The Ochs und Junior Two Time Zones + Date is fairly straightforward in its offering. Two time zones in addition to the date are displayed on the watch’s dial. What’s unique about the watch, however, is how these two separate time zones are presented to the watch’s wearer. Rather than use a separate subdial or a second hour hand like countless other travel-time watches, Ochs und Junior uses a single hour hand to display the second time via a digital indicator located in the center of the watch.
Take a look at the photo of the watch above. The local time, read via a combination of the hour and minute hands, shows as being slightly after 2:50. The second time zone, visible courtesy of the extended minute hand and the central disc, shows the time as six hours ahead at slight after 8:50. If the second time zone is behind the wearer’s, the number is subtracted from 12, and the difference is set at 12 o’clock. Go ahead and play around with the interactive display on the Ochs und Junior site (click here) if this still doesn’t make sense to you. It takes a moment to comprehend the simplicity of the display, but just as with the brand’s Annual Calendar, once you’ve wrapped your head around the concept, it makes reading the time at a glance much easier.
If you’re familiar with other Ochs und Junior timekeepers, the date display on the Two Time Zones + Date should remain intuitive. There are 31 circular apertures running along the periphery of the main timekeeping display. Each circle represents the date in order from the top, and the aperture is filled with a black circle on its specific day. The five straight lines (and one double line at 12 o’clock) are placed every five days to aid in reading the date at a glance. For example, the date in the above image reads the 23rd of the month.
In addition to the travel-time and date display, there are two small circles placed directly above and below the second time zone read-out. The upper circle functions as a power reserve indicator. When the watch reaches its full power reserve of 60 hours, the small black dot is located beneath the righthand 12 o’clock marker. The watch lets you know when it needs to be wound when its located beneath the left side of the 12 o’clock marker. The small circle placed above 6 o’clock functions as a passive seconds indicator by making one full rotation each second.
Inside the Ochs und Junior Two Time Zones + Date is a Ulysse Nardin UN-118 base caliber that has been modified with a 10-part module designed by Ludwig Oechslin and constructed at Helfenstein Mechanik AG, a small-batch manufacturer of mechanical parts located 20 minutes away from Ochs und Junior’s HQ in Lucerne. The movement is hand-regulated by Ochs und Junior to a rating of 0/+5 seconds per day. The two-part case that the movement is housed within was designed by Oechslin and is available in either grade 5 titanium or sterling silver 925. It’s sized at 42 mm by 12.5 mm with the sapphire crystal included. The screw-down crown, also designed by Oechslin, helps allow for a water resistance rating of 100 meters in both case materials. Finally, like with most of the timepieces available from Ochs und Junior, the design is entirely customizable from the case material and finish to the materials and colors used for the dial, the various discs, and the hands.
The Ochs und Junior Two Time Zones + Date is available now. Pricing starts at CHF 8,330 and varies based on material and level of customization.
