Humbert-Droz HD9 GMT Noir: a French dive watch combining robustness and GMT functionality
In the world of military dive watches, tool watches occupy a special place. Legibility, durability, water resistance and ease of use have historically been sought-after qualities for instruments designed to operate in demanding environments. Without being a military-issued watch, the new Humbert-Droz HD9 GMT Noir fits into this functional tradition by combining the case of a dive watch with a GMT complication. This edition is also an anniversary model for the French watchmaker. Produced as a numbered limited edition of 150 pieces, it celebrates the tenth anniversary of Humbert-Droz. Founded in 2016, the brand traces its family history back to the Réparalux workshop established in Besançon in 1956. With its steel case, water resistance to 200 metres, screw-down crown, luminescent displays and the option of a NATO strap, the HD9 GMT Noir incorporates several familiar characteristics of tool watches while adding a function for tracking a second time zone. It is available from €1,290.
HD9 GMT Noir: an evolution of the Humbert-Droz dive watch
The HD9 GMT Noir was not developed from a blank sheet. Humbert-Droz explains that it used the case of its HD9 La Plongeuse as the basis for this new version. The brand therefore retains an architecture designed around a water-resistant sports watch while modifying its functions to incorporate a GMT display. The case is made from 316L stainless steel. Humbert-Droz states a diameter of 43 mm including the crown and a thickness of 14 mm. These dimensions place the HD9 GMT among sports watches with a relatively substantial wrist presence, a choice consistent with the emphasis on legibility generally associated with dive watches. The crown is screw-down and bears the brand’s logo. The watch offers a stated water resistance of 20 ATM, or 200 metres. The sapphire crystal also features a magnifying lens designed to make the date easier to read.
An aesthetic incorporating certain military dive watch design codes
Associating the HD9 GMT Noir with the world of the military dive watch nevertheless requires some clarification. Humbert-Droz does not present this reference as a military-issued watch. Instead, it incorporates several functional characteristics historically associated with tool watches and dive watches. The black dial directly contributes to this approach. The rhodium-plated hands and hour markers are treated with Luminova to improve visibility as light levels decrease. The GMT hand is distinguished by a red tip, making it easy to differentiate the main time from the second time zone. The option of a NATO strap further reinforces this utilitarian aesthetic. Humbert-Droz also offers a steel bracelet with a folding clasp for a configuration more oriented towards everyday wear.
A 24-hour bezel for the GMT function
One of the distinctive features of this HD9 is its bezel. Humbert-Droz states that it is a unidirectional rotating bezel graduated over 24 hours, used in conjunction with the GMT hand to track a second time zone. This configuration should be distinguished from that of a traditional dive watch. On a conventional dive watch, the bezel is generally graduated over 60 minutes to measure elapsed time, particularly during a dive. Here, the 24-hour scale primarily serves the GMT function. The HD9 GMT therefore sits at the intersection of two families of tool watches: the dive watch, from which it inherits its case and water resistance, and the travel watch, characterised by the ability to display more than one time zone simultaneously.
The GMT function for displaying a second time zone
GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time. In contemporary watchmaking, a GMT watch is generally characterised by an additional hand that is read against a 24-hour scale. On the HD9 GMT Noir, this fourth hand makes it possible to maintain a reference time different from that indicated by the main hands. The wearer can therefore keep track of the time at home while travelling or monitor the time in another part of the world for professional purposes. Humbert-Droz combines this function with the traditional display of hours, minutes and seconds, as well as a date indication. This complication therefore extends the versatility of the HD9 beyond its dive-watch inspiration.
A La Joux-Perret G110 GMT automatic calibre
The mechanical movement is another important feature of this edition. The HD9 GMT Noir is equipped with the La Joux-Perret G110 GMT, a Swiss automatic mechanical movement. Humbert-Droz states a 68-hour power reserve for this calibre. This represents almost three days of theoretical running time once the movement is fully wound. The watch can therefore be left unworn for much of a weekend while continuing to run. The company states that the movement is assembled by hand in its workshops in Besançon. This combination of a calibre produced by Swiss manufacture La Joux-Perret and work carried out in France illustrates the Franco-Swiss positioning claimed by Humbert-Droz.
An open caseback for viewing the movement
While many tool watches favour a solid caseback, the HD9 GMT Noir features an open steel caseback. The automatic movement can therefore be viewed from the back of the watch. This choice introduces a more contemplative horological dimension to a watch whose front retains an essentially functional appearance. The contrast neatly sums up the philosophy of the model: the HD9 GMT incorporates certain design codes of a robust dive watch while also highlighting its mechanical movement and its status as an anniversary edition.
An edition of 150 pieces for the tenth anniversary of Humbert-Droz
The HD9 GMT Noir is produced in just 150 numbered pieces. The dial features a reference to the tenth anniversary as well as the individual number corresponding to the limited edition. The French tricolour, used by Humbert-Droz as an identifying element, also appears on the dial. This anniversary edition refers to the relatively recent history of watches bearing the Humbert-Droz name. The brand dates its creation to 2016, while placing its activities within an older family tradition: in 1956, the family founded the Réparalux workshop in Besançon. The HD9 GMT Noir therefore represents both a technical evolution of the HD9 range and a model created to mark the brand’s first decade.
HD9 GMT Noir: between dive watch, tool watch and travel watch
The Humbert-Droz HD9 GMT Noir does not attempt to reproduce a historical military dive watch. Its positioning is different: it combines several design codes of the contemporary tool watch with a GMT complication and a Swiss automatic movement assembled by Humbert-Droz in Besançon. Its case inherited from the HD9, water resistance to 200 metres, screw-down crown and luminescent display are the main features drawn from the world of dive watches. The black dial and NATO strap option further reinforce its utilitarian character, while the GMT hand and 24-hour bezel also give the model a travel-oriented dimension. This combination allows Humbert-Droz to offer a French interpretation of the automatic sports watch without claiming a military heritage that the model does not possess. Instead, the HD9 GMT Noir sits at the intersection of several watchmaking traditions: diving, tool watches and GMT functionality, presented in a deliberately limited anniversary edition.
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Editor: Éric Barse
Journalist, entrepreneur, and founder of the websites www.cafe-racer-only.com and www.scooter-3-roues.com, Eric Barse divides his time between his passions: motorcycles, travel, and watches. A graduate of the Saint-Cyr military academy and the 2nd RPIMA (Parachute Regiment) before pursuing a career in communications and digital media, he has a true passion for authentic watches that have accompanied his two-wheeled adventures for many years, from the Indian Ocean to Africa and Latin America!
