Stunning Titanium GMT Under $150 - Thorn T012 Review

This might be one of the most requested watches on the channel lately — and honestly, I was just as curious as many of you. When it arrived, that first impression was strong: titanium case, warm beige strap, bold GMT layout… It's a real standout piece. But despite its very attractive design, strangely, it doesn’t feel loud or showy. It’s kinda understated - well composed and subtle at the same time. However, as I spent more time with it, a few surprises started to emerge — some were quite welcome, and a couple that we'll… raised an eyebrow. So is it really as good as it looks? Well, I finally have it here, so - let’s find out!

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Design

The first thing that stands out about this watch is the balance it strikes between presence and restraint. Even with its bold shrouded case and adventure-focused features, there’s a real sense of restrained elegance running through the design.

Yes, the Seiko “Tuna” inspiration is unmistakable — especially in the protective titanium shroud — but this isn’t a clone. THORN has taken that familiar silhouette and pushed it in a more functional, field-ready direction. The shroud gives the watch its purposeful, tool-watch character, while the lugs sit low and tucked underneath, helping this otherwise chunky case wear more comfortably than the dimensions might suggest.

Functionally, it’s a busy watch and in a good way. We’ve got a GMT hand, a 24-hour scale, and a fully marked compass bezel which also can be used as a timer with a bit of imagination. So this timepiece gives us multiple ways to track time zones, lapsed time, and orientation. So it feels more like an outdoor instrument than a just a straightforward diver. I guess hence the model name “exploration road” and reference to Mountain in the product listing.

The material and colour pairing also work very well. The matte grey titanium keeps things understated, while the warm beige leather strap adds contrast without breaking the aesthetic. The strap is well padded near the case and flares to meet the sides of the shroud, creating an almost integrated look while still using standard 22-millimetre lugs.

Then we come to the dial and handset — easily one of the highlights. THORN didn’t borrow anyone else’s language here; the hands are clean, distinctive, and very well proportioned, and the applied markers are crisp and neatly framed. The GMT hand pops just enough to stay functional without making the watch feel flashy. And importantly, THORN didn’t cut corners with the lume either. As we’ll see just now in my usual 15-minute lume test.

Overall, this is a design that manages to stand out without showing off. Feature-rich, purposeful, and confidently executed — all while maintaining that same sense of restrained elegance from start to finish.

Dimensions

Now onto the dimensions — and this is where things get quite interesting for a tuna style watch. So, the case diameter, as expected, comes in at 47 millimetres, which does sound a bit intimidating. But that number doesn’t tell the full story. The diameter of the actual bezel — the part your eye reads first — is only 41 millimetres, and that dramatically changes the visual footprint.

The lug-to-lug is where things get even more interesting. It measures about 44 millimetres, which, if you look closely, is actually shorter than the case diameter itself. And that’s because the lugs, of course, are positioned underneath the case rather than extending outward. It’s a very Tuna-style architecture, and it means the watch wears far more compactly than the specs suggest.

Lug width is 22 millimetres, which suits a case of this size, but THORN went a step further to help the proportions. The supplied strap flares out near the case to almost 27 millimetres, visually bridging the gap between the shroud and the strap and giving the whole front view a much more integrated transition.

Thickness comes in at 14.2 millimetres, which isn’t slim by any means, but considering the GMT complication, the protective shroud, and the overall tool-watch build, it’s absolutely in line with what we’d expect — and it carries its height pretty well.

And finally, because the entire case is titanium, the wearability is boosted even further. At just 81 grams on the supplied leather strap, it comes in at nearly half the weight of a comparable stainless-steel Tuna on a bracelet. So despite the numbers, and despite the bold looks, this is a surprisingly manageable piece on the wrist.

Case

The case follows the classic shrouded layout, with a full titanium outer shell secured by three hexagonal screws. The entire structure is finished in a clean satin brushing that suits the tool-watch character and keeps reflections to a minimum. Despite its size, there’s nothing overdone here — just purposeful, functional surfaces.

At around the 4 o’clock position, we have a prominent screw-down crown, signed with the THORN logo. It’s chunky, easy to grip, and operates smoothly, which is exactly what you want with a case this robust.

Around the back, the screw-down caseback keeps things simple: circular brushing, engraved key specifications, and a profile that sits reassuringly flat on the wrist. Again, very functional, very straightforward.

Between the screw-down crown and the sealed titanium construction, the watch offers 200 metres of water resistance, making it more than capable for everyday use and the occasional adventure — fully in line with the watch’s overall tool-forward design.

Crystal

Up top, we have a double-domed sapphire crystal with a pleasing, gentle curvature. It actually sits just slightly below the bezel line, which helps keep the overall height of the watch visually under control. Combined with the strong contrast of the dial, legibility is excellent from almost any angle.

Dial & Lume

The dial on this model is genuinely well executed. First, I like the typography - it is clean and has character. The logo, the text layout, above and below the pinion- all feel cohesive and balanced. And I actually like that THORN included the model name on the dial. Not many microbrands do this, and here it feels appropriate and suitable for the style of the watch.

Thanks to a strong contrasting choice of colours, the dial is very legible. The matte black background paired with the crisp white markers and handset makes everything pop. The rehaut features a full 24-hour scale for tracking a second time zone via the GMT hand, and it’s integrated neatly without cluttering the design.

The applied hour markers are nicely framed and well proportioned, with a particularly distinctive shape at 12 o’clock — it almost gives off a bit of a TAG Heuer vibe, or is it just me? The handset, as mentioned earlier, is original and very tastefully done, with the GMT hand standing out just enough without breaking the watch’s understated aesthetic.

And when it comes to lume, THORN didn’t cut corners. While it is unlikely to outshine a Seiko diver in pure brightness, the BGW9 application here is clean, consistent, and surprisingly long-lasting. In real-world use the dial remains readable well into the night, making it a genuinely practical watch after dark.

Bracelet and Clasp

The strap is one of the visual highlights of this watch. According to the listings the top layer is genuine cowhide leather and it both looks and feels excellent. It’s softer and more pliable than expected, requires almost no break-in, and the padded, slightly flared shape gives the watch an almost integrated look. It is double sided - The underside is smooth and comfortable, the top has a nice subtle structured kinda slightly textured finish, and overall it suits the titanium case very well.

The buckle appears to match the case — most likely titanium, or at least finished identically — and it’s a solid, fully milled good looking piece. And while it has no branding functionally and aesthetically, it works here very well - so no complaints.

The only real drawback is the strap length. It’s generous enough for larger wrists — easily up to eight or even eight-and-a-half inches, so all good here. The problem is at the other end of the spectrum. The minimum usable length is just under seven inches, meaning anyone with a slimmer wrist is going to have a bit of a challenge. On my roughly seven-inch wrist, I’m already on the very last hole. If your wrist is six-and-a-half inches or below, you’re almost certainly going to run into fit issues. And adding extra holes would go straight through the stitching, which isn’t ideal.

Being a standard 22mm strap, replacements are easy to find — but it’s still a surprising limitation on a strap that plays such a big part in this watch’s appeal.

Wearability

On the wrist, this watch is far more comfortable than its bold appearance suggests. The titanium construction keeps the weight down, the balance is surprisingly good, and the short 44-millimetre lug-to-lug means it hugs the wrist rather than overhanging it. As long as the strap length works for you, it wears light, secure, and genuinely comfortable throughout the day — much easier to live with than the dimensions might imply.

Verdict

Overall, this is a very good-looking watch and a genuinely enjoyable piece to wear. At around $140–$145 before tax, it’s extremely competitive for what it offers: a full titanium case, the proven Seiko NH34 GMT movement, a distinctive design with its own personality, strong lume, and a level of outdoor practicality that makes it feel purpose-built rather than gimmicky.

It’s not perfect, of course. The bezel action isn’t as refined as what you’d see on a comparable stainless-steel diver, and the strap — while visually excellent — has an unusually long minimum fit, which will limit wrist compatibility for some wearers. But if those two quirks don’t affect you, this is a very compelling daily-use watch with a lot of versatility.

And when you consider how many watches in this category are now climbing well past the $200 mark, the value proposition here becomes even stronger. In a rising-price landscape, this THORN comes across as a genuinely attractive option.

Bezel

The bezel on this model is visually very well executed. We get what appears to be an aluminium insert with full compass markings, plus a lume pip at 12 o’clock. And because this is a 120-click unidirectional bezel, we can use it as a basic timer.

Now, the grip is very good — very pronounced, easy to grab, and the bezel aligns properly. so, on first impressions, the bezel looks and feels perfectly usable.

However… the bezel action is definitely something that needs to be discussed in more detail. I’ve seen comments from a few other owners saying the bezel action isn’t great, and based on my experience, I’d say that’s fair. It’s not the best bezel I’ve handled. Mine is still usable thanks to the well executed grip and fairly good tolerances , but the action isn’t particularly smooth, and there is a bit of side play. I can see how, on a looser sample, the bezel could start catching on the titanium shroud, which would interfere with rotation making it, in a best case, much less consistent.

Part of this comes down to the titanium-on-titanium interface. Titanium bezels rarely feel as precise as stainless-steel ones, and that’s true here as well. That said, I do own titanium watches — including one in my daily rotation — where the bezel action is noticeably better, so it is possible to get it right.

So the bottom line: the bezel is usable, the grip is excellent, the alignment is good, at least on my unit, and the functionality is there… but the overall action is nowhere near the level of a good stainless-steel diver. Definitely something to keep in mind when considering this watch.

Movement

Inside, THORN has gone with the Seiko NH34 GMT movement — by now kinda the de facto choice for budget-friendly mechanical GMTs. It’s a caller-style GMT, not a traveller GMT, which is still suitable for most everyday use cases. If you’ve been following the channel for a while, you probably already know this caliber well. I’ve reviewed dozens of watches using the NH34, and I actually have several pieces with this movement in my own permanent rotation. It’s by now a classic Seiko workhorse: robust, low-maintenance, easy to regulate, and generally very predictable in terms of performance.