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The Tactico Geomaster Is A Crowdfunded Watch I Could Get Behind

John Biggs

There are more Kickstarter watches out there these days than grains of sand on the beach. Everyone with a quartz movement and a NATO strap figures they can make and sell some kind of fashion watch to the masses, a concept that is as silly as it is flawed. That’s why the Tactico Geomaster GMT is actually interesting. First, it uses a mechanical ETA movement – an rare movement these days given their scarcity – and the design is at once familiar and unique. In short, it’s what I wish more watchmakers were doing in crowdfunding circles.
The Geomaster is a GMT watch. This means it can display the time in multiple time zones – depending on how to read the bezel. It’s great for travelers and pilots. It also features Superluminova hands, coat steel case, and a custom date dial. In short, it’s very unique and very clever. It was created by Compañía Relojera Especializada para Actividades Subacuáticas aka CREPAS, a custom diver manufacturer in Zaragoza, Spain.
At about $900 you’re paying an awful lot for a GMT watch but based on the quality and design as well as the movement, it’s not that much. My pet peeve is the date wheel. These sorts of open date wheels – where they show multiple days in order, usually three to five, with today’s date specified by a pip – annoy me because they clutter the dial.
That said if you’re into mechanicals and want something that decidedly can’t send winking smiley face emojis to your friends, this might be a nice starter watch.