Montblanc Orbis Terrarum Watches

The world timer is one of those complications that’s actually pretty useful. For someone who travels or liaises with people in other countries frequently, a quick wrist-worn reminder of who’s awake and who’s asleep can be the difference between sealing the deal and calling the CEO of a multinational corporation when they’re at home … in bed … asleep. Many competent world timers include a globe to aid use, but the trouble is, the two-dimensional nature of the dial doesn’t lend itself to the sphericity of our planet—Montblanc, however, thinks it’s found a solution.

For many of us, we can only dream of owning a Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC or Rolex, and that’s a shame. But there’s another way, sort of—buy a more affordable alternative. With that said, here are three more affordable alternatives to expensive watches.

As nice as watches from the likes of Rolex and Patek Philippe are, not everyone is fortunate enough to have the budget for them—but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some fantastic affordable substitutes out there. So, here are three expensive watches—and three alternatives for under £1,500.

If you’re just getting started with photography, you buy a Canon, or a Nikon. Hi-fi, something from Naim. A Porsche will most likely be your first sporty set of wheels. Brand recognition, heritage, market stability, resale prices, broad appeal, etcetera, etcetera. The list of reasons why all these companies are great places to put your money—and they are, everybody knows it—goes on and on. That’s why they’re the norm. For some people, however, normal is just too … normal. For some people, the interesting, the esoteric, the stuff that can only be found wide of the beaten path—that’s where the real gold lies. Question is, when it comes to a proper, hand-wound chronograph with all the bells and whistles—is a pen company that bit too far?