Recent Articles • 24 Jun 2016
Five Travellers’ Watches That Should Remain In Your Safe
An enduring irony of the luxury timepiece world is that many watches are simply too valuable to do what they were designed to do.
Would you go diving with a solid gold dive watch?
Would you go flying with a complex, perpetual calendar, complication-equipped model?
Would you travel with a sophisticated travel watch whose pedigree (and value) might make you unhappy to lose it during your venturing?
Travel isn’t getting safer, or more convenient, and for those who opt to own the very best in timepieces, might want to reconsider traveling with timepieces such as the following five which are better left in your home safe at the end of the day versus in your luggage or in a hotel room.
Rolex Sky Dweller Ref. 326939
Controversial for its size and design, the Rolex Sky-Dweller nevertheless contains one of Rolex’s most complicated and useful movements. In addition to indicating the time, the Rolex Sky-Dweller has a GMT complication as well as an annual calendar thanks to the caliber 9001 automatic movement. The latter function cleverly uses the hour indicators to double as month of the year indicators. More so, a clever use of the fluted bezel allows for various adjustments to be made to the movement in addition to the crown. At 42mm wide, available only in 18k white, yellow or Everose gold, the Rolex Sky-Dweller is a perhaps too valuable travel accessory compared to something like the basic stainless steel GMT-Master II.
Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5990/1A
Geneva’s own Patek Philippe was probably smart to insert their useful and very capable in-house made caliber CH 28-520 C FUS automatic movement into the Nautilus case for a sporty travel chronograph watch. In addition to the time and date, the dial offers a chronograph complication as well as dual time zones. Cleverly integrated into the left “ears” of the Nautilus case design, are two pushers to move the second time zone hand either “East” or “West” in one-hour increments. The 40.5mm wide case is in steel, but it is also a recognizable Patek Philippe which means it might need to spend more time on your wrist than in the hotel safe while on the go.
MB&F LM1 PT Ref. 01.PL.W
At 44mm wide in mostly gold or platinum cases, the MB&F Legacy Machine No. 1 is the brand’s new classic icon, and its dial offers two individually set 12-hour time display. That means the LM1 is a perfect timepiece for those who want to know different times in two locations – and they don’t even need to coincide with the 24 major time zones so half and quarter time zones are of course no problem. The exclusive manually wound mechanical movement is a triumph of design and finishing, nodding in appreciative homage to the past, while being thoroughly modern in construction. It’s bold and stately on the wrist, being much more communicative than most classic-looking timepieces. The LM1 is also a valuable rarity, with many versions being limited editions, and all commanding prices commensurate with their construction and finishing value.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept GMT Tourbillon Ref. #26580IO.OO.D010CA.01
Building on the winning Royal Oak design, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak concept collection is a no-holds-barred tour de force of modern luxury for watch enthusiasts keen on both style and mechanics. There are more complicated watches, and there are more expensive watches, but there is something undeniably exotically rare and highly appealing about any timepiece with “Royal Oak,” and “Tourbillon” in the name. This watch also happens to include a handy second time zone dial placed opposite the tourbillon. Audemars Piguet designed it with two discs in 12 hour format that are either white or black depending on whether they are indicating day or night time. In titanium with white ceramic, the Royal Oak Concept GMT Tourbillon is 44mm wide and comes on a sporty white rubber strap. Its begs for play outdoors, but it deserves the safety of the indoors.
Richard Mille RM 58-01 Tourbillon World Timer
Do you need a tourbillon on the go? Richard Mille asked this formidable question when releasing the RM 58-01 watch that combined a tourbillon-based movement with a world time complication that allows the wearer to know the time in any of the major 24 time zones around the globe at a glance. Richard Mille designed the movement to use the bezel to easily change time zones, and housed it in a large 50mm wide titanium and 18k red gold case. Its price (naturally) is in excess of US$600,000 – probably enough to justify private jet travel to safeguard your belongings.
The Richard Mille RM 58-01 Tourbillon World Timer allows the wearer to know the time in any of the 24 time zones around the globe at a glance.
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