The Capeland Worldtimer features a 44mm stainless steel case that measures in at 14.52mm thick – a touch taller than you might expect for something that comes across as this dressy, but it still slips under a cuff pretty reasonably. You’ve got a sapphire sandwich on the case as well, with a flat crystal in the display back, and a curved one up top. The case itself conforms nicely to the wrist with its lug setup, and the finishes offer a good blend of practicality (satin surfaces for the most part) and flash (polished bezel and case back).
From the first time I wrapped the leather strap around my wrist, the Worldtimer felt like it was made for my wrist – it just fit quite perfectly. Reading out the current time was done with ease, and I could spend a little time throughout the day just taking a peek at what time it was in different spots around the world. It made for an able companion both at the office and paired with a suit. In a less formal setting, it might seem a bit out of place (this is one advantage the standard model has with its lighter dial), but that comes down more to personal preference.
That said, it worked well for my particular tastes and style of dress, but there are occasions where a more robust (or sportier) piece with a GMT hand might be better suited, and be preferred to a model such as this. But that’s how it goes with any watch purchase – you need to balance how you’re going to be using a watch against your own personal tastes, and come up with your own best fit. I’d say for me, a watch like this would be perfect at least 75% of the time, covering most of my daily wear needs.
If you couldn’t tell from the writeup, this is a watch that I clicked with immediately, and it was a sad day when it came time to send it back home. The Capeland Worldtimer offers multiple time zones in a compelling and dressy package that I hadn’t experienced before, and the watch overall is well sorted with impeccable fit and finish. If you’re looking to pick up one of the 100 pieces that Baume & Mercier created of this Capeland Worldtimer, you’ll need to bring $8,300 (a $400 premium over the standard model) to Tourneau, as they’re the only place selling this particular model.
While I personally prefer the darker palette exhibited by the Tourneau edition, you do have other options from Baume & Mercier, with the standard model and its cream dial (coming at $7,900), or a red gold model that gets more into an earth-tone style (and brings the price tag up to $19,900). Whatever model you choose though, you’ll have an impeccable timepiece ready to travel the world with you – or simply let your imagination travel the world in a daydream while you sit at your desk. baume-et-mercier.com
Necessary Data
>Brand: Baume & Mercier
>Model: Capeland Worldtimer (for Tourneau)
>Price: $8,300
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Without a second thought – this watch hits many of the right spots for me.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Someone who needs (or simply wants) the capability to track another timezone, but wants to stay away from sport watch styling
>Worst characteristic of watch: Tracking all of the timezones may be considered overkill for some – and for those folks, the dial will appear to be overly busy
>Best characteristic of watch: Functionality is an obvious choice here, so I’m going to bring out a smaller detail that may be overlooked – the font used for the numerals on the dial. To my eye, these bring a bit of “old school” class to the piece, and helps to elevate it.
