Santa came early for me and dropped off a few presents!! The JLC Navy Seals Chrono GMT and Zenith Chronomaster XT Moonage. I'm really really happy with both pieces.
After returning my IWC Yacht Club I was pretty bummed out. My AD allowed me to use the credit towards something different and he was able to land a Limited Edition JLC Navy Seals Chrono GMT. It gives me exactly what I wanted; a rugged sporty watch...and this thing sure is a monster. The titanium case is super lightweight, well finished, and extremely comfortable to wear. It is 17.8mm thick, by far the thickest case I have ever seen. I was a little concerned that the 46.3mm x 17.8mm case wouldn't fit me properly but it sits on my wrist perfectly. It feels larger than my old Bentley 6.75 and Chronomatic 49 but it's about 1/2 the weight. JLC did not have the exact weight of the watch which is something I am very curious to find out.
When I opened the box I was floored by massive the size, I was then floored again when I picked it up; it felt like a feather! The dial is partially textured on the outer rim, the center is a flat black. The bezel is made from ceramic but it's not like a Rolex Ceramic bezel which is glossy, this is more of a flat slate color which compliments the dial nicely. This watch has a 12 hour chrono, GMT function, and a day/night indicator. The GMT hand can be hidden under the hour hand which I really like....and lastly the STRAP! It is the nicest rubber strap I have ever had. It's called an articulated rubber strap...exactly what that means I don't know...but it's my understanding that it has a metal core surround by a rubber coating. It looks and feels like a metal bracelet and is extremely comfortable!! The watch was development under a partnership with the US Navy Seals; I love that JLC didn't plaster the Navy Seal symbol all over the watch, it appears only on the caseback in a very nicely done subtle manner.
Now...onto the watch that I have been after since my buddy bought it back it June. The Zenith Chronomaster XT Moonage. In my opinion this is the ultimate dress watch. It has everything that I love in a watch; roman numerals, textured dial, moon phase, 12 hour choro, day, date, month complications, display back, and one of the world's best movements, the Zenith El Primero Calibre 4009 which beats at 36,000 vph. I really really love this watch!! It's surprisingly lightweight and VERY thin which adds to my belief that it's the perfect dress watch. The dial curves downward towards the tachymeter and the hour & chrono seconds hand also curve downward to follow the same lines, I think very nice attention to detail. I also really like the rose-petal-like patterns inside the chronos. I forgot to mention the ogee edge patern on the case around the crystal. It's a really nice touch that gives this watch an elegant look.
So jealous of that JLC! Lovely score, that is one gorgeous watch. Interesting to hear about the GMT hand-- that's a handy little feature. I think the 'articulated' strap just means that it has individual links (like an articulated lorry or bus?) so it fits a little better than a standard rubber one, but I'm not sure. 
