GMT Day/Night Bezel Question

[catsby90]

BLNR is incoming. I understand the GMT function and think it’s great. Also very useful for me. However, I don’t understand the day/night bezel. Can someone please explain this? I haven’t been able to find an explanation anywhere; I’ve only found statements of fact that it works as a day/night indicator.

Without having actually held the watch, it seems to me that using the hour hand would indicate day/night in reference to hours 3-9AM/PM and vice versa. This doesn’t seem to indicate day/night IMO so perhaps I’m missing something?

[GolfPunk]

The blue half signifies day time the black half signifies night time.

[jstan9]

It’s more of a generalization, but basically, on your blnr, which I hope you love as much as I love mine, the bezel is 24 hours.

So the black half shows hours from 18:00 to 06:00, or 6pm to 6am and the blue half shows the time from 06:00 to 18:00, or 6am to 6pm. Roughly night and day.

Hope this helps! This watch is amazing on many levels. Spend time on YouTube watching videos on how to utilize this stunning watch’s many impressive features.


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[PLNYC]

Originally Posted by jstan9

It’s more of a generalization, but basically, on your blnr, which I hope you love as much as I love mine, the bezel is 24 hours.

So the black half shows hours from 18:00 to 06:00, or 6pm to 6am and the blue half shows the time from 06:00 to 18:00, or 6am to 6pm. Roughly night and day.

Hope this helps! This watch is amazing on many levels. Spend time on YouTube watching videos on how to utilize this stunning watch’s many impressive features.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

+1

I love mine as well

[CRM114]

The night (1800 to 0600) and day (0600 to 1800) representations are on the 24-hour bezel, which is read against the 24-hour hand set to a 2nd time zone of your choice where you're not, not the hour hand which is presumably set to the local time of wherever you're at.

[catsby90]

Originally Posted by GolfPunk

The blue half signifies day time the black half signifies night time.

I appreciate the feedback but this is what I meant when I’ve read statements of fact without an explanation. This doesn’t really help me understand how, it only states that it does.

[catsby90]

Originally Posted by jstan9

It’s more of a generalization, but basically, on your blnr, which I hope you love as much as I love mine, the bezel is 24 hours.

So the black half shows hours from 18:00 to 06:00, or 6pm to 6am and the blue half shows the time from 06:00 to 18:00, or 6am to 6pm. Roughly night and day.

Hope this helps! This watch is amazing on many levels. Spend time on YouTube watching videos on how to utilize this stunning watch’s many impressive features.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So it’s a combination of the bezel color and the 24hr format. Makes sense now. Thank you.

[BobDyl]

Originally Posted by catsby90

BLNR is incoming. I understand the GMT function and think it’s great. Also very useful for me. However, I don’t understand the day/night bezel. Can someone please explain this? I haven’t been able to find an explanation anywhere; I’ve only found statements of fact that it works as a day/night indicator.

Without having actually held the watch, it seems to me that using the hour hand would indicate day/night in reference to hours 3-9AM/PM and vice versa. This doesn’t seem to indicate day/night IMO so perhaps I’m missing something?

So on the BLNR, the blue color on the 24 hour bezel stretches from 0600 to 1800 (6am to 6pm), roughly the "daylight" hours. The black color stretches from 1800 to 0600 (6pm to 6am), roughly the "nighttime" hours. So when you are looking at the *24 hour* hand (blue hand with arrow at the end) it will generally tell you day or night.

Not too helpful when you are at home, you probably know if it's day or night! There are two scenarios where this is somewhat useful:

1. You are using the 24 hour bezel to tell you the time in another timezone. Let's say you often make phone calls to a timezone +6 hours from yours and you put the 24 bezel in the +6 position (6 clicks to the left) . Now the *24 hour* hand will be pointing to the time in this other timezone. At a glance you can tell approximately if it's day or night because of the bezel color.

2. You are traveling and when you land you reset your hour hand to the new timezone. Maybe your "new" timezone is +9 hours from your home timezone. Now if your leave the bezel in it's regular upright position, your 24 hour hand will tell you your home time (on the 24 hour scale) and also - at a glance - if it's day or night at home.

(extra credit: you can actually see 3 timezones with the GMT Master. Let's take scenario 2 - your watch set to a new timezone (1) and the 24 hour hand pointed to your home time (2). Now let's say you want to know the time in a third timezone relative to your home time, in this case -3 hours from your home time. Turn the bezel right 3 clicks. Now your 24 hour hand is telling you the time in this new timezone (3).

But of course the real reason for the blue/black is because it looks cool.

[GolfPunk]

Originally Posted by catsby90

I appreciate the feedback but this is what I meant when I’ve read statements of fact without an explanation. This doesn’t really help me understand how, it only states that it does.

It’s the hours that are in the blue part are daytime (06:00 to 18:00) ???

I don’t think it could be more obvious???

[sickened1]

And this may also help explain the rest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy1b1T4dboI

By one of us here at TRF!

[catsby90]

Originally Posted by GolfPunk

It’s the hours that are in the blue part are daytime (06:00 to 18:00) ???

I don’t think it could be more obvious???

Here’s how it could be less obvious:

Time: 10:10AM.
Brain: 10:10AM is daytime.
Bezel: Hour hand falls within black part of bezel.
Brain: But I thought the bezel indicated day/night.

[catsby90]

Originally Posted by sickened1

And this may also help explain the rest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy1b1T4dboI

By one of us here at TRF!

Key being the GMT hand. Got it. Thank you. Surprisingly (or not), this isn’t commonly explained online. Either that or I’ve only researched before having enough coffee.

[catsby90]

Originally Posted by BobDyl

But of course the real reason for the blue/black is because it looks cool.

Speaking the truth.

[jstan9]

Originally Posted by CRM114

The night (1800 to 0600) and day (0600 to 1800) representations are on the 24-hour bezel, which is read against the 24-hour hand set to a 2nd time zone of your choice where you're not, not the hour hand which is presumably set to the local time of wherever you're at.

Good point. Thanks!

Op, you’ll notice in the pic I posted of my blnr, the local time in Austin is ~ 10:30 while the blue gmt (24 hour) hand shows between 08 and 09, indicating its 8:30 at home in California. When we get home in a few hours I’ll jump the hour hand back two hours to set the watch to California time. As this commenter suggests, many set the gmt hand to their home time zone, making it easy, at a glance, to know what time it is at home while your hour hand can be jumped by the hour as you travel.

This watch is just incredible. Beauty married to amazing functionality. Enjoy!

[georgekart]

Originally Posted by catsby90

Here’s how it could be less obvious:

Time: 10:10AM.
Brain: 10:10AM is daytime.
Bezel: Hour hand falls within black part of bezel.
Brain: But I thought the bezel indicated day/night.

Looking at normal 12h to determine whether it is day or night is pointless, if you look at 24h hand, it is clearly showing that it is day in your example. Obviously 12h hand could not possibly show day/night since during either 12h interval half is day and half is night (approximately, assuming equal length of day and night)

[Speed]

Originally Posted by catsby90

I appreciate the feedback but this is what I meant when I’ve read statements of fact without an explanation. This doesn’t really help me understand how, it only states that it does.

I think it is because it is rather intuitive if you look at the numbers on the bezel. Unless of course you have never seen nor understand Military time.

[catsby90]

Originally Posted by georgekart

Looking at normal 12h to determine whether it is day or night is pointless, if you look at 24h hand, it is clearly showing that it is day in your example. Obviously 12h hand could not possibly show day/night since during either 12h interval half is day and half is night (approximately, assuming equal length of day and night)

Yes, which was the question. Answer being that the GMT hand is a 24hr hand and not merely an additional hour hand set to a different time zone. The key is that it’s a 24 hand. I get it now, thank you.

[jstan9]

Originally Posted by GolfPunk

It’s the hours that are in the blue part are daytime (06:00 to 18:00) ???



I don’t think it could be more obvious???

Well, because it’s actually not all that obvious.

I think there have been a number of helpful replies. I’d add again to others and suggest, op, that you watch how-to videos about it. Many if not all of the functions are explained clearly and very well.


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[jstan9]

Originally Posted by jstan9

Well, because it’s actually not all that obvious.

I think there have been a number of helpful replies. I’d add again to others and suggest, op, that you watch how-to videos about it. Many if not all of the functions are explained clearly and very well.


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And boy are you gonna love your BLNR! Congrats!!


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[jrs146]

Originally Posted by catsby90

Yes, which was the question. Answer being that the GMT hand is a 24hr hand and not merely an additional hour hand set to a different time zone. The key is that it’s a 24 hand. I get it now, thank you.

You got it now. Perhaps what was confusing you was thinking about it as a day/night indicator vs. an independent GMT hand. Many watches have a day/night complication where the hand does not act independently to the hour hand. A true GMT complication will function independently to track another timezone. However if you sync the GMT hand to your local time and use the numbers on the bezel you now have a day/night function. Meaning, you can identify AM or PM by referring to the military time. Technically the blue/black does not really do anything. But it’s still a nice match between the colors and the sky!


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[Rashid.bk]

Originally Posted by catsby90

Here’s how it could be less obvious:

Time: 10:10AM.
Brain: 10:10AM is daytime.
Bezel: Hour hand falls within black part of bezel.
Brain: But I thought the bezel indicated day/night.

I'm assuming that you are referring to the standard hour hand.
It is clear to note that the bezel is in place to use with the GMT/second hour hand(24 hour cycle). With that in mind it is impossible for the GMT hand to fall in the dark. 10:00am is day and in the blue(BLNR). Unless of course you move the bezel, that is something all together different for figuring out a third time zone.

[GolfPunk]

I don’t think the blue black colour is intended by Rolex to be night/day. There were many colour combos before the BLNR