Cartier Tonneau Dual-Time

‘Travel watches’ and ‘elegant watches’ are often different things. There are exceptions of course: Patek Philippe’s enamel-dialed world timers from the 1930s, or contemporary offerings from the likes of Laurent Ferrier. But by and large, the traveler’s watch is a tool watch equipped with GMT functionality in the form of a fourth hand. Which is why it’s so damn nice to find a travel watch that marries the dual-time complication with a beautiful design. Check out this gorgeous Reference 2804H, for example: White gold, diamonds, a curvaceous, tonneau shape…It’s all here! This is the type of globetrotting timepiece you can wear to a gala in an exotic, far-away land, and we love it. Housed in a 38mm 18K white gold case with a sapphire crystal, dual, diamond-set cabochon crowns, and a diamond-encrusted bezel, it features a satin silver dial divided into upper and lower halves with painted black ‘Roman’ indices, matching, blued steel ‘sword’ handsets, and ‘railroad’ minute tracks.  Powered by dual Cartier 8970MC manually-wound movements and paired to a signed, black alligator leather strap with an 18K white gold, signed deployant clasp, this is simply a stunningly beautiful timepiece in its own right. The fact that it allows for dual, independently adjustable time zones on a single dial is almost icing on the cake!  If you spend lots of time on the road — and you don’t want to compromise elegance for functionality — then boy, is this the right watch for you.