That Airman doesn't have a fixed bezel.

Steinhart does one that homages the original ExpII.

 

This guy right here in fact. I actually prefer elements of it (dial, no cyclops, no Mercedes hands) to the current explorer II, not that I’d. Turn one of those down.

zodiac super sea wolf gmt is another option

 

Crap, you're right! My bad on the airman...

Yeah, fair number of homages from the likes of Steinhart, but thinking of more original designs in this general style. Maybe just not that popular.

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The original GMT pilot's watch.

But yeah, the bezel is not fixed. No click/friction, bi-directional. That second crown at 4 locks the bezel in place. My sweetie is in Cairo...

 

Tudor?

 

Just purchased a used Christopher Ward C63 GMT, with a fixed bezel. There is much to admire about the watch. However, the downward slanting steel bezel sometimes makes the numerals difficult to see without twisting my wrist.

 

I was going to suggest the Seiko Navigator from 1968, but then I remembered the bezel on that rotated too, like the Glycine. But unlike the Airman of the day, it told regular 12h time and had a fixed 24h hand like the GMT-Master. Still, good-looking watch IMO.

 

FWIW, I'm sorely tempted by both of these Grand Seikos...

Well, the quartz are super comfortable, well made, cheap(ish) used (take a price hit new), thin (10mm case), comfortable, insanely accurate. There is nothing comparable on the market
(except Citizen, lol).

 

Out of curiosity, what is preferable about a less functional fixed bezel?

 

Aesthetics, mainly. Rotating bezels usually mean at least a marginally thicker case, and of course the glass and bezel have to be perfectly round. If the bezel is fixed you can do pretty much whatever you want. Cartier could make a Santos GMT if they wanted to.

 

When I think of steel bezel I think of Breitling

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View attachment 17263633

Love this design - but the bezel rotates

 

Inexpensive but well made

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Inexpensive but well made View attachment 17263641

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It's pretty remarkable how fast San Martin moves. The initial one they did was a no-date with a really heavy fauxtina that wasn't super well liked, so they changed it to that one, and then the NH34 came out and they changed it again and put that in it. This is all in the space of like six months.

 

I have about 8-9 GMT's.
My Hamilton Jazzmaster World Timer has a fixed bezel (and rotating city ring).
It would be a lot easier to use if it had a rotating bezel, or automatically rotating hour ring like Fredrique Constant and Patek. Instead, you have to use the crown at 10 o clock and turn the city ring, so London is lined up with the GMT hand.

Oh ya, and a Parnis EXP II homage

 

Here's my Accutron Astronaut on an original bullet bracelet. It was fully serviced two years ago by a specialist in Brooklyn who inherited an estate sale of Accutron parts, and it's been a delight. here it is being inspected by my beloved cat

 

Boldr Safari Tarangire.

Gruppo Gamma Venturo Field III

 

I love the olive dial of the green grand seiko. That would be my pick by a country mile. I've owned a lot of GMT "flavor" watches, including the Exp 2 42, and FWIW I've never missed having a turning bezel. Two time zones is enough for me... The only time it's nice to have a turning bezel is if you have a true GMT and keep the 24 hour hand set to local time. That lets you use the bezel for a second time zone, you get a 24 hour indication of your home time, and since it's a true GMT when you travel it's easy.

I'm also a big fan of world timers like the Hamilton posted above. Questionable practicality in this age of Siri, but hey, I love moonphases too and those are even less useful....