Baltic has released a new collection this week dubbed the Heures du Monde, a world timer design that is launching with a trio of stone dial configurations within a 37mm steel case. In typical Baltic fashion, the watch captures a certain old world charm without relying on a single design from the past. That said, the influence of Louis Cottier’s classic world timer design sits closely under the surface. The decision to introduce this collection exclusively in stone dials immediately places some distance between itself and Swiss legacy brands that have a history with the complication, and opens a new avenue of expression for the brand.
The new Heures de Monde from Baltic represents a natural extension of the brand’s design language. That is, the release may be surprising, but the watch itself is anything but. Baltic is no stranger to using stone dials in unexpected ways, and their appearance here is no exception. However, some of the all-time great world timer references, such the Patek Philippe 5131 and 2523, do incorporate artistic elements at the center of their dials, and using a stone feels like a natural extension of that vision.
The core design principle of the world timer comes from Louis Cottier, who established the visual identity of a ring containing the cities of the world in the early 1930s. Pocket watches of the era from the likes of Vacheron Constantin would utilize this design in references such as the 3372, and it didn’t take long for Patek Philippe to commission their own version of the design within wrist watches such as the Ref. 515 HU and Ref. 96 HU. The design used a ring indexed to 24 hours, rotating counterclockwise, allowing the timezone of each city to remain in sync.
With the Baltic Heures du Monde, we find this concept expressed in a slightly different manner, though the underlying principle remains the same. The cities of the world are expressed on an external bezel (which does rotate), while the rotating 24 hour disc (this time moving clockwise) sits at the perimeter of the dial under a domed sapphire crystal. This leaves a healthy portion of the dial at the center, within which Baltic is using one of three stones: sodalite, tiger eye, and labradorite. Each brings a unique personality to the design, and being stone, each will be unique to every example of the watch produced.
The design is set within a 37m steel case that is fully brushed, and doesn’t present any additional detailing such as chamfered edges. It even uses drilled lug holes, providing a truly old-school straightforward approach. The watch measures 11.3mm in thickness, though 2mm of that comes from the crystal alone. The lug to lug distance is 45mm, meaning this should be an easily approachable watch from a wearability standpoint.
Baltic is using the Soprod C125 GMT movement with this collection, which has been around a number of years, and while it’s nothing fancy, has a well proven track record. The 42 hours of reserve is going to feel a bit light by today’s standards, but its use keeps the price in the accessible realm at just under $1,500. Baltic will produce 200 units of each expression, though I suspect (and hope) that won’t be the end of this design. Baltic
