Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer UTC - World-time Watch

Porsche Design’s 1919 Globetimer UTC makes it very easy for frequent travelers not to lose a moment of precious time. The local time can be conveniently set with the aid of the ergonomically shaped, optimally positioned pusher. Each press of this button causes the short, local-time hour hand to advance clockwise one position.

When flying east, each press of the “+” button advances the second time zone by an interval of one hour. When flying west, pressing the “–” button causes the UTC hands to move in the opposite direction. All the while, the UTC hands automatically move, remaining in synchrony. To assure this occurs at midnight and not at noon, the time needs to be set correctly just once. A circular window on the left-hand side of the dial facilitates this task: a white dot appears here during the daytime hours, but the aperture remains black at night. Porsche Design has also taken into account the reference time, for which a second and clearly distinguishable hour hand with a distinctive luminous tip is responsible. This hand turns once every twenty-four hours, showing at a glance whether it is reasonable to phone home, or if it is already too late (or too early) to wake one’s family.

Nothing has been left to chance with the operation of the 1919 Globetimer UTC. The pushers, each with a precisely defined pressure point, dispatch the switching operations with speed and precision, designed and built with the chronographic competence amassed by Porsche since 1972. The well-conceived push-button control ensures intuitive operation, even while seated behind the wheel of a car. There is no need to unscrew the crown or sense its first detent position for independent adjustment of the local-time hour hand, thus eliminating a potential source of human error.

To intuitively display the time from any viewing angle, the dial’s radius has been made as large as possible, while the titanium case was designed to be uncommonly slim. Well-balanced styling imbues this watch with a unique lightness, further enhanced by the handsomely shaped wristband. Color contrasts, distinctive hands, indices and numerals combine with the generous use of nonradioactive Super-LumiNova luminous material to minimize the chance of misreading, even in conditions characterized by poor visibility. In addition, a sevenfold antireflective coating and an extra hard-coated treatment protect the sapphire crystal.

Armin Strom Masterpiece 1 Dual Time Resonance

The Dual Time Resonance by Armin Strom is real Masterpiece. Two independent movements sit side-by-side in a distinctive oval case, their regulators wedded by Armin Strom’s patented Resonance Clutch Spring performing a continually horological two-step between the dual eye-catching counter-oscillating balances.

The Resonance Clutch Spring is the key to Armin Strom’s mastery of resonance. Two independent movements display two independent time zones — not simply one movement with two displays. Armin Strom Co-Founder and technical director Claude Greisler explains, “Developing a perpetual calendar or tourbillon would have been far easier than the years we spent calculating and validating the Resonance Clutch Springs, it was uncharted territory.”

Independent movements enable the Dual Time Resonance to indicate GMT, or a second time zone, as well as a function used as a timer or countdown. Power reserve indicators on each of the hand-guilloche dials and a 24-hour indication at 6 o’clock complete the indications.

While it has been long known that resonance in watch and clock movements with synchronized coupled oscillators improves accuracy by averaging slight differences in the precision of each movement and in wristwatches minimises adverse effects of shocks on precision. Less known is that resonance also conserves energy: vibrational energy that is normally be lost through the supports of the regulator is conserved in the system. Armin Strom’s laboratory testing has revealed gains in precision of 15-20% for two COSC chronometer-level regulated movements placed in resonance.

“Form follows function” could have been written for the Dual Time Resonance: two movements side by side (rather than stacked vertically) naturally led to the oval-shaped case, while the increased space afforded by the movements in this configuration allowed for two barrels per movement and a longer power reserve. Gazing through the display back at all four barrels winding simultaneously is as mesmerising as the ballet of the dual regulators on the dial.

The Armin Strom Masterpiece 1 Dual Time Resonance launches in a limited edition of 8 pieces in Grade 5 titanium.

Limited Edition Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Geographic WT

The design of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Geographic WT is inspired by the 1968 Memovox Polaris watch, one of the Grande Maison's iconic models. While its entirely redesigned curves give it an air of sporty elegance for a daily wear and cosmopolitan outlook, its bold, adventurous spirit remains unchanged. The 42 mm case houses the Calibre 936A/1, a mechanical self-winding Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre bringing a new feature to the collection: the geographic function, ideal for both travellers and men of action.

The Polaris Geographic WT (for "World Time") watch invites to discover the world through the 24 time zones instantly visible on a flange, which can be adjusted by the crown at 10 o’clock. For cities switching between standard and daylight saving time according to seasons, a white asterisk indicates the time with this one-hour difference.

The dial’s design highlights the alliance of the two Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris colours: a blue subtly turning to black – a true signature for this collection. The smoky blue dial gives the Polaris Geographic WT watch the impression of great depth. It is decorated with three finishes: an opaline base for the city disk, a sunrayed sub-dial housing the calendar at 2 o'clock, the second time zone at 6 o'clock and the power reserve at 10 o'clock, and a grained finishing for the case back.

The day/night disk, clearly divided into two black and white sections, is instantly recognisable and indicates whether it is day or night in the local city – and therefore in the second time zone of choice. One slight, yet eye-catching detail on the disk is the small sun indicating the daytime hours – black numerals on a white background – and the little crescent moon for the night hours – white numerals on a black background.

The new Polaris Geographic WT completes the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris collection that was successfully unveiled in January, at the SIHH, in Geneva. This model is issued as a series of 250 pieces and it will exclusively be available at the Jaeger-LeCoultre boutiques.