I think it worked better on the old GMT because the size of the center links was somehow proportional to the font and size of the numbers around the bezel.. not to mention the round indices.. Having said that, I'm in the majority who prefer oysters on average.
Good thing these new GMTs don't appeal to me. Not a big fan of ceramic bezels. I'm all for longevity but I also like to see that a watch has lived a life.. and survived with a lot of grace. The current offerings might just be too timeless for my taste 
Best, Echi