If you’re even passingly familiar with my writing on watches, you’ll know that I’ve really been drawn to GMT watches over the past year or so. Add in the fact that I like showcasing good, affordable watches here on WWR, and our latest review on a Torgoen watch really clicks on a few different levels.
This particular model (ref. T05201) hails from their T5 series, which are of course denoted by the inclusion of a GMT complication, courtesy of the quartz Ronda 515 movement contained within. Across the line, you get some stylistic variances, but they are fairly similar (at least to my casual glance through the catalog). On our sample, the brushed finish of the metal combined with the black dial make for a good everyday sort of watch, at least from the perspective of style.
On the wrist, the 42mm case sat pretty well on my wrist, though the shortened lugs didn’t have much room to curve down, so they did sit a touch above my wrist. Surprisingly enough for a quartz watch, this one measures in at an overall thickness of 14.6mm, a height I’m more used to seeing on dive watches (the T5 does carry a 100m WR rating). I didn’t have any issues with slipping this one under a shirt sleeve, though, due to the rounded (and narrow) bezel that surrounds the curved mineral crystal.
On the wrist, the 175g watch (surprisingly) doesn’t weigh you down, and the solid link bracelet conforms to the wrist well enough (though not quite as well as if it were actually a 5-link bracelet as it first appears to be). With the bracelet, I did want to call out the deployant clasp. Often times on a more affordable model, the clasp will get short shrift, and be a simple fold-over variety, perhaps with an additional flip lock bit. On this one, the deployant is a single-sided push button, which really gives the piece a more polished look. It is a tad bulkier than a regular flip-lock clasp, though, so you may want to consider that if the bulk is an issue for you (it wasn’t for me, and I spend most of my day at a keyboard).
The crown being over at the 4 o’clock position also helps with the comfort, ensuring you don’t have a crown and it’s guard digging into your wrist throughout the day. This also gives a good line then for the date window to follow (which, unfortunately, is a white window, where a black one would have blended better). It’s with that crown that you can of course adjust the date and time, as well as independently set the bright red GMT hand, should you wish to track a second time zone.
In daily wear, I found the T5 to be a perfectly competent watch. It worked well both while I was at the office or back around home, and the steel case definitely gives it a rugged feel, so you’re not afraid that it’s going to take a hit if your weekend gets a bit adventurous. While there are a few design tweaks that I would have like to have seen (to correspond with my own tastes), there are of course tradeoffs to be had when you’re working within a pricepoint. In that vein, though, I think Torgoen did a good job here. Coming in at a price of $238, this isn’t a watch that feels cheap, and it’s a solid option for someone looking for an affordable GMT watch. If you’d like to explore some of the other styles (that are at even lower prices, check out Amazon
). torgoen.com
Review Summary
- Brand & Model: Torgoen T5 GMT (T05201)
- Price: $238
- Who’s it for?: The guy looking for a GMT-enabled watch that works well for both the office and the weekend
- Would I wear it?: Yes, though perhaps not this exact style from the lineup
- What I’d change: Simplest thing, swap out that date wheel for a black one. More complex, perhaps, work on thinning out the case
- The best thing about it: For a watch at this pricepoint, the locking deployant clasp really is quite nice
Yes, that grey denim is from the folks over at Gustin
