As these high-end watches demonstrate, a travel discount watch can be as functional as it is extremely complicated.
Whether you travel a lot for business or leisure, you want a watch that can keep up with where you’re going next. A watch that can indicate time across multiple time zones simultaneously is a tool first and foremost. But it doesn’t just limit you to a simple or cheap watch, or dare I say, your smartphone. Conversely, there are plenty of options in the world of fine watchmaking, as these 5 complicated watches clearly demonstrate.
Moritz Grossmann Globe
Moritz Grossmann’s Universalzeit is a unique and interesting interpretation of the concept of multiple time zone indications. Taking advantage of the brand’s existing architecture, it has designed an ingenious disc that sits below the dial and displays 6 different additional time zones. The holes on the dial are decorated with depictions of the world, corresponding to six cities, each with its own scale on the aforementioned disc. The way it works is also fairly intuitive, as you just need to adjust the hour dial to the correct setting, then use the pusher/selector at 11 o’clock; the clock to adjust the central hour hand. That’s it, you can spend time in 7 different locations at the same time! Power comes from a Calibre 100.7, made up of 292 components, built almost entirely in-house and finished by hand.
44.5mm x 13.78mm – Stainless Steel Case, Polished – Domed Sapphire Crystal – Sapphire Crystal Case Back – Unique Pull-Out and Reset Crown – Movement Reset Button at 4′ – Master Time Selector at 10’/ Pushers – Sunburst brushed blue dial – World map drawn and printed in white and brown – Hand-crafted hands – White time zone disc – Applied hour-markers in polished stainless steel – Manufacture 100.7 movement – Manual winding – 292 components – 18,000vph – 42 Hours Power Reserve – Haute Horlogerie Finishing – Hours, Minutes, Seconds, 6 Additional Time Zones – Chocolate Brown Alligator Leather Strap
BCHH X ANDERSEN GENÈVE CELESTIAL VOYAGER “Sunset in Cappadocia”
The BCHH x Andersen Genève Celestial Voyager “Sunset over Cappadocia” is arguably one of the best looking world timers we’ve seen in a long time. This is the second celestial voyager between Andersen Genève and Benjamin Chee Haute Horlogerie. The case is made of platinum and has a crown on each side for setting the watch and adjusting the city ring. In the center of the dial is a delicate image of a hot air balloon floating in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. Surrounded by aventurine city disc and silver-plated 24-hour ring. It is powered by the historic AS 1876 automatic movement, finished by hand by Andersen Genève and features a BlueGold rotor. No more than 10 of these gorgeous watches will come with customization options for a lucky few.
37.7mm x 10.1mm – 950 platinum case, satin and polished – eagle wing lugs – sapphire crystal on both sides – double symmetrical crown (city left, time/winding right) – 30m water resistance – cloisonne enamel Dial center – aventurine city ring, rose gold Cappadocia – silver plated 24-hour ring – skeletonized leaf-shaped hands, cream finish – AS 1876 basic movement with Andersen Genève world time module on top – automatic winding, With iconic blue gold rotor 21 jewels – 21,600vph – approx. 40-hour power reserve – Hand-finished by Andersen Genève – Hours, minutes, world time – Alligator leather strap with platinum pin buckle
Ulysse Nardin BLAST MOONSTRUCK
Cheer up, because the all-new Ulysse Nardin Blast Moonstruck has a lot to absorb. It’s an adaptation of 2017’s Moonstruck, which in turn relies on Ludwig Oechslin’s 2009 Moonstruck when he was at the United Nations. It displays time, moon phase and date of lunar month, orbit around the sun, world time and dual time, tide coefficient and date. It’s all housed in a 45mm-wide black DLC-coated titanium case with buttons on the left. The UN-106 movement uses 335 components, which can be admired from the back. Using a silicon escapement and hairspring, and running at 28,800vph, it offers 50 hours of autonomy.
45mm diameter – Black ceramic and black DLC titanium case – Sapphire crystal on both sides – 30m water resistance – Two buttons on the left to advance the main display in one hour increments – Domed sapphire crystal represents Earth from the North Pole – Moon phases and dates of lunar months – Orbiting the sun – World time and dual time zones with 24-hour day and night scale – 24 reference cities on the flange – Tide coefficients measured by moon phases Date Ring – Hour and Minute Hands with Luminous Material – Automatic Movement Made in UN-106 – 335 Components – 42 Jewels – 28,800vph – 50 Hours Power Reserve – Silicon Escapement and Spring – Black Alligator, Velvet or Rubber Watch Strap with titanium and rose gold folding clasp
Patek Philippe World Time Chronograph 5930P
Patek Philippe has a long history with chronographs and world timepieces, but the two rarely meet in one watch. One reference that combines the two is the Patek Philippe 5930P World Time Chronograph, first introduced in 2016 and now also available in green. Its platinum case is 39.5 mm in diameter, and the wing lugs are attached to a dark green leather strap. The display is typical Patek Philippe, rich in detail. Green guilloche central dial with day/night 24 ring, white city ring on green, applied hour-markers, 30-minute counter and central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds. From the back, the movement is Patek Philippe’s CH 28-250 HU Calibre. This in-house automatic world timer chronograph flyback movement uses no less than 343 carefully crafted components.
39.5mm x 12.86mm- Platinum Case- Sapphire Crystal and Case Back- Wing Lugs- Three Push Buttons for Chronograph and World Time Complication- 30M Water Resistance- Emerald Green Guilloche Dial- White and Black 24 Hour Ring – White Chronograph Seconds Ring – Green World Timer City Ring on White – Chronograph 30 Minutes Counter – Calibre CH 28-250 HU, Inside – Automatic World Timer Flyback Chronograph Movement – 21k gold winding rotor – 343 components – 38 jewels – 28,800vph – 50-55h power reserve – hours, minutes, chronograph seconds, 30-minute counter, 24-hour scale with day/night display, 24-hour zone display – with platinum folding Buckle “Bottle Green” Leather Strap
IWC Pilot’s Watch TIMEZONER TOP GUN CERATANIUM
The last watch we put on this list is a world timer in a completely different order. The IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Ceratanium is definitely a high-end watch, but with a more rugged, tool-oriented look and feel. Its matte black ceramic titanium case is topped by a ceramic rotating bezel engraved with the 24 cities corresponding to time zones around the world. To use it, press down on the bezel and rotate it in either direction. This will adjust the central time hour hand and 24-hour display in one-hour increments. It is equipped with the 82760 automatic movement, manufactured in-house by IWC, with a Pellaton winding system and a 60-hour power reserve. It’s worn on a black rubber strap with fabric inlays.
46mm x 15.1mm – Ceratanium Case – Ceramic Rotating Bezel Engraved with 24 Cities – Sapphire Crystal Front and Back – Screw Down Crown – 60m Water Resistance – Matte Black Dial with Black Hands – Light Grey Super- LumiNova Elements – IWC Manufacture Calibre 82760 – Automatic with Pellaton Winding System – 22 Jewels – 28,800vph – 60 Hours Power Reserve – Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Time Zone Function to Change Time Zone via Bezel, for World Timer Function 24-hour display – black rubber strap with fabric inlay