World Timers From Vacheron Constantin, A. Lange & Söhne, And L.U.C
With world time watches, reading different time zones is as easy as one-two-three. We owe their basis – the 24 main world time zones – to Canadian engineer and inventor Sanford Fleming who proposed the standardization of 24 equal time zones around the world during the second half of the 19th century. Accepted by the International Meridian Conference in 1884, the proposal was generally adopted worldwide by the end of the 1920s.
The world timers shown here are as easy to wear as they are to use, when traveling, making international calls, or simply reading your local time.
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas World Time watch in a round 43.50 mm x 12.6 stainless steel case displays not 24 but 37 different time zones, to include full and partial time zones of half and quarter hours. In a choice of silver-toned, brown or oh-so-beautiful blue, the three part dial display consists of a central embossed map of the continents, a translucent lacquered disc with the city names, and day/night and 24 hour indications on a third sapphire disc laid over the map. An outside lacquered ring features a transferred minute-track, and all indications are adjusted with the screwed-down crown.
The patented self-winding Caliber 2460 WT has a power reserve of approx. 40 hours, with the Overseas oscillating mass in 22K pink gold visible through the transparent sapphire crystal caseback. Like all timepieces in this gorgeous new Overseas collection, the Overseas World Time is delivered with 3 easy-to-change and easy-to-fit bracelets / straps in stainless steel, rubber, and alligator leather. With a water resistance of 15 Bar, anti-magnetic protection to 25,000 A/m, and Hallmark of Geneva certification, the Overseas World Time is priced at EUR39,900.
The 41.90 mm x 11.00 mm case of this latest version of the Lange 1 Time Zone from A. Lange & Söhne is made with a stunning exclusive honey gold alloy. On the distinctive “Lange” dial we easily read home and a second time zone that is set with a lateral pusher, advancing the rotating 24 city ring from west to east. Dresden instead of Berlin represents Central European Time, and compared with previous platinum and gold versions, dots between the city names and GMT are blue instead of red; the peripheral ring of the second time zone is also blue, instead of black.
The hour hand on the small subsidiary dial moves forward by one step with each “push”, and a synchronisation mechanism makes it possible to transfer the zone time on the subsidiary dial to the main dial.
Lavishly hand-finished, the manufacture calibre L031.1 is assembled twice and has a power reserve of three days, with functions of home time with day/night indicator (hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds with stop seconds), zone time (hours, minutes) with day/night indicator and city ring, outsize date for home time, and UP/DOWN power-reserve indicator. The oscillating system features a shock-resistant screw balance and Nivarox® balance spring.
Limited to 100 watches, this “Dresden” edition is available exclusively at A. Lange & Söhne boutiques. EUR57,000.
For a first worldtime watch, it’s a winner. The L.U.C Time Traveler One is designed with concentric layers on the dial to display the date, local time and 24 main time zones. A central hand indicates the date, while hours and minutes of the local time, adjusted by the crown at 2 o’clock, are read on a surrounding railway track circle. An outside 24-hour graduated ring operates with the disc of reference cities that symbolize the 24 main time zones. Once synchronized with the local time zone using the 4 o’clock crown, no more adjustment is required. Equipped with the mechanical self-winding caliber L.U.C 01.05-L with a power reserve of approx. 60 hours, the L.U.C Traveler One is water resistant to 50 meters.
Its round case measures 42 mm x 12.09 mm and comes in versions of stainless steel, rose gold, and platinum, each with an alligator strap. Shown here is the rose gold version, priced at EUR18,920.
