This Affordable Automatic Watch Beats the MoonSwatch at its Own Game

A few years ago, ceramic became the watch industry’s new favorite material, but its remarkable properties and sleek look come at a steep price. Swatch offers an affordable alternative with its Bioceramic, made famous by the MoonSwatch, but the drop-off in durability is significant.

British indie watchmaker Split offers a middle ground with Ceromod+, a proprietary blend of ceramic and nylon-based polymers. It has a soft, almost rubbery feel, but is scratch and thermal-resistant like ceramic.

Split Watches

Ceromod+ was introduced in 2025 with Split’s debut watch, the MC chronograph. A year later, the innovative material takes a new form in the British watchmaker’s sophomore effort, the Split GMT.

This fun, adventure-ready travel watch retains much of the design language from its predecessor, including the same rounded-square case shape, only scaled down from 42mm to 40mm. Two millimeters were taken off the case height as well, making it a more wearable 13mm tall.

Split Watches

It comes on the same color-matched FKM rubber strap, which attaches to hooded lugs to create a G-Shock-esque integrated look.

The shock-resistant case is topped with a sapphire crystal and equipped with a screw-down crown, ensuring 100m water resistance.

Two-timing

The Split GMT dial features the same unique handset, faceted indices with lume tittles and a printed brand logo at 12:00 as the chronograph. To accommodate the new complication, an arrow-shaped GMT hand with a red-outlined tip was added.

Split Watches

The tachymeter scale on the sizable rehaunt has been replaced with a two-tone 24-hour scale. Lastly, the unframed date window has shifted from 6:00 to 3:00.

Japanese at heart

Split was founded by Edward Margulies, the son of a renowned British watch dealer who trained with and worked for Longines, Piaget and Vacheron Constantin. Affordability was a primary goal when he went solo, and his expertise shows in his choice of movements.

Split Watches

After procuring an obscure Seiko automatic chronograph movement for his debt design, Margulies opted for the most trusted affordable automatic GMT movement on the wholesale market: the Miyota Caliber 9075.

This sturdy Japanese workhorse beats at 4Hz and provides a 42-hour power reserve. It’s a “true” GMT, meaning the hour hand is set independently.

Down by the river

Music has been an underlying theme of Split since its founding, and the four debut Split GMT references are each named after rivers adjacent to famous rock-and-roll scenes.

The blue Delta is named after the Mississippi Delta, where blues was born. The green Westbourne comes from the River Westbourne, which ran through London’s punk and reggae scenes in the 1970s. The black Rea is named for a small river in Birmingham, England, where heavy metal originated.

Split Watches

The Beige Hudson is derived from New York’s Hudson River, which has seen more important music scenes than any other river on earth. Interestingly, the green and white accent colors match the colors of the NYC Parks Department, and the case and strap match the department’s khaki uniforms.

Availability and pricing

Margulies founded Split after recovering from a long battle with mental health issues. In addition to being a creative outlet, the brand’s mission is to offer great watches at affordable prices while raising awareness and funds for mental health support.

With each watch sold, Split donates one hour of therapy to those who cannot afford it through a partnership with MusiCares, thus splitting the proceeds.

The Split GMT is available now from Split for $904 and is the brand’s first release sold in the US market.

Split Watches

Split GMT

Specs

Case Size	40mm
Movement	Miyota Caliber 9075 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $904 at Split Watches

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