I used to skip over Jack Mason without thinking much about it. Not because the designs were bad. If anything, the Strat-o-timer always looked pretty sharp. It had presence, strong specs, and a surprisingly loyal following. But for whatever reason, the brand just sat outside my regular orbit.
The new Strat-o-timer Titanium Diver GMT takes one of the most talked-about affordable flyer GMTs and adds just enough to make it feel new again. Titanium case. Titanium bracelet. A slightly reworked dial. And a price point that feels oddly restrained given the material upgrade.
The case keeps its original shape, a softened ellipse that wears well on most wrists. Still 40 millimeters wide and 13.2 millimeters tall. The finish stays mostly brushed, which pairs well with the more muted tone of titanium. Nothing flashy, just a cleaner, lighter version of what already worked.
The bracelet follows the same seven-link design from the steel version. It’s not the three-row variant some fans might prefer, but it gets the job done. A black FKM rubber strap is included, which adds flexibility for travel or summer wear. It feels like a nod to the model’s tool watch intentions, even if that rubber strap never quite replaces a bracelet for daily use.
From a design perspective, Jack Mason made some subtle but significant choices. The ceramic bezel no longer features the familiar 24-hour GMT scale. Instead, it’s been swapped for a 60-minute dive timer. That change moves the 24-hour markings onto the dial, tucked in around the applied baton markers. Whether that works visually will likely depend on how you felt about the original.
The biggest departure is the new GMT hand. Gone is the sharp, arrow-shaped pointer that echoed the Rolex GMT-Master II. In its place is a partially skeletonized hand with a bright tip. To me, it looks a little like a traffic cone. It’s not a terrible decision, but it definitely shifts the watch’s visual rhythm. The remaining hands stay the same, including the lollipop seconds hand with the familiar tricolor counterweight. Super-LumiNova still fills the hands, hour markers, and bezel markings, glowing in blue as before.
Another minor update is the circular, frameless date window. It simplifies the lower half of the dial and clears space for the new GMT layout. Small tweak, but one that shows some thought.
Mechanically, nothing has changed. And that’s a good thing. The Strat-o-timer still runs on Miyota’s caliber 9075, a “flyer” GMT movement (the same you’d find on badass watches like the TrailTrekker) that lets you jump the local hour hand without disrupting the minute or GMT track. It beats at 28,800 bph and offers a 42-hour power reserve. Jack Mason claims they regulate the movement in-house to within five seconds per day, which is notable at this price.
That price, by the way, is $1,399. Only $250 more than the standard steel version. For full titanium, plus an extra strap and no compromises on specs, that’s hard to ignore. Even for someone who never gave the brand much thought before.
Only one color is available at launch, a saturated cobalt blue. But based on Jack Mason’s track record, more colors will likely follow. Maybe even a few soda-inspired throwbacks for good measure.
The Strat-o-timer always looked good on paper. Now it looks good in titanium too. And this time, I can’t look away.
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.