The Most Talked-About Travel Watches Launched at Watches & Wonders 2022

Watches & Wonders 2022 saw the MONOCHROME team travelling to Geneva again, which was a real joy to experience. After more than two years of pretty much not being able to go anywhere, it was an absolute pleasure to meet up at the Palexpo in Geneva, visit brands, meet people and just, talk face to face again. Perhaps with this in mind, several brands catered to this very occasion and launched new watches dedicated to travelling across multiple time zones. Here are some of the most talked-about watches we’ve seen presented during Watches & Wonders 2022, from the value-for-money kind, to the ultra-complex kind, and everything in between.

Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Travel time 5326G

Patek Philippe has gone down the vintage path for the new Annual Calendar Travel Time 5326G, and it looks surprisingly well. The white gold case is decorated with a Clous de Paris pattern on the movement container (yes, it runs the side of the entire caseband). The caseback and lugs are one integral part and acts like a cradle to the container. The charcoal textured dial is a canvas for the annual calendar and travel time indications. This includes central local hours and minutes, central 24h home time, day/night indications, small seconds, moon phase and day and month display. All is driven by Calibre 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H, which has a cascade of bridges visible through the sapphire crystal caseback. The finishing is exquisite, as always. The price is set at CHF 65,000.

For more information, please visit Patek.com

Quick Facts – 41mm x 11.47mm – white gold case with Clous de Paris decorated container – sapphire crystal front and back – 30m water-resistant – textured charcoal grey dial with black gradient rim – gold applied numerals with beige luminescent coating – Calibre 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H, in-house – automatic winding with micro-rotor – 409 components – 4Hz frequency – 38h048h power reserve – hours, minutes, small seconds, annual calendar, second time zone, moonphase, day/night indications – beige calfskin leather strap with gold fold-over clasp – EUR 65,000

Hermès Arceau Le Temps Voyageur

Hermès launched a funky new version of the Arceau, with a unique yet intuitive world timer display. You’re given the option of two sizes, which simultaneously also determine the colour scheme and material. One is a 38mm wide steel case with a blue dial and strap, while the other is a 41mm version with a black dial and a platinum and black DLC coated titanium case. The base dial features an imaginary, equestrian world map, surrounded by a city ring for the time zones. An arched window at the top of the dial shows your home time, with a satellite local time subdial revolving over the dial. On the left, there’s a pusher that moves the subdial and hour hand forward one position. The modular movement is made by Chronode and offers 40 hours of power reserve. Prices for the two models are USD 22,500 (38mm) and USD 28,825 (41)mm).

For more information, please visit Hermés.com

Quick Facts – 41mm diameter platinum and black DLC coated titanium or 38mm polished steel case – sapphire crystal front and back – screw-down crown – pusher at 9 o’clock – 30m water-resistant – black or blue galvanized dial with imaginary Equestrian map – arched window with home time at 12 o’clock – local time with revolving satellite subdial – 24 time zone city ring – Manufacture Hermès H1837 movement – automatic winding – worldtimer module by Chronode – 315 components – 28 jewels – 28,800vph – 40h power reserve – hours, minutes, second time zone – blue or black alligator strap – USD 22,500 (38mm steel) or USD 28,825 (41mm platinum and titanium)

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Tradition Calibre 948

If it comes to complexity in a travel watch, Jaeger-LeCoultre might have just blown everyone else out the water with the Master Tradition Calibre 948. It’s quite big yet perfectly wearable, it’s complex and it looks mightily impressive. The white gold case measures 43mm across and 14.13mm in height. The sapphire crystal gives way to a blue translucent lacquered guilloche decorated base dial. On top, there’s a revolving champlevé enamel world map, and the piece-de-resistance: an orbital flying tourbillon. As time passes on, the world map and tourbillon revolve over the dial once every 24 hours, with the time read off the stationary 24-hour ring on the perimeter. The central hour hand can be adjusted in both directions, and in one-hour increments. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Traditions 948 is limited to 20 pieces only, with a price yet to be confirmed.

For more information, please visit Jaeger-LeCoultre.com

Quick Facts – 43mm x 14.13mm – 18k white gold case, brushed, polished and micro-blasted – sapphire crystal front and back – 50m water-resistant – blue lacquered guilloché base dial with champlevé enamel world map – orbital flying tourbillon – 24h city ring – Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 948, in-house – automatic winding – 4Hz frequency – 48h power reserve – hours, minutes, flying tourbillon, world-time display, 24h indication – limited to 20 pieces – price to be confirmed

Tudor Black Bay Pro

One of the stars of the show, at least in terms of value-for-money, surely has to be the new Tudor Black Bay Pro. It is fully aligned with the collection’s design aesthetics, yet adds an extremely practical true GMT complication. It comes in a 39mm wide steel case with a fixed steel bezel with a 24-hour scale in black. The domed dial is matte black, with applied beige monobloc ceramic indexes and the oh-so-familiar set of hands. The new Calibre MT5652 movement allows the local central hour hand forwards and backwards in one-hour steps, and adds a centrally mounted 24-hour home time hand. The date jumps in accordance to the local hour hand, and in both directions. The Tudor Black Bay Pro comes on a fabric strap, hybrid fabric and rubber strap or riveted stainless steel bracelet. It retails for EUR 3,480 on the straps, and EUR 3,770 on steel bracelet.

For more information, please visit TudorWatch.com

Quick Facts – 39mm x 14.6mm – stainless steel case, brushed and polished – fixed stainless steel bezel with 24h scale – domed sapphire crystal – screw-down crown – solid caseback – 200m water-resistant – domed matte black dial – beige monobloc ceramic indices – central local time hour, minutes and seconds hand – central home time 24h hand (yellow) – Calibre MT5652, in-house – automatic winding – 28,800vph – 70h power reserve – jumping local hour indication (both directions) – jumping date indication (both directions) – non-magnetic silicon hairspring – EUR 3,480 (fabric or hybrid fabric-rubber strap) or EUR 3,770 (steel bracelet)

Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II “Lefty” 126720 VTNR

Surely, this is the most hotly debated and opinionated watch released during this year’s Watches & Wonders fair. Rolex decided, in a move no one expected, to flip the crown and crown guards to the left-hand side of the case for the latest iteration of the GMT-Master II. Next to the crown, the date also switched places and is now located at 9 o’clock instead of 3 o’clock. The bidirectional rotating bezel has a black and green Cerachrom insert, further setting it apart from the other GMT-Master II variations. It is still equipped with the in-house made Calibre 3285, benefiting from the latest tech by Rolex, like the Chronergy escapement and Parachrom hairspring. The price for the Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II 126720 VTNR is set at EUR 10,500.

For more information, please visit Rolex.com

Quick Facts – 40mm diameter – stainless steel case, brushed and polished – bidirectional rotating bezel – black and green Cerachrom insert – screw-down caseback – left-sided crown – cyclops over the date – 100m water-resistant – black dial with applied white gold indices with Chromalight -green 24h hand – Calibre 3285, in-house – automatic winding – Chronergy escapement and Parachrom hairspring – COSC-certified chronometer – 28,800vph – 70h power reserve – hours, minutes, GMT, date – Oystersteel or Jubilee bracelet – EUR 10,500