WRUK and EMG go back a long way. We’ve been looking forward to the EMG Odyssey GMT for ages, and we’re pleased to finally have one in hand.
EMG Odyssey GMT Review
We first previewed the EMG Odyssey back in 2018 when we covered EMG in our “About the Brand” feature. It’s finally here, and – without spoiling too much – it is every bit as good as we had hoped!
At a glance |
EMG Odyssey |
Price |
$575 |
Case size |
40.5mm |
Thickness |
13mm |
Water Resistance |
200m |
Movement |
Soprod C125 GMT |
Case and Movement
The EMG Odyssey is built around a Swiss Soprod C125 GMT movement. It’s a clone of the popular ETA GMT movement and, to all intents and purposes functions just the same. This helps keep the price down to a reasonable $575, which compares favourably to Swiss GMTs made by brands like Christopher Ward. The solid case back is well-stamped with cities for each timezone, and there is the obligatory sapphire crystal to protect the dial – the slight dome helping to make that dial pop a little more.
The 40.5mm case is a great size: a touch bigger than the “standard” 40mm that sports watches seem to gravitate towards, and it wears bigger courtesy of that internal rotating bezel. The finishing is excellent all-around with twin screw-down crowns and quality finishing on every surface. The watch wears really well and has that Goldilocks “just right” feel on the wrist. 200m water resistance is the icing on the cake, speaking as much the tight tolerances in its production as its underwater credentials.
Dial and Hands
EMG make great dials, and the Odyssey is no exception. Everything is outlined in black, giving clarity without making it look cartoonish. The date window is set at 6 O’clock, keeping the look well balanced. The internal bezel operates smoothly, although it did tend to move as I unscrewed the crown to activate it, which is a minor frustration I have with compressor-style watches.
The design of the hands incorporates a central stroke down the centre of the hour hand, which makes it simple to read at a glance, and the GMT hand is in yellow to match the bottom half of the internal bezel. Or, not quite. I could detect a difference between the two yellows, with the hand looking darker to my eye.
Strap and Buckle / Bracelet and Clasp
The bracelet is very good indeed – I’ve not worn an EMG watch on a bracelet before, and I am pleased to report that they have built it to the same quality as the straps on their previous watches. It is very smooth in operation, and the finishing is just fine. It has solid links, solid end-links and a proper machined clasp mechanism, along with a very secure (if fiddly) pin and collar system for link adjustment.
I hate pin and collars, and I now resort to using a professional for such adjustments lest I break something. I acknowledge that it’s a better system than split pins (and some would argue even better than screwed pins), so if you are like me, this might be a minor annoyance.
I love to see sufficient micro-adjustment points and the size that the EMG Odyssey bracelet offers means that you get a full link’s worth of adjustment either way if you use a central position. This could only be bettered in my view by a sliding clasp.
EMG Odyssey – Video Review
What I Liked |
What I Didn’t like |
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EMG Odyssey – The WRUK Verdict
The EMG Odyssey is another of those watches where I had to really scratch my head to come up with three things I didn’t like. It’s a sensibly-priced, well-made, superbly-specified GMT watch. If you pick one up, you’re unlikely to bump into someone on the bus who is also wearing one. What’s more, I think it’s a watch that could genuinely be the only watch in your collection, and you would not be missing out—a recommended buy.
Buy an EMG Odyssey
If you want in, then the EMG website is the place to go to order an Odyssey Automatic GMT watch.
Spolife Leather Watch Straps for Men, Genuine Leather Watch Straps With Stainless Buckle,Quick Release Watch Strap, Replacement Watchbands 16mm 18mm 19mm 20mm 22mm(Watch Strap Pins,Watch Strap Tool)
£8.99