A watch doesn’t have to be huge to encompass the world—but it helps. At an imposing 47 mm diameter, the new Ernst Benz ChronoFlite WorldTimer may not be for every wrist. But the ChronoFlite ($5,100 with alligator band, $5,200 with stainless steel bracelet) is an eye-catching way to track time, from Dubai to Des Moines. Its dial comes in black or white and is spacious enough to list cities in twenty-four time zones. A fourth, red “arrow” hand makes a full trip around the dial in twenty-four hours; adjust the rotating outer bezel for local time and you’re ready to note the hour in any corner of the globe at a glance. The name references the original aircraft-panel timer, the Micro ChronoFlite, crafted by founder Ernst Benz in the 1960s. His early, aviation-inspired wristwatches became a hit with pilots and auto enthusiasts.
Beginning in 2002, American watch designer Leonid Khankin began working with Benz, expanding the Swiss-made line to its current collection of eighteen models. His attention to detail can be seen around the world and around the watch: The ChronoFlite even accounts for daylight saving time via S markings on half its cities. And flipping the watch over reveals its inner workings through a clear “exhibition back.”
