When travelling abroad, your luxury watch needs to be able to keep up. Whether you’re dressed for business in a suit, or casually out for dinner in jeans, your watch needs to match the occasion and fit in.
Saxony-based brand NOMOS Glashutte Original has crafted just such a timepiece. This model’s world-map dial includes a set of substitutions for locales depicted on the 24-hour city ring, for extra user-friendly travel functionality.
Rolex GMT-Master II
The Rolex GMT-Master II is the ideal watch for navigating multiple time zones. Designed to be as practical as possible, its iconic bidirectional rotatable bezel has a 24-hour graduated insert in a dual-color combination that can be used to distinguish daytime from night time when traveling between different countries. In addition, the GMT-Master II’s hands can be adjusted without stopping the movement and affecting the 24-hour hand that displays local time. Originally developed as a navigational aid for professionals crisscrossing the globe, the GMT-Master II remains the ultimate travel companion for modern luxury enthusiasts.
In addition to the bezel, the GMT-Master II’s dial color and material also contributes to its aesthetic appeal. The dial and bezel can come in a variety of colors and materials to fit any style. Whether it’s the sporty zing of blue and red “Pepsi,” the bolder red and black “Coke,” or the subtle sophistication of black and blue “Batman” or 2022’s green and black ceramic bezel, each iteration reflects Rolex’s commitment to design excellence and craftsmanship.
In order to ensure that the bezel insert ring maintains its luminosity over long periods of time, Rolex developed a patented system that features two semi-circular bezel inserts joined together with a trigonal spring and a knurled edge. Known as Cerachrom, this new material allows the insert ring to retain its vivid colors indefinitely. The knurled edges and bezel inserts are also polished with a new technique that provides an aesthetically pleasing finish while protecting the precious metal from wear.
Rolex has continued to innovate the GMT-Master II and its bezel since its introduction in 1954. The original model, on PanAm’s request, featured a blue and red bezel made from bakelite until 1956 when the bezel was switched to aluminum. Bakelite is brittle and tends to crack over time. However, the modern Rolex GMT Master II Ref. 6542 is still able to function as a world-timer thanks to the newer, more robust aluminum bezel.
The most recent update to the GMT-Master II is the reference 126710 BLNR introduced in 2018. This Oystersteel version of the watch comes on either an Oyster or Jubilee bracelet and is powered by the tried-and-true Caliber 3285 with Chronergy escapement, Parachrom hairspring, and Paraflex shock absorbers. The reference 126710 BLNR comes in a Pepsi, Coke, Batman, and 2022’s green and black ceramic bezel options all on Jubilee bracelets and lists at $11,050.
Panerai Luminor GMT
Like the Rolex GMT-Master II, this Panerai watch is perfect for global travelers who often travel across time zones. The GMT function allows you to keep track of both your home time and the local time of your destination. This feature is especially helpful when you have to wake up early to make an important call or meeting at work. You can easily keep up with your client’s schedule and avoid any misunderstandings.
As a luxury brand, Panerai focuses on creating watches that are both functional and stylish. Their watches are built to last and designed to withstand tough conditions. The Luminor GMT model is no exception to this rule. It features a robust, waterproof design that can be used in any environment. The Luminor GMT is also equipped with an impressive power reserve that ensures it will continue to function even after a long day of traveling.
The Luminor GMT features a black dial that is accented with luminous Arabic numerals and index hour markers. The dial is protected by a sapphire crystal glass with an anti-reflective coating. The watch also has a small second’s sub-dial located at the 9 o’clock position and a date window at the 3 o’clock position. The watch is powered by an automatic mechanical movement with a 42-hour power reserve.
Aside from its impressive functionality, the Panerai Luminor GMT is also a beautiful timepiece. The watch features a polished, cushion-shaped stainless-steel case that measures 44mm in diameter and 18mm thick. The case is complemented by a bezel with a polished finish and a device protecting the crown. The Luminor GMT is designed to be worn by anyone with a medium to large wrist size and has a water resistance of up to 300 meters.
Another great feature of the Luminor GMT is its strap. The watch comes with a PANERAI personalised leather strap that is both comfortable and durable. The strap has a subtle gradation in thickness from the middle to the buckle and is complimented by a trapezoidal brushed steel buckle. The strap is also padded, which makes it extra comfortable and lightweight.
Patek Philippe World Time
The Swiss watchmaker’s World Time series houses premium luxury watches equipped with a world time movement that allows owners to see the current time in 24 different locations at once. This complication is a useful tool for global travelers because it can help them avoid scheduling mishaps by giving them a quick visual reference to the local time in their destinations. The movements powering these models are also precise and reliable, making them ideal travel companions.
One of the newest iterations of Patek Philippe’s World Time comes in platinum and features an emerald-green dial. This color choice offers a more vibrant look for the watch than previous iterations, which featured deep blue dials. It also better complements the green of the cloisonné enamel medallion that highlights the cities and regions corresponding to each of the world time zones.
Like its predecessors, this new iteration of the World Time displays the various time zones around the globe in a remarkably detailed and colorful cloisonné enamel map. The enamel is layered in stages, with thin gold wires used to outline the continents and islands, followed by a myriad of colors to depict the individual locales.
In addition to the world time complication, this new model of the World Time includes a flyback chronograph, allowing the wearer to measure both speed and distance traveled. The combination of these two functions makes the World Time an ideal companion for jet-setters who require a high-performance chronograph and a convenient way to keep track of multiple time zones.
While the Patek Philippe World Time might seem a bit too complicated for a day-to-day watch, there are plenty of other options that can meet the needs of discerning travelers. For example, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Geophysic Universal Time first appeared in 2015 and offers the same functionality with an easier-to-read display. It also displays all standard time zone formats, including daylight savings time. And while it may not have the prestige or horological engineering of the World Time, the price tag is still within reach for the average traveler.
Bulgari Explorer
As a watch brand that’s known for its bold style and jewelry, Bulgari paired the Octo Finissimo’s slender bracelet links with a slender, black bead-blasted case. This made the watch more versatile, allowing it to blend in with dark attire or partially hide under a jacket sleeve. At the same time, the ref 214270’s world-time indicator and black dauphine hands were improved by using Chromalight luminescence that was enhanced to provide better legibility in low light conditions.
In a nod to Amerigo Vespucci, the watch features a dial engraved with the explorer’s motto and the BVLGARI name. The movement is powered by a self-winding in-house caliber that offers indications of the hours, minutes, day, month, and leap year with a 60-hour power reserve. The small crown is easy to grip and turn to perform all settings. The dial’s two offset rows display 24 cities spanning the globe, from Rome to Samoa and Bangkok to New York. Each city is selected for its representation of luxury, as well as the ideals embodied by the watchmaker.
The slender watch is rigid enough to be used in everyday activities, a feat that requires incredible engineering and design expertise. The least amount of bending can compromise the case’s water resistance, and even a slight flex could allow a hand to touch the sapphire crystal or the movement. To protect against this, the watch is constructed from a special grade of titanium that is resistant to abrasions and corrosion.
To ensure the highest quality, Bulgari manufactures its watches at two locations in Switzerland: Saignelegier and Chaux-de-Fonds. The former makes cases and gold and steel watchbands, while the latter focuses on the dials that require extensive work and expertise to produce. Both locations have specialized metiers that perform the necessary tasks, including milling machines with computerized controls that shape blocks of gold or stainless steel, polishing chambers where each link is carefully polished by hand, and an imposing dial workshop that produces high-profile models for the brand.
To celebrate its new world-time model, Bulgari released a series of images featuring Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Lisa from BLACKPINK wearing the watch. The campaign was photographed in Rome by Dan Jackson and Chris Colls, with stylist Katy Perry.
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Photo by Laurenz Heymann on Unsplash
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