Was it travel that made watches, or watches that made the travel? A pointless, clockwork version of the amusing chicken vs. egg classic… or an essential chapter in the history of timekeeping? Either way, it’s a debate that could rage for weeks on end, and we have no plans to wade into this pit full of snakes.
Let’s agree that one was dependant on the other and they grew together like an entangled DNA helix, interwoven and reliant upon one another. Whilst some intrepid explorers set off with very rudimentary kit for locating their time and position, nowadays we are closeted with satellites and computers doing all the heavy lifting. In fact, getting away from the tech has become a much greater challenge for many of us than precisely identifying where you are located and what the local time is.
First seafarers, then railwaymen, aviators and even astronauts drove the development of mechanical timekeeping devices. Curiosity, ambition and economics pushed humans relentlessly forwards and within just a few centuries, mechanical timekeeping evolved from clunky industrial machines installed in civic buildings to sleek, beautiful wristwatches, all whilst functionality and reliability exponentially increased.
Chronometric accuracy fuelled industrialisation and empire building. Rail travel across continentals could only exist without endless accidents thanks to accurate watches. As the era of railways and ships gradually morphed into a post 1960’s civilian air travel boom, the relevance of quickly measuring and referencing multiple time zones moved from a niche preoccupation to the mainstream: the GMT era was born.
Since this time, watchmakers have politely agreed to disagree on exactly what defines or constitutes a GMT timepiece. Whichever technical solution is chosen, there will be fans or naysayers, advantages and disadvantages [ed: sounds like life to me]. More info will always = less legibility. Which of the 37 time zones can be omitted from a World Timer without upsetting someone? (Answer: none!)
Why is this relevant now? As the season of summer vacations slowly winds down for many of us foreign travel might be slipping down the agenda. If this is the case for you, it’s high time to start considering where you might be exploring next season! Dreaming of new adventures: where will they be? Dreaming of new timepieces: what should they be able to do?
We say: keep fanning the flames of those dreams, they might just turn true.