The spirit of travel and adventure is alive and well, reflected in the new timepieces being unveiled this year. With aviation and air travel projected to reach pre-pandemic levels, watchmakers are responding to the resurgent appetite for exploration. Louis Vuitton’s revamped Escale embodies this spirit with its elegant simplicity and subtle nods to the house’s legacy of luggage making. The time-only three-hander, available in platinum or rose gold, features lugs shaped like steamer trunk corner protectors, gold stud minute indicators reminiscent of trunk nail heads, and a dial with a texture evoking the house’s monogram canvas. The Escale’s titanium second hand, a nod to the weight considerations of frequent flyers, showcases the watch’s meticulous attention to detail.
For those seeking to navigate multiple time zones with style, Patek Philippe’s new World Time with Date complication is a masterpiece of horological innovation. This latest addition to the Swiss manufacture’s iconic World Time collection features a date indication, a first for the house, adding another layer of functionality to the intricate three-layer time-telling mechanism. The watch’s youthful aesthetic, characterized by an opaline blue-grey dial with a woven carbon pattern and matching calfskin straps with an embossed denim pattern, caters to a contemporary taste.
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Geographic complication finds its home on the refreshed Polaris dive collection, offering a sophisticated solution for tracking multiple time zones. The complication, first released three decades ago, features an aperture displaying 24 major time zones, a city wheel that sets the time, and subdials for displaying the second time zone and a 24-hour night and day indicator. The new Polaris models also boast an ocean grey lacquered dial inspired by the sea, with a smoky gradient finish and contrasting orange accents.
Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas collection embodies the spirit of travel and trusted companionship, offering versatility for both casual and dressed-up occasions. The newest addition to the collection is a range of models with a sunburst green dial, cased in pink gold, including a Dual Time model that perfectly embodies the collection’s travel inspiration. The watch’s green dial, chosen for its connection to nature and exploration, features a sunburst satin-brushed center and a velvet-finished flange for a subtle yet luxurious finish. Its interchangeable strap options, including calfskin and rubber, enhance its versatility.
Cartier’s Santos, a watch originally designed for the aviator Alberto Santos Dumont, continues to exude a sense of adventure with its squared, industrial design. This year, the French maison releases the first Santos model with a Dual Time complication since the collection’s reboot in 2018. The steel model with a tonal grey dial features a subdial with the Dual Time inscription and a single hour hand for displaying the second time zone, along with a small circular night and day indicator. The Santos Dual Time embodies simplicity, straightforwardness, and sporty elegance, making it a perfect companion for the modern adventurer.
