Globetrotter, the Reinterpretation of the World Time Complication

Globetrotter, the Reinterpretation of the World Time Complication

In the 18th century, John Arnold made a name for itself by creating some of the most precise marine chronometers, fundamental navigation instruments to determine longitude on seas. Times have changed as have the needs of the voyagers. For them, Arnold & Son created the Globetrotter, a timepiece on the move from a time zone to another.

Inspired by John Arnold’s high-precision marine chronometers, the Globetrotter reimagines the world time function in a sculptural way. Held by a large central arched bridge spanning the entire diameter of the dial, the Globetrotter’s three-dimensional terrestrial dome takes centre stage. At 45 mm wide and 17.23 mm at its highest point, the Globetrotter features one of the world’s largest rotating world time display on a wristwatch.

 

The Globetrotter’s dome depicts a spectacular view of the Earth’s northern hemisphere. Starting with a rounded piece of brass, the layers of the oceans and continents are brought out by chemical etching, and their upper surfaces are polished. The mountainous areas are sandblasted to create visual depth, then the oceans are lacquered by hand with different deep blue tones. The hemisphere is finally treated with several layers of translucent lacquer and then polished.