A wristwatch that indicates the time in all 24 of the world’s time zones may seem a bit superfluous in the Covid era, when so many people are eschewing overseas travel, but it’s perfect for would-be jetsetters craving a vicarious trip around the globe. Look no further than Montblanc’s Star Legacy Orbis Terrarum world time model, now available in 43 mm steel and rose gold versions, to scratch your armchair travel itch. Based on a model introduced in 2014, the newest iteration of the Orbis Terrarum — Latin for “the whole world,” the term appeared on the earliest atlases — was designed with legibility and style in mind.
The model’s most notable new feature is its redesigned, rotating, two-layer dial. The upper disc is made out of sapphire crystal coated with rhodium or rose gold to provide a 3D contrast between the continents and the seas and oceans. A ring depicting the 24 cities encircles it.
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Below the sapphire disc is a rotating day & night disc that easily indicates whether it’s day or night in all 24 time zones. On the steel version, it morphs from a daytime light blue to a nighttime dark blue, while on the 18-karat rose gold version, the disc changes from light brown to dark brown. At its centre is a wave motif accomplished using the flinqué-froissé guilloché technique. A red-tipped triangle at 12 o’clock indicates the wearer’s local time zone.
The automatic movement is equipped with an in-house world-time complication that’s easy to use. To set a reference point, press the pusher at 8 o’clock until the red triangle at 12 o’clock points to the desired city. The hour and minute hands will automatically synchronise.
The stainless steel version comes on a blue Sfumato strap and retails for US$6,800 (about RM29,100). The 18-karat rose gold version comes on a brown Sfumato strap and is limited to 500 pieces, each priced at US$20,800 (about RM89,000).
