon as Seiko announced their new NH34 GMT automatic movement, we knew it would be the perfect movement for our Holton range -- bulletproof NH35 heritage plus an independent jumping GMT hand, keeping the clarity from the OG Holton Professional tool watches undiluted, whilst offering a GMT dual time zone feature we hadn't offered previously.
Taking all our design language from the original Holton, this model honours everything we already know and love, with the added benefit of it now being able to show 'Zulu Time' when you're away from home. Paired with our Flat Dark Earth rubber strap, this nods to it's military issued brother with a twist of colour that just works.
Our Holtons have earned their reputation worldwide time and again and in the worst conditions imaginable, so we don't mess with what works: the dial and hands are unchanged from the very first prototypes we drew almost a decade ago - bold truncated pyramid hour markers printed in high performance X1 C3 Superluminova reminiscent of 1970s military dive watches - brought up to date with our trademark 12-3-6-9 cardinal graphics, with white triangles to help orientate the watch when it’s dark and aid rapid timing readings.
A stubby ‘sword’ hour hand and a long slender parallel minutes hand that reaches precisely to the minute markers minimise the chance of confusion, with the Crow's Foot/Broad Arrow-tipped GMT hand paying respect to the OG issued Holton quartz with its NSN, as well as being legible day or night, reaching the perfect distance beyond the hour hand.
Very minor internal tweaks to our proven shock proofed Holton case mean the GMT version is no thicker than the NH35 automatic version at 14mm, but never being ones to miss an opportunity for some design work, we designed a beautiful new deep etched and brushed case back graphic with an EB shield/globe logo, referencing the GMT movement whilst differentiating it from the other Holton models.