Jumbo Heure Universelle

In his quest to create a mechanical and functional timepiece suitable for everyday wear, Guy Ellia has added a new string to his bow, a new complication: Les Heures Universelles.

Housed in a round, 50 mm-diameter case and available in black, grey or red gold, a Frédérique Piguet calibre mechanical self-winding movement achieves the singular feat of simultaneously displaying the local time, a second time zone with a day-night indicator, and a large date aperture.

The “2009 vintage” Jumbo Heure Universelle by Guy Ellia is a complicated timepiece. It epitomises fine watchmaking yet is practical enough for everyday wear, particularly for globe-trotting lovers of exquisite mechanical movements.

This work of art is set off by an eye-catching dial. Its open centre partially reveals the calibre’s inner workings, while at 5 and 6 o’clock, two discs display the date in a large aperture using a read line. The hours and minutes hands rotate on the same axis as that used for the second time zone. A blued hand works in tandem with the city-selection disc.

The disc, which is set in motion by a pushpiece located at 2 o’clock, rotates under a blue sapphire glass and displays the city corresponding to the second time zone selected in the aperture located a 12 o’clock.

Despite its complicated dial, the Jumbo Heure Universelle is a very simple watch to operate and read.

For men on the move...