What To Look Out For When Getting Dual Time Complication

The relevance of the dual-time complication should not be affected by present-day circumstances as it is still a compelling complication to own. We highlight what to look out for when getting one

- Asaph Low

After covering two relatively common complications - the calendar and the chronograph - in our basic how-tos of issues #56 and #57, the next in the pipeline feels a tad immaterial given the circumstances we live in. The complication is another relatively common one, the dual-time feature, which rightly justifies our dilemma given its close relationship with travel and the lack of such prospects in the near term.

Put simply, a dual-time complication displays two time zones (home and local) simultaneously that can be set independently. Of course, horology never settles for simplicity and so there are competing visions. Berner’s Illustrated Dictionary of Horology shows this perfectly, with two definitions for the dual-time complication:

1. Device permitting display of the time of day in time zones of several selected locations.

2. This device makes it possible to move the hour hand in jumps of one whole hour without interfering with the display of minutes and seconds.

The distinctions here are subtle, but they are quite real. Nevertheless, the multi-time zone watch is highly practical and purposeful for globetrotters and frequent travellers alike. However, it would be most unwise to think of the dual-time complication solely as a tool for travellers. There are, after all, many reasons one might want to know the time in another time zone at a glance.