You probably don’t know this but RZE was the first brand to have loaned me a watch when I got started in 2020. Back then I barely had 500 followers on Instagram, no website, but the brand’s founder, Travis Tan, took a leap of faith which I’d be forever grateful for. (To this day I’m still not sure why he did so.) So it won’t surprise you to hear that I’ve reviewed every single model the brand has released since, including the first generation Fortitude a couple of years back which was then my all-time favorite from the brand. So I was quite enthusiastic to learn that RZE was bringing this model back, this time with a GMT complication which the brand complemented with a gentle—yet effective—dial redesign. 

What made the first Fortitude so good was the fact that it’s a pilot watch designed by an airline pilot (that’s Travis’ full-time job.) To me this fact explained how coherent of a model it was, both from technical and visual perspectives. It was legible, robust, equipped with a reliable Seiko NH35 caliber, endowed with lots of lume, and a hardened titanium case and bracelet. All of this neatly wrapped in a $650 USD-priced package. The new Fortitude GMT remains attainable—$699 USD—, a feat RZE accomplished despite opting for a more complex and expensive caliber. I’ll explain why it is so in a minute and some. It’s therefore time to take a look at the improved best RZE model—according to me that is. 

Specifications 

What comes to mind when you hear the words “pilot watch”? I imagine a large timekeeping device in the likes of the IWC Mark XV or Laco Type A. Both being incredible models, both, however, being a tad too large for yours truly. The RZE Fortitude GMT is not a small watch by any means as it measures 41mm in diameter, 47mm lug-to-lug, 12mm thick and comes with a 20mm lug width. (Ok fine, it’s not that big.) However, given that the case and bracelet are made of titanium (the brand’s signature material,) the lightness of the package far outweighs its printed dimensions. For example, sized to my 6.50”/16.5cm wrist, the Fortitude GMT clocks in at 113g on the bracelet. That’s pretty darn good in my books and makes this model look and especially feel smaller on the wrist. 

In addition to being lightweight, the Fortitude GMT is endowed with many specs which would put many of the giant Swiss pilot watches to shame. (I feel comfortable saying this because, in my opinion, having an outstanding specs-to-price ratio is far more important than having a triple certified caliber.) So what does this mean? First of all, a Miyota 9075 flier-style GMT caliber (4Hz/42 hours of power reserve) meaning that it is the local hour hand that jumps back and forth instead of the GMT one. These types of GMT movements are more complex to make and therefore more costly to purchase. Then, we find 100 meters of water resistance (screw-down crown and case-back,) a flat piece of sapphire crystal with inner “Super AR” coating (it’s clear and darn effective) and an incredible amount of BGW9 given the sandwich dial construction. 

The bracelet in itself is worth spending a little more time on as it is entirely made of hardened titanium—like the case by the way—which is scratch resistant. Furthermore, we find female end-links which aids in making the bracelet drape around the natural contour of the wrist, quick-release spring-bars, and an on-the-fly micro-adjustment system. That means that the Fortitude GMT is a pilot watch, a diver, a field watch, lightweight and robust, legible and practical to use. That’s a lot of good stuff to put into a single model which, again, retails for $699 USD. 

Design 

Here at Mainspring we are mostly—no, fully—dedicated to purpose-driven tool watches and the RZE Fortitude GMT is therefore 100% up our alley. And as such we can naturally expect to find a legible dial, which we do, with a rather unique looking handset, a matte and textured black dial, and an almost full monochromatic color scheme (safe for the GMT hand and date numerals.) White hands and hour markers contrast superbly against a black dial, so does an orange GMT hand the shape of which I’ve never seen before. And so does having the numerals of the date wheel printed in orange. In case you were wondering, the Fortitude GMT comes in a total of four color variants: Nighthawk (black,) Crimson Red, Turboteal (teal/green) and the stealthy Workbench edition with a full and magnificent monochromatic appearance. 

What makes the hands so easy to spot is the fact that they are mostly painted white (of SuperLuminova BGW9,) except for their bases which have been blacked-out, which makes the orange GMT hand stand out. One of the design elements that has been revised from the first generation Fortitude is the integration of the date aperture which was smaller and circular—therefore not really legible—whilst it is now larger and of trapezoidal shape on the GMT variant. This means the numerals for the date are larger as well and therefore much more legible—hence, more practical to use—given their orange color. This is a small yet crucial element of the redesign of the dial which elevates the Fortitude GMT to the highest levels of purposefulness in the genre of tool watches. 

Totally my thing, therefore I’m totally in love with this model. 

According to my own photos of the first generation Fortitude, the case and bracelet look the same as they do on the new version. I’m so glad to see the jet turbine-inspired fixed bezel again, the massive crown that is grippy and looks simply cool, as well as the straightforward yet subtly elegant case design where we find multi-faceted lugs that turn down towards the wrist, slab-sided flanks, and a full matte finish that is echoed on the bracelet and clasp. In case you were wondering, we are definitely dealing with a proper tool watch here. And I would say it is even more so the case given the fully-graduated minute track, the discreet branding, and the GMT-scale printed in white on the rehaut. (A GMT scale printed in orange would have screwed the visual balance of the dial. )

The Heart of the Matter

At the heart of the matter is the fact that RZE continues to be faithful to its own design philosophy of offering tool watches made with full titanium cases, sober dial layouts, endowed with manufacturing and finishing of superior quality (as they relate to the price RZE models are sold for.) All of this is coupled with an indeed reasonable price tag as I for one believe that $699 USD is not a lot of money to part with for a “true” GMT caliber with that level of design individuality and manufacturing quality. In the introduction I dared say that the Fortitude GMT could put many Swiss brands to shame, and I hope I was able to articulate why it is so. (If not, then shoot me an email vincent@mainspring.watch) Compared to many other micro/indy brands, RZE does not release many models each year, but when they do so, they’re always a hit. 

And I would further add that they are always 100% RZE—instead of becoming a weird mix of whatever the brand’s fans and aspiring customers demand of it, as it is often the case when brands grow. So an extra kudos to RZE for that. 

While many enthusiasts relish owning watches from brands that come with heritage, something that micro/independent brands created four years ago logically don’t have, I’d venture in saying that RZE is one of the few indy brands to indeed have this sought-after quality. One that the brand created itself over the past few years by consistently innovating in matters of manufacturing and technology whilst remaining true to its original visual DNA. If you know of RZE then you know that it was one of the first, if not the first, micro/indy brand to only offer full titanium models. Since 95% of what we say everyday is highly subjective, I have decided to say the following: by releasing the Fortitude GMT, RZE is true to its heritage. 

Take that watch trolls! 

Conclusion 

As it was said before, design and value are subjective matters. How good or bad something looks is entirely personal, just like how good of a value an object is or not can also be up to every person’s biased interpretation. However, looking broadly at the micro and independent watch market we can easily see that the RZE Fortitude GMT offers a lot of watch for the asking price of $699 USD compared to similarly priced watches. So today is the type of day when I would indeed argue that a watch constitutes outstanding value for the money. $699 USD for a hardened-titanium flier-style GMT with 100 meters of water resistance, sapphire crystal, great lume, and a titanium bracelet with on-the-fly micro-adjustment mechanism is, indeed, a lot. 

But…do you like how it looks? I do. And if you do too, then you would be happy to know that all four versions of the Fortitude GMT are available for immediate purchase and shipping on RZE’s website. What are you waiting for? 

Thanks for reading.