ETA · ETA 2893-2 GMT

Sinn 857 UTC, Christopher Ward Trident GMT and Tissot Heritage Navigator power reserve: inside the ETA 2893-2

The Sinn 857 UTC, the older Christopher Ward C60 Trident GMT, the Hamilton Khaki Navy GMT and the Tissot Heritage Navigator all use the ETA 2893 GMT family. From full it runs for about 42 hours, or just under two days.

Updated September 2026 · Based on manufacturer specs, published reviews and watchmaker/owner reports

Watches that use the ETA 2893-2

The 2893-2 is the classic Swiss "affordable GMT": a thin automatic with a date and an extra 24-hour hand for a second time zone. It's built on the refined ETA 2892-A2, not the 2824, which is why it turns up in watches from Sinn and Panerai as well as microbrands. It has two siblings: the 2893-1 shows the 24-hour time on a disc instead of a hand, and the 2893-3 is a world-timer with a city disc and no date. Many independent GMTs have since moved to Sellita's SW330, so check the year.

Specs at a glance

History and where it came from

ETA released the 2893 in 1992 as a trio rather than a series of upgrades. According to Grail Watch's reference, all three variants arrived together, built by adding a modular 24-hour display to the 2892-2. The -2, with a fourth central hand, became by far the most common.

Because the 2892 was ETA's thinner, better-finished base, the 2893-2 appealed to brands that wanted a GMT without the height of a module stacked on a 2824. Panerai's early Luminor GMTs used it, and Sinn built the 857 UTC around it. At the other end, microbrands such as Christopher Ward used it to offer a Swiss GMT diver for a fraction of the price of the big names.

Supply followed the rest of ETA's range. As Swatch Group cut deliveries to outside brands, Sellita's SW330 took over most independent GMTs, and the 2893 is now seen far less often in new watches. Tissot's 2013 Heritage Navigator, a COSC-certified 2893-3, was one of the more notable late uses.

Accuracy in the real world

The 2892 base has a strong reputation for timekeeping, and the GMT module doesn't change the regulating organ. Chronometer versions such as the Tissot Heritage Navigator are certified to -4/+6 s/day, and owners of Sinn 857 UTCs on watch forums often describe errors of a few seconds a day or better once the watch has settled in.

Uncertified microbrand versions vary more, as with any ETA movement, and a watch that's done a lot of travel may have been hacked and reset more than most. That's no problem for the movement, but it does mean small daily errors are easy to miss because the time gets corrected often.

Reliability and servicing

The 2893-2 is well known to watchmakers and has no widely reported systemic faults. It's a bit more involved to service than a 2824 because of the GMT module, and genuine parts for the 2892 family are more tightly controlled.

• Brand service. Sinn and Panerai service their own watches. Christopher Ward and most microbrands offer servicing or will point you to a watchmaker.
• Independents. Any good independent can service a 2893, but may need to source parts through Swatch Group channels.
• Interval. About five years is the usual recommendation, sooner if the reserve drops or the GMT hand starts to slip.

Quirks worth knowing

• A "caller" GMT, not a "flyer". The quick-set in the middle crown position moves the 24-hour hand in one-hour jumps. When you land in a new time zone, you move the hour hand the long way and reset the 24-hour hand, rather than simply jumping the hour hand. Some collectors say that makes it "not a true GMT". It's still ideal for keeping an eye on home or a colleague's time zone.
• Setting. In the middle crown position, turning one way jumps the 24-hour hand and the other way advances the date. Check your manual, since some brands differ.
• Date danger zone. Don't quickset the date between about 9pm and 3am. Here's why.
• Reserve figures vary. Some retailers quote about 38 hours for the Sinn 857 UTC, and Tissot quoted 46 hours for the 2893-3 in the Heritage Navigator. We use ETA's 42-hour figure for the family.

How it compares

• ETA 2892-A2: the same base without the GMT module. Thinner, same beat and reserve.
• Sellita SW330: the Sellita GMT that replaced the 2893 in many microbrands. Current versions have a longer 56-hour reserve.
• ETA 2824-2 with a GMT module: some cheaper GMTs stack a module on a 2824, which is thicker. The 2893-2 is the neater solution.
• Seiko 4R34: the budget Japanese caller GMT in the Seiko 5 Sports GMT. 3 Hz and looser tolerances, but similar in use.
• Tudor MT5652 / Rolex 3285: "flyer" GMTs with a jumping local hour hand and about 70 hours of reserve, at a much higher price.

Living with the 42-hour reserve

Forty-two hours is just short of a weekend. Take your Sinn 857 UTC off at 6pm on Friday and, from full, it stops around noon on Sunday. On Monday you're resetting the time, the date and the 24-hour hand. For a travel watch, that also means it can stop between trips if it sits in a drawer while you wear something else at home.

The simple habit is to wind it by the crown before you pack it, so it arrives full. If your Christopher Ward Trident GMT shares a rotation with a longer-running watch, wear it first after a break. Watch Winder counts down the 42-hour reserve for each watch you own and reminds you before it stops. To check a particular weekend or trip, try the "Will my watch stop?" calculator.

Verdict

The ETA 2893-2 is a thin, accurate and well-proven Swiss GMT built on one of ETA's best bases. It's the reason the Sinn 857 UTC and early Panerai Luminor GMTs are such solid tool watches, and a used Christopher Ward Trident GMT with one is a bargain. The limits are the caller-style GMT function, tighter parts control than a 2824 and a reserve that won't quite last a weekend. If you want a GMT hand for home time and a movement any good watchmaker knows, it's an easy choice.

FAQ

How long does a Sinn 857 UTC run off the wrist?

The ETA 2893-2 in the Sinn 857 UTC runs for about 42 hours from a full wind, just under two days, so it will usually stop over a weekend.

Is the Christopher Ward C60 Trident GMT a true GMT?

Older versions use the ETA 2893-2, a caller-style GMT where the 24-hour hand jumps independently and the local hour hand does not. It tracks a second time zone well but is slower to reset when you travel.

What movement is in the Tissot Heritage Navigator?

The 2013 Heritage Navigator 160th Anniversary (T078.641) uses a COSC-certified ETA 2893-3, the world-time variant with a city disc and no date.

What movement is in the Hamilton Khaki Navy GMT?

An ETA 2893 GMT movement. Sources differ on whether it is the 2893-1 or the 2893-2, so check the caseback or rotor of your watch.

How do I set the GMT hand on an ETA 2893-2?

Pull the crown to the middle position and turn it to jump the 24-hour hand in one-hour steps; turning the other way changes the date. The watch keeps running while you do it.

Does the ETA 2893-2 hack?

Yes. Pulling the crown to the last position stops the seconds hand, and it can also be wound by hand.

What is the difference between the ETA 2893-1, 2893-2 and 2893-3?

The 2893-2 shows the second time zone with a 24-hour hand and has a date. The 2893-1 uses a rotating 24-hour disc with a date, and the 2893-3 is a world-timer with a city disc and no date.

Sources

• Caliber Corner: ETA Caliber 2893-2
• Grail Watch Reference: Travel Time Trio, ETA's calibre 2893
• Worn & Wound: Tissot Heritage Navigator 160th Anniversary review
• aBlogtoWatch: Christopher Ward C60 Trident GMT review

Keeping it running

• On an average day an automatic gains roughly 4 hours of reserve per hour on the wrist, so about 10 hours of wear fills the ETA 2893-2 GMT. Desk days charge more slowly.
• Most automatics can also be wound by the crown. If yours has stopped, a few dozen turns gets it going before you put it on.
• Off the wrist it stops about 42 hours after it was last full. Stopped sooner?
• On a watch winder, start at about 650 turns per day, both directions. Winder settings for every movement.
• If it does stop, don't set the date between 9pm and 3am. Check if it's safe.

All ETA movements

Never let it stop

Watch Winder counts down the reserve of every watch you own and reminds you before one stops. It already knows the ETA 2893-2 GMT: type your watch's name and the reserve fills itself in.

Manufacturer's published figure. Real reserve varies with the watch's age and service; check your manual.