A world time watch doesn’t just look good, it’s also a useful tool for any globe-hopping citizen of the world. When you have properties and businesses in multiple countries, knowing the precise time in various cities at a glance is intrinsically useful. Also, and let’s be honest here, world time watches are seriously sexy bits of kit. The horological know-how that goes in to making a world time ‘complication’ is in the upper echelons of the watchmaker’s skillset, with some accounting for all 37 time zones. The dial quality of the best watches alone – which is an object lesson in combining clarity and beauty – makes the admittedly high prices for these pieces worth every penny. Read on for some of the very best, and latest, on the market...
The Chopard LUC Time Traveller boasts a 42mm case houses an in-house movement, visible through the caseback, with a 60-hour power reserve. Also available in steel and rose gold, our model of choice is the platinum edition, which features a beautiful bluey-green dial. Refined yet rugged, this is a watch with poise and elegance.
This is a beautiful and, at around £5k, surprisingly affordable addition to the world time stable. Available in stainless steel or rose gold, this 41mm piece by Montblanc features 24 time zones in surprisingly legible fashion. In the centre of the dial is a piece of sapphire crystal that displays the continents when viewed from the North Pole, with the oceans picked out in striking blue. Well worth seeking out.
Versatile, useful and comfortable, this timepiece by Vacheron Constantin looks as good in a boardroom as it does on a boat. With three choices of dial on offer, and easily interchangeable straps, this hand-finished marvel also showcases a neat rotatable world map in the centre of the dial, helping you to see city time at a glance. The watch has also passed the stringent Geneva Hallmark standard – one of watchmaking’s toughest tests. It retails at £40,000, but you get a lot of watch for the money.
Part of Jaeger-LeCoultre's brilliant Geophysic collection, this is the first world timer with a flying tourbillon which, although big, doesn’t interfere with the dial functionality. It’s full of lovely detail, like the open waters of the map covered by wave-like guilloche decoration. Exclusively available in platinum, this 43.5mm watch is limited to 100 pieces, priced around £120,000.
Colour us happy! This distinctive, eye-catching piece might come from fashion house Louis Vuitton, but it’s a serious bit of a kit nonetheless. Smart and well-designed, it’s powered by a decent ETA movement and looks like no other world timer on the market. Horological purists might sniff at it, but those who want a great 24 time zone watch at a reasonable price (around £5000) should seek it out. Looks great against a dark suit, too.
One of the flagship complications from arguably the world’s most renowned watchmaker was never going to be anything other than brilliant. And when it launched at Baselworld 2016, the watch nerds at the Patek Philippe booth made a beeline for this model – a self-winding flyback chronograph with worldtimer. Easy to wear and easy to read, it’s a contemporary take on Patek’s world time collection and a very practical traveller’s timepiece. A hand- stitched alligator strap completes this handsome watch.
It’s all about the detail with this wonderfully well finished watch by De Bethune. From the home time indicator that comprises a sphere of two halves in pink gold and blued steel to the variety of treatments on the dial itself. The chapter ring has a matte, grained finish, while the cities disc showcases a beautiful concentric guilloche. Flip it over and through the case back you can see a titanium balance with white gold weights and a polished balance bridge. This is a highly legible and highly covetable timepiece.
