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Famously, many everyday products trace their roots directly to America’s national defense and space exploration spending. Freeze-dried ice cream. GPS. Memory foam mattresses. Duct tape. Canned food. The Internet. This technology transfer occasionally flows toward the world of watchmaking but, more often, brands celebrate the ways they’ve supported the military’s mission. From Top Gun to the SEALS, there’s nary a unit left without an “official watch.” Behind every strong military unit is a watch company using its logo to sell timepieces. Isn’t that how the old saying goes?

So, Revelot’s new R10 Admiral GMT is a refreshing reversal, drawing inspiration from the military without seeking to co-opt the glory of a particular unit. In fact, the watch’s sharp geometry comes from an inauspicious place — the U.S. Navy’s very good-looking but boondoggled Littoral Combat Ship. One of the biggest shipbuilding headaches in history, decades of development and cost overruns in the billions have made the LCS an adventure the Navy would like to quickly forget. For Revelot’s part, it’s chosen to focus on the best thing about the troubled ship: the fact that it looks downright cool. By the brand’s own attestation, watches should be foremost “fun, affordable, and packed with value.” The Admiral GMT is certainly that, and there’s a certain sense of dark fun in designing a watch to commemorate such a quagmire as the LCS.

Befitting a naval vessel, the R10 Admiral GMT is principally a diver. With bright colors, a unidirectional bezel, and a ton of lume, it’d be hard to mistake it for anything else. However, the addition of a GMT complication makes it somewhat of a crossover, adding functionality that makes Revelot call the R10 “a dive watch with a GMT feature on the side.” Using Seiko Instruments NH34 GMT movement, it’s an “office” GMT but paired with the 200m water resistance, Revelot acknowledges that like the LCS, this one’s designed to operate close to shore.

The case, angular as it is, seems paradoxically big and small at once. With a diagonal measurement of 43.5mm, it’s on the bigger side, yet the bezel diameter is only 41.5mm. Lug-to-lug, it’s 49mm with a thickness of 13.5mm, making it thinner than Tudor’s Black Bay Pro. Slightly angled 22mm lugs ought to help with the wrist profile, and — partially thanks to the longer lug-to-lug measurement — the R10 Admiral makes use of straight end links, a feature that can often immediately make a big watch seem smaller. Not to mention, it broadens compatibility with aftermarket bracelets and is more likely to eliminate the unsightly gap sometimes created by more curved inter-lug shapes.

Suited to a microbrand diver, there are dial color and strap options galore. An Army green and a molten orange variant make use of green C3 lume on the bezel and sunburst dial, while the monochrome Storm, red-tinted Darkside, and meteorite-dialed Grey Storm all use blue BGW9 Super-LumiNova. There are three full-lume versions — the Glacier, Dune, and Arctic — that are true standouts in the collection. Here, the dial’s whirlpool motif is elevated with the luminescent treatment that looks striking both in daylight and at night. Each of the eight variants is available on either silicone rubber, partially color-matched to the dial, or a five-row bracelet with two key features: quick-release and a glide-lock clasp for toolless micro-adjustment. Regarding the latter, it’s encouraging to see brands like Revelot embracing these fitment technologies, ensuring each watch can fit a wide range of wrist shapes and sizes. Not only does the feature make the R10 Admiral highly adjustable, the CNC-milled clasp takes on a smooth appearance, as the clever glide-lock mechanism eliminates the need for micro-adjustment holes on the clasp’s exterior.

Standout touches that make the R10 Admiral GMT worth a closer look are details like hands shaped to resemble the LCS when viewed from above. The hour markers take the form of a continuous, geometric ring (fully lumed) running all the way around the dial and jutting out at symmetric intervals to indicate the hours. Even the numeral font used on the GMT-scale chapter ring is decidedly military in origin. So, too, is the brushed case finish and knurled bezel and crown. It all comes together to create one of the better uses of the NH34 movement since it was launched in 2022.

Pricing is staggered, with an early bird pre-order for the 100 customers priced at $249/$295 USD respectively, depending on whether you choose the silicone strap or the steel bracelet. After that, the Launch Price of $295/$342 USD kicks in for a limited time, after which, the Normal Price of $340/$386 USD finally takes hold. The Revelot R10 Admiral GMT launches in May of 2023. Learn more at the brand’s website.

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Specifications:

Brand: Revelot
Model: R10 Admiral GMT
Dimensions: 43.5mm (widest measurement), 42.5mm (bezel), 49mm (lug-to-lug), 13.5mm (thickness)
Water Resistance: 200 meters
Case Material: 316L stainless steel
Crystal/Lens: Anti-reflective coated, chamfered flat Sapphire crystal
Movement: SI NH35 Automatic (GMT, hours, minutes, central seconds, date)
Frequency: 21,600 bph
Power Reserve: 41 hours
Strap/Bracelet: 316L Stainless steel bracelet (22mm tapered to 20mm) or color-matched black silicone strap.
Price & Availability: Starting at $249 to $386 USD. Early Bird Pre-orders begin May 3, 2023 on Revelot’s website.