Longines Spirit Zulu Time vs Tudor GMTs: What the Flyer Hand Changes

Watchfinder’s description calls out a true ‘flyer’ local jumping hour hand. In practical terms, the local hour hand is the part of the GMT setup being highlighted here: it is meant to make changing local time more convenient when traveling.

That matters if your main use case is airports, hotels and crossing time zones. If your main use is checking another city from home, the flyer hand may be less central than dial legibility, bezel design, date placement or how the watch fits into your daily routine.

That is not a hierarchy. It is permission to be specific. A feature can be technically useful and still not be the feature that decides your watch.

The Longines listing in the source gives a 39mm stainless steel case, ceramic 24-hour bezel, sunray blue dial, automatic caliber L844.4, date, true flyer GMT function, 72-hour power reserve and a water-resistance rating of 100m.

Watchfinder also describes the proportions as refined. That may be a fair opinion, but the documented dimension in Watchfinder’s description is the 39mm case diameter. The source does not list thickness, lug-to-lug length, bracelet taper or clasp dimensions. Those details can change how two 39mm watches feel and look, and they are worth recording before you compare the Longines with a specific Tudor.

Water resistance also belongs in the record, not in a promise. A 100m rating is a specification as listed by the source; it does not confirm the present condition of any pre-owned example. If water exposure matters, look for a current pressure-test record or ask a qualified watchmaker about that particular watch.

The source lists the automatic caliber L844.4 as a COSC chronometer. Chronometer has a specific meaning: in Switzerland, COSC is the body that tests movements for precision and certifies those that pass. That is more useful than a vague claim that a watch is accurate.

Still, a certification note is not the same as a current timing report for a pre-owned watch. If a seller says a specific example is running well, that is a separate claim and should be tied to who said it, when, and whether any timing record or service paperwork is included.

The same discipline applies to price. Watchfinder’s “around $2,835 pre-owned” figure is useful context from a retailer video. It is not presented as a hammer price, a total including fees or a completed-sale result. When comparing with a Tudor Black Bay GMT or Black Bay Pro, collect equivalent data for the exact Tudor reference: source, date, condition description, included accessories and whether the figure is an asking price or a sale result.

Before deciding, ask: am I comparing these watches for travel convenience, everyday proportions, dial design or the documentation I can actually keep?

Then make a two-column note. On one side, put the Longines Spirit Zulu Time 39mm details from this video. On the other, add the exact Tudor you mean, with its reference number and sourced specifications. The video’s description names the Black Bay GMT and Black Bay Pro, but does not give their reference numbers or a matching spec list.

That small record will do more for your decision than a brand argument. It turns “best value” into a clearer question: best for which function, at which documented price, and with which records attached?