The World Time Complication

Watch Angels
Watch Angels
Published in
4 min readJan 21, 2025

The useful complication

Travelling professionals and global leaders from any field or, simply, persons with families around the world, these are some of the obvious watch collectors that will be attracted by the prospects of owning a multiple time zone watch.

A classic GMT watch is capable of displaying a second time zone using a 24-hour scale, in addition to the local time zone that is displayed using the 12-hour scale. The initial intent for the watch was to be set to the GMT and kept there, while using the additional indicators for local time.

Royal Observatory, Greenwich

The term GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) was established in 1884, defining the Prime Meridian that passed through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, as the “zero” local time.

Today there are multiple interpretations of a GMT-capable watch: GMT, Dual Time, Home Time, World Timer. Reading and operating the different versions vary depending on the specific caliber and even on the interpretation of the user.

In particular, the World Timer watch is capable of showing multiple time zones around the world. The functionality and need for this type of watch has continuously increased as a result of the globalisation of commerce and tourism. The watch wearer can immerse him or herself in imaginary trips, while connecting to networks of people worldwide.

Giuseppe Barilli (pseudonym Quirico Filopanti), Italian Astonomer and Mathematician 1812–1894

The history of world time watches as we know them begins with the establishment of the system of international time zones, which is usually credited to the Canadian Sir Sanford Fleming, who proposed dividing the world into 24 time zones, each consisting of 15 degrees; he proposed the idea to the International Meridian Conference, in 1884. The idea, however, preceded Fleming; in 1858, the Italian mathematician, Giuseppe Barilli, set out a system of 24 time zones divided along the meridians, with, of course, Rome as the prime meridian.

Louis Cotter, Swiss watchmaker 1894–1966

The story of the World Timer watch began in a pocket watch when independent watchmaker Louis Cottier introduced the “Heure Universelle”. Patek Philippe introduced the first World Timer wristwatch in 1937, based on the collaboration with Mr Cottier. The world timer is regarded in the industry as a significant complication and was executed in various forms by watch manufacturers.

The Frederique Constant FC-718 World Time Caliber

Frederique Constant Automatic FC-718 Manufacture World Time Movement

Widely acclaimed by the watch enthusiasts communty since its launch in 2012, the in-house development and industrialisation of the FC-718 self-winding world time caliber started in 2009.

It’s a special creation, dear to Frederique Constant’s history, and its philosophy of simplifying what is complex for the sake of design elegance and usability. It was not meant as a creation by watchmakers for watchmakers, but a useful complication to be routinely and easily used by a wide audience.

The movement made of 139 components has a simple and rigorous design. Particularly impressive is the operation of the city disk using merely the crown where movements from other manufacturers add an additional push-piece or corrector. This unique approach adopted by Frederique Constant also allows for a clean and pure case lines.

The oscillating mass is open-worked, revealing much of the surface decoration and blued screws below with the balance visible in its entirety. A large portion of the main plate is exposed with “Perlage” much in evidence and a circular “Côtes de Genéve” motif graces the large central bridge.

The sales window of the limited editon 40mm Manufacture World Timer co-designed and co-produced by Frederique Constant and Watch Angels opens on the 13th of February 2025.

Discover and get on the list

--

--

Watch Angels
Watch Angels

Published in Watch Angels

The crowd manufacturing platform for fine timepieces.

Watch Angels
Watch Angels

No responses yet