With about 15 brands involved in this niche, the dual-time function is an active player on the watchmaking planet. It shows up in several guises, including some amazingly imaginative ones, alongside some grand classics. Time elsewhere definitely opens up a world of possibilities.
By way of example, Oris has added a second time zone to its Artelier Calibre 112, representing a logical and simple evolution of its Manufacture-made movement. By redeploying the indications on its large dial, the brand adds a function without affecting the aesthetic equilibrium of the design. The same approach has been adopted by Jaquet Droz in enriching its Grande Seconde Quantième model with a 24-hour dual-time display. The addition is virtually imperceptible.
This sense of restraint is indeed the key trend among GMT displays. Blancpain has long since housed this function in a discreet area of the dial on its Villeret Quantième Annuel GMT, which is now available in steel. And Fabergé has even gone so far as to place it at the bottom of a “well”. At the very centre of its Visionnaire DTZ, an orifice formed by a cylinder draws the gaze into the very heart of the movement where the 24-hour disc is located. The information is read off by means of a magnifying lens that highlights the dual-time display, which is also of the jumping variety.
Discretion is also the watchword behind the evolution of the Hora Mundi 5727 by Breguet. Initially introduced with an elaborate dial adorned with an engraved motif depicting three continents, the model now comes with a resolutely Breguet-style design. The classic engine-turned dial dominates the scene and the observer must look to the rim in order to read off the time in a distant place, coordinated with the reference city for the relevant time zone. All this is coordinated via a crown at 8 o’clock that also serves a second function which makes this watch so very special, by enabling the wearer to switch between central and peripheral display modes. The distant time zone can thus be transformed into the main time zone and vice versa, an option entirely in tune with the logic of its travel-oriented vocation.
Conversely, Patek Philippe uses a presentation reflecting its customary practice in providing a worldtime indication. The brand has been offering this horological complication for a very long time and it has become one of its grand classics. It enables the user to read off the time in any location around the world by aligning a ring bearing the hours with another bearing the cities. Nonetheless, the World Time Chronograph Ref. 5930 sees Patek Philippe make a departure from its usual habits. Firstly, it is based on a self-winding chronograph movement, making this combination of complications a first in the repertoire of the brand’s standard collections. And above all, it features a somewhat sporty appearance that is a far cry from the precious-looking exteriors typical of Patek Philippe. The GMT concept itself is engaged in a never-ending journey.
