I LOVE worldtime, dual time, GMT watches.

One time, I flew from the West Coast of the US to New York, then to Switzerland, then on to Japan, and by the time I got to my hotel in Tokyo, wearing my single time zone watch, I honestly had no idea what time it was anywhere in the world. I remember going to the hotel’s front desk and asking, “What time is it…somewhere?”

I just couldn’t work out all those time zones, so I knew I needed help.

That’s where time zone watches come in. They are brilliant at keeping me up to date on what time it is wherever I go.

And Oris’s new Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer is a great choice for any time zone traveler. Based on the Oris Worldtimer, which was launched in 1997, this new model takes things a step further, making it easier than ever to change the time on the “fly.”

Where the previous Worldtimer had plus and minus pushers to adjust the local time in one-hour increments, the local time on the new ProPilot Worldtimer is adjusted using the bezel. Rotating the bezel clockwise moves the central hour hand forwards in one-hour jumps; counter-clockwise rotations moves the hour hand backwards.

“This is a significant moment in the history of the Oris Worldtimer,” says Oris Chairman Ulrich W. Herzog, who also oversaw the launch of the 1997 original. “In the year of its 20th anniversary, we’re delighted to be introducing another innovative timepiece that has real-world value to pilots and international travelers. At heart, this is still a pure pilot’s watch – we enjoy great support from the aviation community and we’re very proud to have produced a design tailored to its needs.”

Wearing the Worldtimer

Even though today is the date of its release, I was fortunate enough to wear the new Worldtimer for a week to get a feel for it (thanks to Rolf, Rico and Sonja!). I fell in love with the watch from the jump, thanks to its utilitarian pilot styling. Easy to read and easy to use, the ProPilot Worldtimer looks great on the wrist.

I took it on a globetrotting tour for Revolution and found that it lived up to its billing – being able to reset the hour hand with the bezel is really a treat. All my other multiple time zone watches I either had to strain to manage the pushers or take the watch off my wrist to readjust. With the Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer, I just turned the bezel one way or another and I was good to go.

I have owned an Oris Dual Time for more than 20 years, and the dial of the new Worldtimer, with its home time subdial reminds me of that watch, and makes me smile.

I really liked the way the 44.7mm Worldtimer looked on my wrist, as well. Pilots watches have a great aesthetic, and the ProPilot Worldtimer hits all the right design cues.

Oris is a company I have a lot of respect for – they consistently make very high-quality watches at very reasonable prices. After wearing the Oris Big Crown ProPilot Worldtimer for a full week, at home and on the road, I heartily recommend this timepiece. The price is an extremely reasonable 3,600 chf on a Louisiana crocodile leather strap or metal bracelet, CHF 3,400 on calf leather strap, making this watch a worldtimer just about everyone can afford.