Charlie Paris Concordia GMT
Time+Tide- Charlie Paris introduce a brand-new GMT to their Concordia diver collection
- The Concordia GMT features the Swiss-made, automatic Soprod C125 caller GMT movement
- With an internal GMT rehaut and a graduated diver’s bezel, the Concordia GMT is impressively water resistant at 300 metres
Within a market for GMTs that continues to grow, it can be hard to decide which advantages one model has over another. Things have come a long way for micro/independent brands, and now we find ourselves with perhaps too many options to choose from. However, there aren’t many GMT divers (the recent Oceaneva Deep Marine and Baltic Aquascaphe GMT come to mind) – watches that combine a GMT complication with the functionality of submersible timepieces. The latest such watch comes from Charlie Paris, a French independent watchmaker founded ten years ago. Their collection of adventure-ready watches welcomes a new addition: the Charlie Paris Concordia GMT with 300 meters of water resistance, powered by a Soprod C125 calibre.
We featured the Charlie Paris Concordia a while back, so this GMT version gives us a look at how the collection has evolved over the last few years. Rather than slapping a GMT movement into the original and calling it a day, Charlie Paris seized the opportunity to revamp the design of their most popular adventure watch. They based the revision on feedback they have been receiving, making the Concordia GMT a more complete package. The result, one could argue, is a model that looks and feels mature, as I imagine that upgrading a popular model must be a stressful endeavour for any brand.
The most obvious change from the diver is the movement. The Concordia GMT is equipped with a Soprod C125 which beats at 28,800vph (4Hz) and has 40 hours of power reserve. These movements have a general stated accuracy of -4/+10 seconds per day out of the box which is decent considering the price point. This particular movement is a bit of a staple with GMTs at this price point, which means Charlie Paris picked the right calibre. The Soprod C125 is what watch enthusiasts refer to as a caller GMT, the name derived from the GMT hand that jumps forward in one-hour increments, as opposed to a true, or traveller, GMT where it is the local hour hand that jumps forward and backward.
Looking at the dial, the Concordia GMT preserves the visual DNA of its older sibling, showcasing pencil-style hour and minute hands set against applied hour markers that are rectangular at the three and nine positions and rectangular elsewhere. The hands and markers are endowed with generous applications of SuperLuminova so that one can read the time two time zones and keep track of bottom time after the sun has set. An appropriately sized date aperture can be found at the six, with a bevelled frame and a white date disc so that it complements the rest of the dial. The biggest visual difference from the diver is the addition of a fourth hand and GMT rehaut. The former remains discreet, having a blue stem colour-matched to the dial, and a small triangle element complete with a long tail. The latter is printed on the sloped rehaut and divided into AM and PM by contrasting colours – blue for nighttime and white for daytime hours.
The bezel, for its part, remains almost the same. It has a thin profile with a coin edge finish and a count-up scale where the five-minute increments are highlighted by alternating Arabic numerals and hash marks. Charlie Paris made the aluminium bezel on the GMT version more useful than the one found on the diver by adding a lumed pip at the 12 o’clock for nighttime legibility. A 3mm-domed sapphire crystal on top and flat sapphire for the see-through case-back finish the diver aesthetic.
With elongated, downturned lugs and a slab-sided profile, the case of the Concordia GMT is very similar to the one found on the diver. The crown design was revamped and given an almost-onion appearance to make it easier to operate. It is also flanked by small crown guards which the diver does not have. In terms of finish, we can see brushed surfaces on top of the lugs, polished flanks, and polished chamfers. The polished accents echo those found on the hands and the surrounds of the hour markers, creating subtle light play and visual harmony. The Concordia GMT measures 40mm in diameter, 47.5mm lug-to-lug, 12.5mm thick and has 20mm lug width. Finally, the screw-down crown and caseback, help the Concordia GMT reach 300 meters of water resistance, cementing its diving capabilities.
Charlie Paris Concordia GMT pricing and availability
Pre-orders for the Charlie Paris Concordia GMT will start on September 13 2023 directly from the brand’s website, with deliveries estimated for November 2023. The Concordia GMT will be offered in four colors: blue, green, chocolate brown, and black.
Pre-order price: €1,195 (nylon or leather strap), €1,245 (steel bracelet)
Retail price: €1,375 (nylon or leather strap), €1,425 (steel bracelet)
| Brand | Charlie Paris |
| Model | Concordia GMT |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 12.5mm (T) x 47.5mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 300 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Blue, green, brown or black |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Nylon strap, leather strap or steel bracelet |
| Movement | Soprod C125, automatic, caller GMT |
| Power Reserve | 40 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, caller GMT |
| Availability | Available now |
| Price | Pre-order price: €1,195 (nylon or leather strap), €1,245 (steel bracelet) Retail price: €1,375 (nylon or leather strap), €1,425 (steel bracelet) |