A few years ago, I noticed a new watch pop up in my feed. It was something that didn’t look like anything else, and I was immediately intrigued. I started chatting with the brand owner, Justin Walters, and soon realized he was the same person that had recently launched the Marin Skindiver. How could one person, in such rapid succession, design two incredible watches? I still don’t have the answer to that question, but what I can tell you is that the watch that so fully captured my interest, the Alterum Worldtimer, is finally out and available for purchase.
The Alterum Worldtimer takes inspiration from two seemingly divergent sources: white t-shirts and Frank Lloyd Wright. Walters found the concentric rings that stacked upon themselves to form Wright’s iconic Guggenheim Museum in New York City to be fixed in his head; a visit to Apple Park reinforced the idea. Even more than 50 years on, the Guggenheim’s architecture resonates, and Walters combined that idea with the casual attitude of a clean white t-shirt. The Worldtimer is sculptural and casual, high design and accessible. It measures 38.5mm with a 10.5mm thickness. The stainless steel case is vapor blasted for a matte finish that takes on a slight luster in the right light.
In addition to a flat sapphire crystal and the crowns at 2 and 4 (for the city disk and setting/winding, respectively), the watch’s bracelet is a standout. The case itself is a perfect circle, but attached to it are angular lugs that integrated with the almost brutalist bracelet links. The bracelet features the same finish as the case, with aesthetic grooves on each link and a taper to the butterfly bracelet. The watch has 50m of water resistant, which should be adequate for most travelers. I got to try this on recently and can say that it fit my 7-inch wrist perfectly (the wrist model herein also has a 7-inch wrist). While it looks a bit chunky in photos, there’s none of that in person or on the wrist, and if there is any, it’s lost behind how impressive the watch is.
Just as critical to the Alterum’s look as the case and bracelet is the dial. Consisting of four concentric discs, the dial puts everything on the same plane for an elegantly minimalist look. The discs all have a matter frosted finish that subtly plays with light. The central disc displays the minute with a simple printed baton, while the hours are shown with a circle on the next ring. The hour is marked by smaller batons printed on the underside of the crystal. My only concern here — and perhaps my only concern with any part of this watch — is that the hand order isn’t intuitive. We are used to seeing a shorter hour hand and a longer minute hand, suggesting the former would be internal, the latter would be external. The Alterum Worldtimer switches those up, and it may be something that takes getting used to. The rest of the dial consists of the rotating bi-color 24-hour ring and the city ring. The 24-hour ring is linked to the GMT function in the movement, and as such, rotates to maintain an accurate display of the time in the corresponding cities.
Alterum has opted for the Swiss-made Sellita SW330-2 but has modified it for the Worltimer’s needs. Instead of using a GMT hand, the movement’s GMT function is coupled to a disc to display the world times. The date has also been removed to keep the dial’s balance intact. The movement’s specs remain the same though, offering a 56-hour power reserve at 28,800 vph. One clever trick: The crowns are made more easily accessible by recesses in the caseback.
I think new things should be celebrated (and if possible, rewarded). Minimalism is obviously not new, but this execution, with the coplanar dial and modern case, is so perfect as to elevate it above other offerings. Having gotten the chance to try this in person, I can attest to the quality, fit, and impressive design. The most challenging thing for Alterum will be to figure out what comes next. The Alterum Worldtimer is priced at $3,315 USD and limited to 100 pieces for the initial run. For more information, please visit the Alterum website.
