Horological Meandering

Hi All,
I am keen on buying a GMT / Worldtimer watch. Which one would you recommend and why?
Personally I would prefer one with a dual time zone whereby I can see the home and away time immediately.
Any comments / thoughts / inputs would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Gg

As for the GMT, the Rolex ( 6542 / 1675 / 16 750 / 16 750 / 16 700 / 16 710 /  and the latest with the ceramic bezel ).

As for the WT, the Patek ( 5110 / 5130 ).

Nown there are some cool outsiders:

As for the GMT,  Ulysse Nardin offers some very interesting models, such as the simple San Marco; or tje exquisite Sonata, without forgetting the Perpetual Calendar.

As for the WT, I would give a special mention to two watches here: The Girard Perregaux WW TC, and the JLC Master Geographique ( the latest one is exquisite ).

Best,

Nicolas.

For a World Time watch the JLC Master Geographic or Master Compressor Geographic. Can not go wrong.

Good luck, -Brandon

...which is that you would like to see both time zones immediately.  That's the way that I like it as well, which is why I am strongly drawn to the JLC Geo and Lange 1 Time Zone rather than to the PP (or now VC) style world timers, which are not at all intuitive to me.  The VC Overseas Dual time is built on the same concept, although to me a bit less useful due to the absence of a minutes hand on the second time zone.

I also own a UN dual time, but for whatever reason find the display of the hour in the little window less useful. 

If you don't need to see both time zones exactly at once, the Reverso Duo/GMT watches are really cool -- two time zones on different sides of the watch, with two entirely different faces.  An under-appreciated complication, IMHO.

Have fun choosing, and tell us where you land!

Best,

Gary G

The geographique will show both time zones - a function you mentioned as a preference. It may be my favourite offering from this year's SIHH from all brands. Best,

How about this Ochs und Junior Due Ore watch, created by the genius of Ludwig Oechslin. Its built upon the concept of simplicity. The watch enables to read a second time at a glance (no subdials needed). It actually contains less parts than the ETA base movement, as the date advancement levers had been taken out. The date disk is replaced by a 12h disk which still is set with the normal date setting mechanism of the movement. Clever!

It comes in two versions, a concept watches called Due Ore Idea (39mm) essentially made by the master himself, of not more than 10 pieces made in silver case with heat-pantinated white gold hands and dials:



The second version, Due Ore Tinta features a 42 mm titanium case and comes with a delicately coloured dial (like hands made of brass):





For more information on the brand and the watches please read my recent post in the AHCI forum. Please click here!

Best,
Magnus

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is a fantastic thing. The prototype in your original post was just my kind of watch. One of those simple yet so useful modifications...

it is my no-nonsense do-everything international travel watch.

 

For perfection, I would probably go to the Lange 1 Timezone PT, with the Patek 5110P a close second.

 

Best

Andreas

My two favorite World timers are, The Lange 1 Timezone and the PP

...by suggesting the easiest to read of any GMT watch I've ever owned, the Omega 2234.50?
Yes you need to turn the bezel to the alternate time, but no watch I've ever seen indicates not only whether night or day at a quick glance, and a lume you can see for miles.
Brilliant design.





This message has been edited by mrsnak on 2011-03-16 19:06:17

Easy to read and quite useful to have an alarm when we travel.

Regards,

Yves

I love the Master compressor for being functional and sportively stylish.

cheers

PAt

its similar to the Lange 1 timezone as it has a sub dial with hours and minutes for home time and +/- pushers to adjust the hour hand of the main dial. the minute hands adjust together. its suitable for most places except the awkward places that have 1/2 hour differences.

Graham 

Hello, look, I don´t know your budget, if you are wealthy, you may want a very high end watch like PP, AP or JLC, but for 2000 usd you may buy a ORIS Worldtimer, which had exactly what you are looking for. You can leave the time of you hometown and also you can see if it´s night or day on you hometown. And the other hand you can reset them inmediatelly as you get to another time zone without pulling out the crown. Check it out on the Oris Webpage. My humble opinion.

And I was never attracted to Oris in general, but this one has great aesthetics, and more importantly, appears extremely functional.




This message has been edited by mrsnak on 2011-03-17 09:40:07

Thank you for all your comments ...
I have some additional question though... I would prefer the watch to have a 1/2 hour ability increments because some countries have 1.5 hours, 2.5 hours time difference.
I think most of the recommended watches can only do hourly increments...
The only one that I found with this capability is Porsche Design Worldtimer...
any others???

Additonally, comments about the AP Dual Time please

Image courtesy of timefreak2000.

Thanks in advance!

Can I suggest the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time, a SIHH 2011 novelty?

You can find details in this article posted by WHL, the VC forum moderator:

http://basel.watchprosite.com/show-forumpost/fi-636/pi-4360118/ti-682553/s-0/

 

Ciao!

I'd strongly suggest a pre-owned Rolex GMT Master (not the GMT Master II in which the date is a right royal nuisance to set if you don't wear your watch regularly) as the GMT watch, and a Patek world time.
Unbeatable combination!
Rishad

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Having only ever lost watches when traveling overseas, I tend to take one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Similar to the Parmigiani, the Ikepod can be set to any time you want in either time zone.

It shows the date. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. It's comfortable and $1500.

Downside - only available as used watch, and no lume. Funky strap or a nice bracelet.

Alternatively, do like many of us and get a Breitling Aerospace and use the hands for one zone and the display for the other.
I think you can set the time differently in each of the two zones (I mean I think you can do it intentionally; I do it by accident frequently).
You do have to be a rocket scientist or have the manual for at least the first few times you change it.




This message has been edited by cazalea on 2011-03-17 13:44:35

If the maket is full of GMT / Dual zone watches, the Worldtimers are much rarer... GP, JLC, Patek, Vacheron and a very few more...

Simple:



or complicated, it's up to you !



Fr.Xavier

How aobut the FP Journe Chronometer a Resonance? Do the dual times work indipendently?

The dual time zones are independent and the minute hands in each of the timezone dials can be set independently without any constraints. Thus you can set the times even one minute apart if you wish to...

Two other good choices are Dubey & Schaldenbrand Aerodyn Duo which comes with independently operating twin time zone dials, date subdial and a 24 hour indicator (most valuable when travelling). A real value-for-money watch.

Parmigiani Hemisphere offers the same convenience, but with two 24 hour indicator dia ls for added convenience and  a Manufacture movement to boot and ofcourse the premium pricing!!!

IMHO it would be preferable to stay away from pure GMT watches as any time difference under 60 minutes between your foreign and local time zones becomes impossible to manage.

The world time watches with the 24 zones are also not the best of options given the limitations of one hour increment as well as the summer time setting issues.

I am not sure about the new Vacheron world time which addresses the half hour issues, but looks quite cluttered in the bargain. Same for Andersen's world time watch ( tribute Fleming)

Cartier's world timer has just entered the fray. But not my cup of tea.

regds

narsi

Had this one for almost two yrs. It may not be fancy, or expensive but it does get the job done. The GMT hand at the 6 can be adjusted. Plus its solar powered. .