From sporty GMT timepieces to sophisticated world-timers, the watches designed for frequent travellers can be an attraction in themselves.
From sporty GMT timepieces to sophisticated world-timers, the watches designed for frequent travellers can be an attraction in themselves.
FLYING HIGH
Following up on a white gold edition first unveiled in 2015, Patek Philippe has launched not one, but two, new versions of its modern pilot’s watch. Housed in a 42mm rose gold case, the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524R is an aviation-style automatic timepiece, and was released alongside a smaller, 37mm version this year. Its large numerals and cathedral hands make it a cinch to read this dual-timer, which has a skeletonised hour hand that indicates home time.
ON THE DOUBLE
Glashutte Original presents the Senator Cosmopolite in steel this year after previously releasing it in red or white gold. Powered by the brand’s own 89-02 automatic movement, the 44mm watch displays home time (on the subdial at 12 o’clock) as well as the time in one of 35 different time zones (via the central hour and minute hands). To display the local time of an overseas destination, turn the crown at eight o’clock until the IATA (International Air Transport Association) code of the desired time zone appears in one of the apertures at eight o’clock.
TOTAL MASTERY
One of the most useful pieces in the Franck Muller catalogue, the Master Banker stands out with a unique proposition: The ability to display three zones, all of which are adjustable by the same crown. Housed in a pink gold Cintree Curvex case measuring 60.5mm by 43.4mm, the special Index Map edition seen here features a dial adorned with a world map, which provides an extra dash of pizzazz.
GLOBAL CITIZEN
Unless your map-reading skills are top-notch, the 1858 Geosphere by Montblanc is definitely more of a dual-timer rather than a world-timer. The rotating globes represent the northern (12 o’clock) and southern (six o’clock) hemispheres respectively, and are surrounded by a 24-hour scale – giving an approximation of the time in different parts of the world. We think the second time zone window at nine o’clock, which can be used to display home time, will probably prove a lot handier. Shown here in bronze (it’s also available in steel), this 42mm watch is powered by an automatic in-house movement.
HAVE IT ALL
While it can show the time in two different locations – one via the central hands, and the other via the subdial at six o’clock – the Slim d’Hermes Perpetual Calendar is also a lot more than that. As one might gather from the name of this 39.5mm, pink gold automatic watch (now also available in platinum) by Hermes, it’s also a perpetual calendar – and its clean yet playful design and font help to keep things highly legible, despite the wealth of information on the dial.
CROSSING BOUNDARIES
Despite not featuring Richard Mille’s signature tonneau-shaped case, the RM 63-02 World Timer bears other clear marks of the brand – for instance, the multiple, strongly delineated facets of its four-part case, and the bold skeletonisation of the watch’s automatic movement. Housed in a 47mm titanium case, the RM 63-02 has a world-time ring designed to be adjusted by turning the bezel directly, rather than via a pusher like most world-time watches.
SOMETHING BLUE
A 45mm steel timepiece recently unveiled by Panerai, the Radiomir 1940 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic Acciaio (PAM 946) has just the right number of features a rugged type of traveller would need. A secondary, arrowed hour hand indicates the home time while an AM/ PM indicator at nine o’clock lets you know whether it’s day or night at home. An indicator at four o’clock shows how much is left of the automatic watch’s 72-hour power reserve.
TEXT LYNETTE KOH PHOTOGRAPHY VEE CHIN ART DIRECTION DENISE REI LOW
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