November 26, 2015 | Watches & Jewelry
For an international city like Chicago, Swiss watchmakers are creating timepieces that help us time our days with the world in mind.
Clockwise from left:
From Louis Vuitton, the unusual Escale Time Zone watch ($7,700) indicates the time in 24 zones by means of colorful city and hour discs. This 39mm watch is powered by the automatic caliber LV 87, manufactured by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, and features a steel case. Louis Vuitton, 919 N. Michigan Ave., 312-944-2010
Montblanc pulls out all the stops with its Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum ($5,200). Powered by a self-winding mechanical movement made in-house, this stainless steel watch has 42 hours of power reserve and indicates the time in 24 zones via a pusher at 8 o’clock, an integrated day/night display, and a map depicting the Northern Hemisphere. Montblanc, 900 N. Michigan Ave., 312-943-1200
From Girard-Perregaux, this Traveller WW.TC watch ($18,300) is crafted in titanium with a black DLC (diamondlike carbon) coating. A 44mm watch with a self-winding mechanical movement made in-house, it offers the hour and minutes in 24 time zones plus a day/ night indicator, date and small seconds indicators, and chronograph functions. It is also water-resistant to 100 meters. Swiss Fine Timing, 645 N. Michigan Ave., 312-337-4700
This Frederique Constant Manufacture Worldtimer watch ($4,195) houses the 26-jewel automatic movement FC-718, made in-house in Switzerland, which indicates the date as well as the time around the world. Crafted in stainless steel, this 42mm watch features 42 hours of power reserve and a navy-blue dial with a world map and luminous markers for night reading. Razny Jewelers, 1700 Green Bay Road, Highland Park, 847-432-5300
Patek Philippe crafted this Ref. 5130R Men’s World Time watch ($44,000) in 18k rose gold with a silvery opaline dial and a guilloche center. It features 24 time zones as well as a 24-hour day/night indicator. C.D. Peacock, 4999 Old Orchard Center, Ste. N3, Skokie, 847-679-1837
In this age of constant connectivity, a global perspective is crucial. Today’s business dealings often take place across multiple time zones, making a world-timer watch a necessity. A complex instrument to produce, the world timer typically indicates the hour and minutes in all 24 of the globe’s major time zones, with some watches even telling the local time in regions where it may differ by mere minutes. Maps, city names, and lines of longitude remind sophisticated sojourners where they are in the world and where they need to be.
photography by jeff crawford. Styling by terry lewiS
