Putting The World On Your Wrist With These Five Watches

Witnessing the entire splendour of our Planet Earth in one single glance is reserved for Astronauts and Cosmonauts only. And I’m pretty sure most of us will never be able to view our home planet from outer space, despite the rise of commercial space flights. However, there is a way to carry Earth with you on a daily basis and experience the joy of a detailed miniature depiction of it whenever you please. With these five watches, ranging from relatively affordable to the very expensive, you’re never shy of a quick glimpse on Earth, while also having something fascinating on the wrist.

CIGA Design Blue Planet

One of the most intriguing watches we’ve seen this year, and a 2021 GPHG Challenge Category winner, is the CIGA Design Blue Planet. Its pebble-shaped titanium (or steel) case measures 46mm across but wears a lot smaller as the strap tucks in underneath the bezel. It hosts a rotating disc with a 3D depiction of our planet with a compass rose to point to the hours. The rotating outer disc is for the minutes, with a fixed ring for the hours. The rotation of the minute ring is synched with the rotation of the Earth disc, and it takes a little adjusting to easily tell the time. Power comes from CIGA Design’s in-house made movement, which can be seen through the back. At USD 1,099 in titanium or USD 899 in steel, it’s the most affordable one on this list.

For more information, please visit CIGADesign.com

Quick Facts – 46mm x 15mm – titanium or stainless steel case, brushed – sapphire crystal front and back – 30m water-resistant – rotating 3D aluminium globe – compass rose applique as hour pointer – rotating minute disc – fixed hour ring – in-house mechanical movement – 30 jewels – 28,800vph – 40h power reserve – blue Fluorine rubber strap with pin buckle – USD 899 in steel or USD 1,099 in titanium

MeisterSinger Edition Planet Earth

Although the second edition of the collaboration between MeisterSinger and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has just been presented, we jump back to the first one instead. MeisterSinger, the brand known for its single-handed watches, chose the emblematic Perigraph as a canvas for the Edition Planet Earth. The jet-black dial still exposed the full date ring, but instead of a jet-black centre section, it’s adorned with a photorealistic print of our beloved planet. The print is crisp, and even shows quite a bit of depth. Limited to 500 pieces, of all watches sold a donation will be made to the WWF, just as with the latest, the Edition Best Friends.

For more information, please visit MeisterSinger.com

Quick Facts – 43mm x 11.5mm – stainless steel case – sapphire crystal front and back – 50m water-resistant – black dial with photorealistic print or planet Earth – peripheral timing track – double-digit hour numerals – single elongated white hand – exposed date wheel – Sellita SW 400-1, automatic – 26 jewels – 28,800vph – 38h power reserve – vegan leather strap with pin buckle – limited to 500 pieces – EUR 1,990 (EUR 200 per sold watch will be donated to WWF)

Arnold & Son Globetrotter

The fascinating Arnold & Son Globetrotter has been around for a while, and last year the brand introduced a stainless steel version. It uses the same display as it always has, with a detailed depiction of the northern hemisphere on its domed central section. The arched bridge holds a ruby to mark the north pole, as two pointers stick out from underneath the domed disc, one for the hours and one for the minutes. Home time is adjusted through the third position of the crown, which allows you to align your location against the 24-hour disc. Local time is then set by adjusting the hands in the second position of the crown. Around the back, you get a full view of the ornately decorated A&S6022 calibre inside. It retails for CHF 17,900 with opaline dial, or CHF 18,900 with blue dial.

For more information, please visit ArnoldandSon.com

Quick Facts – 45mm x 17.23mm – stainless steel case – domed sapphire crystal – sapphire crystal caseback – 30m water-resistant – blue or opaline lacquered dial – rotating realistic domed display of the northern hemisphere – red arrow-tipped hands for local time – sapphire disc with 24-hour scale – Calibre A&S6022, automatic – 28,800vph – 45h power reserve – NAC-coated finish – blue alligator leather strap – CHF 17,900 with opaline dial or CHF 18,900 with blue dial

Moritz Grossmann Universalzeit

German high-end manufacture Moritz Grossmann is known for its Saxony style of watchmaking, with surprise twists here and there. Occasionally, the brand likes to express its creativity, and offer something truly unexpected. A case in point is the Universalzeit, which shows the exact hour in six locations around the world. The sunray brushed blue dial is decorated with all 24 timezones, with holes at Phoenix, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong revealing the disc underneath. To adjust it, you use the secondary crown at 10 o’clock. The central hands are adjusted through the crown at 3 o’clock, after which you use the pusher to restart the movement. Inside ticks the gorgeous Calibre 100.7 in typical Grossmann style. The clever Universalzeit retails for EUR 42,000.

For more information, please visit Grossmann-Uhren.com

Quick Facts – 44.5mm x 13.78mm – stainless steel case – sapphire crystal front and back – crown and pusher for winding and setting – secondary crown for adjusting the hour disc – sunray-brushed blue dial with world map – beveled holes in six positions for additional time zones – central hour, minutes and seconds hands – applied hour markers – Calibre 100.7, manufacture – manual winding – 292 components – 31 jewels – 18,000vph 42h power reserve – chocolate brown alligator strap with pin buckle – EUR 42,000

Bovet Recital 22 ‘Grand Recital’

If you’re really looking for complexity, while also having a depiction of Earth on your wrist, the Bovet Recital 22 ‘Grand Recital’ is the watch for you. With an almost fully exposed movement comprised of no fewer than 472 components, there’s a lot to admire! The domed display of Earth comes with a spherical 3D moon phase and day/night indication. It also has a retrograde minute display, a power reserve display and a retrograde perpetual calendar function. Al is driven by the Calibre 17DM03-TEL, which is wound by hand and regulated by the flying tourbillon escapement. The finishing is of the absolute highest level. Bovet will make only 60 movements, set in titanium, pink gold or platinum. It will set you back an eye-watering CHF 435,000 (titanium or pink gold) or CHF 465,000 (platinum).

For more information, please visit Bovet.com

Quick Facts – 46.30mm x 19.60mm – titanium, pink gold, or platinum case – sapphire crystal front and back – 30m water-resistant – rotating earth with day/night indication – retrograde minutes – seconds on the tourbillon – power reserve indication – retrograde perpetual calendar and precision moon phase – Calibre 17DM03-TEL, in-house – manual winding – 18,000vph – 472 components – 9-day power reserve – flying tourbillon escapement – Haute Horlogerie finishing – alligator leather or fabric strap with pin buckle – limited edition of 60 movements – CHF 435,000 in titanium and pink gold, CHF 465,000 in platinum