Fortis Spacematic GMT

[Ti22]

Here are some pictures of my first auto - a Fortis Spacematic GMT on SS bracelet with exhibition case back exposing the 21 jewel ETA 2893-2 movement. It has been surprisingly accurate measured against my computer's clock and an absolute pleasure to wear. Hope you enjoy the images and if you have any tips for care and maintenance of this watch please share as I would appreciate the advice, thanks.

[gaopa]

You are really going to like your Fortis Spacematic GMT. The watch has a good look, is well built, keeps excellent time and wears very light. I'm crazy about mine. My Spacematic GMT says Hi to yours! Cheers, Bill Pl

[Mike 777]

Nice! Congrats on your first auto, too. It's a good way to start your collection.

Here are some tips that I've learned over the years. Keep your crown screwed down when not in use, but screw it down just "firmly"; don't overtorque it. If the crown threads don't catch, stop immediately and rotate counterclockwise and try again. If you apply inward pressure while rotating counterclockwise, you can often feel the threads catch (you'll feel a "click"), but no damage to the threads will occur. With the Spacematic, you'll know it's screwed down all the way if you see only two exposed rows of the knurling past the crown tube. Don't change the date between 8:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M.; it'll damage the mechanism if you do. Don't rotate the crown rapidly; the gear teeth inside are small and can break. You can keep your watch clean by using liquid hand soap, running water, and a toothbrush. To keep your antireflective crystal spotless, use a Q-Tip soaked with Windex, rub lightly in a circular motion, and then dry with a clean cotton terrycloth towel. To set the minute hand exactly without any slack in the movement, turn it just past the desired dial marker and then turn it back to the mark. Then push in the crown at the exact second. Be advised that the red hands can fade over long cumulative exposure to sunlight. (At least that's the case with my Fortis Flieger 24-hr. The second hand used to be fluorescent red; now, after several years of driving with my left arm exposed to the sun, it's fluorescent orange.)

Here's a wrist shot of mine:

[gaopa]

Good tips, Mike! Thanks, Bill P.

[dannytucker]

What is the model number on your Fortis Spacematic GMTs?

I just got one but mine doesn't have the exhibition glass display.

Do you know why this is?

[gaopa]

Danny, my Spacematic GMT is model # 624.22.148. Hope this helps. Cheers, Bill P.

[dannytucker]

Mine is 624.22.148.1

[Ti22]

Thanks for the tips Mike 777, much appreciated.

Where on the watch is the model number? Or is this info only located on the paperwork?

My Spacematic's second and 24 hour hand are both bright orange. Most other Spacematic models I see have a white 24 hour hand with an orange tip. Does this make my watch more rare? Was this a factory option for a particular year which could help me pinpoint its production date range?

[Mike 777]

You're welcome.

On mine the model no., 624.22.148.1, is on the caseback below the Fortis logo (mine has the solid caseback).

Now that you mentioned it, that's the first time I noticed that about your GMT hand. It looks like the GMT hand on some older Fortis models with the small centered GMT scale inside the ordinary 12-hour scale. I wonder if an independent watchmaker scrounged one of those hands as a replacement, since Fortis doesn't sell its parts to anyone except authorized service centers. I don't recall ever seeing the Spacematic GMT with that GMT hand. On mine, the white part of the GMT hand is luminous (and it is easy to confuse in the dark with the minute hand).

[Mike 777]

You're welcome, Bill. Happy new year!