Hands-On With The Jack Mason Strat-o-Timer Titanium Diver GMT

Jack Mason has certainly been busy! The American brand has taken huge steps in renewing and improving its offerings. Recently, I had a chance to review both the updated Canton and the new Pursuit Pro. The next two releases that landed on my desk were new versions of the popular Strat-o-Timer GMT. After introducing a wide variety of colors for the steel models, Jack Mason now launches two variants crafted from lightweight titanium. It’s time to find out more!

When I recently browsed through the Jack Mason collection, two recent Strat-o-Timer GMTs immediately caught my eye. The brand unveiled two American-soft-drink-inspired versions that look awesome. The first is the Dr. Pepper Real Sugar variant, while the second uses the A&W Root Beer colors. Fans seem to like these sparkling takes on the watch, and the Root Beer model sold out quickly, signaling the popularity of Jack Mason’s Strat-o-Timer GMT. In the next step, the ’70s-inspired GMT now becomes available in titanium. These lightweight versions maintain the retro charm while adding modern-day comfort and dive functionality.

The specs of the titanium Jack Mason Strat-o-Timer Titanium Diver GMT models

Both Strat-o-Timer Titanium Diver GMTs have a 40mm Grade 2 titanium case with a 13mm thickness, a 47mm lug-to-lug, and a 200m depth rating. The C-shaped mid-case has a fully brushed finish to emphasize its tool-watch nature. The 20mm seven-row bracelet is also completely brushed, resulting in a matte overall presence. Even better, all the titanium components have a hard, scratch-resistant coating.

A pop of visual brilliance comes in the form of the polished unidirectional bezel. It features a brushed ceramic insert with a luminous 60-minute dive scale. That’s also where these new watches are different. They each have a dive bezel and a 24-hour GMT scale on the dial, whereas the Strat-o-Timer GMT models each have a 24-hour GMT bezel.

Jack Mason introduces two versions of the watch. The first features a black dial and a black bezel insert, while the second swaps these black components for bright blue ones. Both feature large applied hour markers treated with BGW9 Super-LumiNova.

The indexes sit partially within the open seconds/minute track, and between their sloping tips are printed numerals for the 24-hour GMT scale. As you can see, there are only odd numbers here, as the regular indexes also mark the even hours.

The differences between the stainless steel and titanium Strat-o-Timer (Diver) GMT

Lastly, there is a date window at 6 o’clock. Compared to the stainless steel models, that window is smaller and circular instead of rectangular. It also has a less noticeable frame. But that’s also where the differences between the two come in.

The stainless steel versions have a GMT scale on the bezel, whereas these new GMT divers have a dive bezel. As a result, the designers moved the GMT scale to the dial. Thankfully, they integrated it nicely and left plenty of room for the Jack Mason star on the upper half of the dial and the functional text on the lower half.

Hovering over the dial are the stick-shaped hour and minute hands, a lollipop seconds hand, and a skeletonized orange GMT hand. All four hands are treated with Super-LumiNova, allowing you to read the local and home time in the dark. Additionally, you can use the dive bezel in low/no light, as the markings are fully luminous.

Inside the case, you will find the Miyota 9075. The automatic flyer-style GMT movement operates at 28,800vph and offers 42 hours of power reserve. As most of you will know, the 9075 is a go-to option for many brands that want an affordable flyer-style caliber for their watches.

In an extra step, Jack Mason regulated the caliber to ±5 seconds per day. Compared to the standard daily accuracy of -10/+30 seconds, that is a major improvement.

Wearing the Jack Mason Strat-o-Timer Titanium Diver GMT

Thanks to the screws in the links, the seven-row bracelet is easy to size. Additionally, the folding clasp features a generous, toolless micro-adjustment system that allows wearers to find the perfect fit. Just make sure to click it into place securely, ensuring the bracelet stays in place.

Once on the wrist, the first thing that stands out is the lower weight. It’s fun to realize that this classic ’70s-inspired design is not significantly lighter than the stainless steel model.

Additionally, the watch sits really nicely on the wrist. They have plenty of wrist presence without feeling too big. The watches have a relatively short lug-to-lug, which also makes them a good fit for people with smaller wrists. In terms of style, these Strat-o-Timer Titanium Diver GMTs are clearly inspired by classic Seiko watches of the 1970s. It’s a familiar feel that is comfortable and reminds me of my favorite vintage Seikos.

Final thoughts on the Jack Mason Strat-o-Timer Titanium Diver GMT

To my surprise, the dials do not feel too crowded or busy. The design works well thanks to the nicely integrated 24-hour scale. Compared to the regular GMT model, yes, these are slightly busier. But the smart thing is that Jack Mason founder Peter Cho chose to go with full-blue and full-black colorways. As a result, there aren’t too many color signals that distract from the functionality of the watches.

The Strat-o-Timer Titanium Diver GMT also feels solid to operate. Its 120-click bezel has a little bit of play but aligns nicely with the hour markers. Additionally, the crown is easy to grip. Unscrewing and screwing it in felt a little scratchy, but rotating it was easy. If you pull the crown out to the second position, you can change the date and the hour hand for the local time. If you pull it out to the third position, you can hack the seconds hand and adjust the other three hands together to set the home time.

Overall, wearing and operating the Jack Mason Strat-o-Timer Titanium Diver GMT felt familiar. And I mean that in a good way. Above all, the lightweight Grade 2 titanium case and bracelet make these two watches a joy to wear. At US$1,399, these new titanium GMT divers are $200 more expensive than the regular stainless steel GMTs. It’s a fair price increase that will undoubtedly attract fans of the Texan brand to add this to their collections.

If you want to find out more about the Jack Mason Strat-o-timer Titanium Diver GMT, head on over to the brand’s official website.

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