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World time watches are an interesting lot. The complication, invented in the 1930s by watchmaker Louis Cottier, actually predates the GMT introduced by Rolex in the 1950s, but rather than tracking two time zones simultaneously, it displays every time zone simultaneously. As such, world timers generally have busy dials, making them harder to decipher, sizable cases to accommodate the complicated movement and are often prohibitively expensive. They also tend to have dressier styling than their simpler, GMT counterparts. Add that all up and it’s no wonder why the GMT tends to have more appeal.
Now, however, there’s the Montblanc 1858 Geosphere, one of the watchmaker’s highlight releases from this year’s SIHH. With its Indiana Jones vibes, its relatively low price and its unique, dual-Lambert projection world time display, it’s poised to break from the world timer’s stuffy, pricy mold and offer a version of the complication more appealing both sartorially and practically.
The Good: The Geosphere is one of those watches we can lump into the always-fun, typically-nebulous “relatively affordable” category. There are few world timers that retail for less than the Montblanc does, and those that do — namely from brands like Maurice Lacroix, Ball and Frederique Constant — aren’t significantly cheaper (most retail for just under $5,000) and lack many of the details and features of the Montblanc. This, in a way, helps put the world time complication less in the “exceedingly wealthy watch collector camp” and more in the “I’m going to treat myself to a nice watch” camp. Franky, I would be happy in either camp, but that’s neither here nor there.
Keep in mind, too, that while the Geosphere’s movement isn’t produced wholly in-house (the watch is based on a Sellita movement), the world time module is a Montblanc creation, and the dual-globe layout is something you won’t find anywhere else. This layout, it should be said, also lends itself to a very handsome dial design, and the vintage tool watch look certainly appeals to those who want a travel watch in the same sort of roguish mold as, say, a Rolex GMT-Master. You can even get the watch in bronze, if you like.
Who They’re For: Montblanc markets the Geosphere as an explorer/mountaineering watch, which you can see in the styling (the faded Bund strap, for example, is right on the nose). But the exploration angle becomes more apparent when you focus on the dial’s two globes, which are adorned with a series of red dots representing the highest summit on every continent; look at the case back, and you’ll find the names of each of these mountains inscribed there. And then there’s still that compass bezel staring you right in the face. If you’re a mountaineer who uses this watch on his/her regular high-altitude exploits I’d love to buy you a beer, but let’s get real: most people buying this watch will appreciate the world timer functionality when jetting back and forth between cities like New York, London and Hong Kong for work rather than between Mts. Denali, Everest and Elbrus.
