![[-]](https://www.watchiwant.com/images/collapse.png "[-]")
1
The 1969 World Time GMT automatic is not only a gorgeous watch but was also a "special" in the Seiko Line-up of the late sixties. With a linen dial and a combination of blues and reds, it just exuded class among the more garish Seiko design experiments. Like the later Alpinist product line it sported an inner ring, but of the main timezone cities. It also featured a fixed day-night ring on the dial - so for the GMT hand you can immediatley see if it is day or night "over there". For lime one can see the old school rhodium 'baton' markers with tritium on the 12, 6 and 9, so the lume, as it is otherwise intact, still works well at its radioactive half-life! The caliber is actually 6105 with an added GMT complication (-17) as used in many other navigator models.
Now, here is where it gets interesting.. On the 27th of October 1968 Prime Minister Harry Wilson of the United Kingdom began an experiment to maintain British Standard Time (GMT) at +1 all year long. On October 31 1971 this ended, but until then London was in line with Paris! For Seiko this meant that its World Time GMT 6117 bezel had to reflect this British experiment, as it lasted for three years and watches had to be sold!
So, as Seiko does, precision was paramount and they put London after GMT on the bezel, just above Paris. A laudable attention to detail. However, it became known as the "Error Bezel" and quite uniquely so - because in October 1971 it had to be changed all over again!
This GMT then is a rare bird with a historical twist.. How many were made actually? And isn't it time to just call it the "British Standard Time" bezel? Britain still does GMT +1 of course, heck, for 6 months each year you have the correct bezel that no other GMT has.. Of course these GMTs have the other part of the year covered. Just get a Seiko World Time from 1972...
Apart from this horological hair splitting difference the World Time had different distribution areas, the explanation for the 6117-6010 and 6117-6019 serial numbers. They are the same model, the "0" just signifies "the world", the "9" North America. Of course, as mentioned, after 1971 it all changed again as Seiko not only switched the GMT rings but used other crowns than the early flat ones.
Below are featured some adds I spotted online, they give an indication of the value attached by Seiko to these watches. Also depicted the 1968 catalogue shots to appreciate monetary value..
