Lum-Tec GMT Buyer's Guide: Combat B74 vs. X6 Titanium vs. M94 Bronze
A true GMT is one of the most useful complications you can wear. It tracks a second time zone, and with the right movement you can change local time when you land without upsetting the rest of the watch. Lum-Tec currently offers three takes on the idea: the compact Combat B74 GMT, the titanium Combat Field X6 GMT, and the solid-bronze M94 GMT. All three are hand-assembled and tested in Ohio, all three use MDV lume, and all three are built around the same movement. This guide covers how they differ and which one suits which wearer.
One Movement, Three Personalities: The Miyota 9075
Every Lum-Tec GMT here runs on the Miyota 9075 automatic, a 28,800 vph true GMT caliber. Lum-Tec describes it as having an independently adjustable local hour hand. You can jump the hour hand to a new time zone without disturbing the minute hand or the 24-hour GMT reference, which is the "traveler" style of GMT that frequent flyers prefer. Lum-Tec adjusts each movement in six positions after assembly and mounts it in its anti-shock system. On the M94, Lum-Tec specifies precision tuning to +/- 0–5 seconds per day in six positions and a 42-hour power reserve.
Because the engine is shared, the decision really comes down to case size, material, water resistance and wrist presence.
Combat B74 GMT: The Compact 39mm Option
The Combat B74 GMT brings the long-running Combat B formula, which Lum-Tec traces back to the original Combat B1 of 2007, into a smaller case. Key specs from the listing:
- 39mm forged and heat-treated 316L stainless steel case, 13.8mm thick
- Just 46mm lug-to-lug with downward-curving lugs, 20mm lug width
- Fine bead-blasted finish with anti-fingerprint coating
- 200 meters water resistance, threaded crown with double diamond seals
- Curved sapphire with inner AR coating and a sapphire exhibition caseback
- Three-layer matte black and charcoal gray dial, MDV lume with Swiss X1 grade C3 Super-LumiNova
- Two nylon military straps (black and desert tan) with titanium carbide hardware
- Limited and numbered series of 500
Lum-Tec says the case is designed to fit comfortably on smaller wrists, and the 46mm lug-to-lug is the shortest of the three. If you want a GMT that disappears under a cuff, or if 44mm watches have always felt like too much, start here. It is listed at $1,095.
Combat Field X6 Titanium GMT: Light, Dark and Tough
The Combat Field X6 Titanium GMT takes a more vintage field-watch route, with 22mm welded wire lugs and a dramatic double high-curved sapphire. Highlights:
- 44mm forged and heat-treated GR2 titanium case, 14.5mm thick including the domed sapphire, 50mm lug-to-lug
- Bead-blasted finish with gunmetal titanium carbide PVD hard coating
- Triple-layer stacked dial with MDV lume using custom X1 Swiss C3 GL (green glow) in 30 layers
- 100 meters water resistance, screw-lock crown with double diamond sealing
- Threaded sapphire caseback
- Charcoal/black stripe nylon strap and brown leather strap, both with gunmetal PVD hardware
- Limited and numbered series of 500, two-year transferable warranty
Stephen Mazinger of Time to Blog Watches wore the X6 for several weeks. He reported his example running at -8 seconds per day and wrote that "it glows like a flashlight as you would expect from their watches." He also found that the wire lugs help the watch wear smaller than its 44mm width suggests. WhoWatchWear summed it up as "big, purposeful, legible, and unusually well specified for the money." The X6 is listed at $995.
M94 Bronze GMT: The Collector's Statement
Lum-Tec's M94 GMT is currently offered only in solid bronze, and there is no stainless steel M94 GMT in the current lineup. It comes in two versions: the M94 Bronze No-Date GMT and the M94D Bronze GMT Date, which places its date at 4:30 to keep the dial symmetrical. Shared specs:
- 44mm solid CuSn8 bronze case and crown, finely brushed, 13.8mm thick, 51mm lug-to-lug, 24mm lug width
- 200 meters water resistance
- Double-curved low-dome sapphire with AR coating, sapphire threaded caseback
- Matte black dial with MDV lume on dial and hands
- Genuine Horween leather strap with bronze-tone PVD buckle
- Limited and numbered series of just 100 per version
Lum-Tec notes that the bronze "will develop a natural patina over time, giving each watch a finish that becomes more individual with wear." With the smallest production run of the three, the M94 is the one for collectors who want a GMT that ages along with them. The no-date version is listed at $1,175 and the date version at $1,195. For a deeper look, see our M94 Bronze No-Date deep dive.
Side-by-Side: Which Lum-Tec GMT Should You Choose?
- Smaller wrists or everyday comfort: the Combat B74 GMT, at 39mm wide and 46mm lug-to-lug.
- Lightweight toughness and a vintage field look: the Combat Field X6, with its GR2 titanium case and wire lugs.
- Most water resistance: the B74 and both M94 versions are rated to 200 meters, and the X6 to 100 meters.
- Need a date: the M94D Bronze GMT Date is the only model of the three with a date display.
- Rarity and character: the M94 bronze models, limited to 100 pieces each, compared with 500 for the B74 and X6.
All three come with Lum-Tec's lifetime free timing regulation, seal cleaning and pressure testing, a benefit that matters on a mechanical watch you plan to keep for years.
Shop Lum-Tec GMT Watches at CGA Watches
As an authorized Lum-Tec dealer, The CGA Company carries all three GMT families while stock lasts. Each is a limited, numbered run, so once a series sells through it may not return.