Recent On-hand Review: An Up-close Look at the Economical Vaer G2 Meridian GMT Travel Timepiece

The Los Angeles-based brand, Vaer, is known for its wide range of timepieces, from high-end models almost reaching the thousand-dollar marker to the more budget-friendly offerings. One of the key affordability champions in Vaer’s portfolio, the G2 Meridian GMT, is a lead protagonist in this diversified array of watch models. Built on Swiss quartz movement, the G2 Meridian GMT is presented as a cost-effective counterpart to the brand’s top-tier travel watches, but without sacrificing the charm, characteristics, and quality of its expensive siblings.

Currently, Vaer’s top-end offering stands to be its G5 GMT series. However, the focus here is its cost-effective kin, the G2 Meridian GMT, which mirrors a significant magnitude of the superior G5 attributes. Shunned from luxurious detailing or ceramic bezels, Vaer’s G2 series instead asserts a more vintage appeal with its stainless-steel bezel and anodized aluminum bezel inserts.

Front-lined is the navy/red (‘Pepsi’) palette version of the G2 Meridian GMT. Its design, strikingly resembles the original Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542 from the 1950s and the second-generation Omega Seamaster 300 from the 1960s. However, this resemblance is not quite a mere hybridization of these two historic models. The G2 Meridian GMT also features contemporary twists, like the applied hour markers and a 6 o’clock date window. Plus, while being primarily vintage-oriented, it doesn’t seem to mimic a mid-century timepiece, thanks to its application of modern materials and manufacturing techniques.

Crafting of the watch case is done using brushed and polished 316L stainless steel, likely to share the middle case with Vaer’s DS2 Meridian dive watch. The G2 Meridian GMT watch, guided by contemporary design and vintage appeal, is surely an affordable stole in the time-keeping domain.