The Worldtime complication has remained stable through its long history — and is dominated by one name, Louis Cottier. Cottier, a Genevan watchmaker, filed his patent for the world time in 1931, and over the years, the system of the 24-hour ring and display of the world’s key cities has become the default design for a complication that has become increasingly relevant in an increasingly global world. While the world has changed, the complication has stayed the same, which is why Bovet’s innovation is so significant.

Bovet Récital 30 (©Revolution)

The heart of the Bovet Récital 30 is a mechanism that actually debuted on the Récital 28 Prowess 1, a system that eschews the traditional city disc altogether, in favour of 24 rollers, each with four city names. At the press of the crown, a selector train engages a vast central wheel whose periphery is cut with radial teeth and whose angled flanks carry conical teeth. The radial teeth receive motion from the selector, while the conical teeth drive a ring of horizontal pinions, each meshed to a roller. The result is a single simultaneous quarter-turn of all 24 rollers, reassigning the cities to reflect the chosen system of timekeeping – UTC, AST, EAS, or EWT – so that the dial remains consistent with real-world offsets at all seasons.

In the heard of Bovet Récital 30 is a mechanism that actually debuted on the Récital 28 Prowess 1, a system that eschews the traditional city disc altogether (©Revolution)

The Récital 30 takes this system and packages it neatly into an exceptionally wearable watch. With a clean design that allows this roller system to shine front and centre, in a 42mm-wide by 12.9mm-tall case, offered in red gold or titanium. It even adds a 25th timezone into the equation — something that residents of India’s GMT +5:30 zone will be sure to appreciate.

The ‘New Delhi’ printed in black and marked by a yellow arrow (©Revolution)

Worldtimers have always been something of a niche affair, but they’re beloved not only by those who want to see the whole world at a glance, but also those who appreciate the engineering challenge — a challenge that Bovet has taken up with aplomb, and delivered a solution that is as ingenious as it is elegant.