I’m sure we could spend another afternoon debating the Rolex Pepsi GMT, its availability, and whether the red-and-blue bezel will ever go out of style. Personally, I think we’ve had enough of that conversation for a while. Especially when Vulcain is over here making GMTs with pink and turquoise dials that I’d much rather talk about.
The Swiss brand has introduced three new versions of its Skindiver Nautique GMT, available in green, turquoise, and pink. Each retains the 38mm stainless steel case, black ceramic 24-hour bezel, and vintage-inspired design of the existing model. The dial treatments are the main attraction here, and I think Vulcain made some pretty interesting choices.
The turquoise and pink versions are easily my favorites. Both feature a subtle eggshell texture, while the green has a smoother, slightly shimmering finish. The applied hour markers and baton hands use white luminous material, and the red-tipped GMT hand adds another bit of color. Vulcain has also replaced the yellowish vintage-style markings on the bezel with white, which I think was the right call given the brighter dials.
There’s a good amount of restraint in the underlying design, and that helps these colors work. The black bezel provides some visual separation from the dial, while the relatively simple hour markers keep things from getting too busy. To me, the pink version is particularly interesting. It’s an unusual choice for a vintage-inspired dive GMT, and I like that Vulcain went with something a little unexpected.
The Skindiver Nautique GMT itself has a fairly recent history. It debuted in 2024 as a collaboration between Vulcain, Italian retailer Gioielleria Rosaspina, and watch creator TOC. Although it looks like something the brand might have produced in the 1960s, the GMT is a contemporary design that eventually joined Vulcain’s regular collection.
That background makes these new versions especially interesting to me. Vulcain has spent much of its modern existence leaning on the Cricket, the mechanical alarm watch that remains its most recognizable creation. There’s plenty of history there, but I’ve been curious to see what the brand could accomplish outside that familiar territory. The Skindiver collection seems like a reasonable place to start.
As for the specifications, the stainless steel case measures approximately 38mm across and features brushed surfaces with polished chamfers. There’s a double-domed sapphire crystal, a screw-down crown, and 200 meters of water resistance. Those are sensible specifications for a watch that borrows heavily from traditional dive-watch design.
Inside, the Soprod C125 automatic movement provides a 42-hour power reserve and an independently adjustable GMT hand. It’s a caller-style arrangement, meaning you’ll adjust the GMT hand when tracking another time zone. Frequent travelers might prefer a movement with an independently adjustable local hour hand, and I think that’s a fair consideration at this price.
Speaking of which, prices start at $2,330 on a rubber strap. The beads-of-rice bracelet brings that to $2,510, while the tapered Vintage bracelet costs $2,610. In my opinion, that’s getting a little expensive for a watch equipped with the C125. I can appreciate the design, although I’d still want to compare it against other GMTs in this price range before making any broader claims about value.
My bigger complaint concerns the production numbers. Vulcain is limiting the turquoise and pink models to 100 pieces each, while the green gets just 50 examples. I understand the appeal of limited editions, but these quantities seem awfully restrictive for a brand that could benefit from getting more of its watches onto people’s wrists.
I think Vulcain has something interesting going with the Skindiver Nautique GMT. The colors are fun, the proportions are appealing on paper, and the design has enough of its own personality to stand apart from the usual GMT offerings. I’d love to see the brand continue experimenting with this collection. And if that means making a few more pink and turquoise watches, I’d be perfectly fine with that.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.