Qatar time: Handcrafted for Doha exhibition

Published: 25 Feb 2013 - 11:15 pm | Last Updated: 03 Feb 2022 - 02:29 pm

To commemorate the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition 2013, which opened yesterday and will run until March 3, Swiss luxury watchmaker Vogard has handcrafted a timepiece in the finest steel, set with 322 precious stones.

The bezel is coloured maroon, the national colour of Qatar, and the dial is set with 60 rubies and 60 diamonds to indicate night and day.

The lever is set with 20 diamonds and 27 rubies to symbolise the national flag and the bracelet has a total of 144 diamonds. Available exclusively at Amiri Gems, the piece is priced at QR140,000.

Vogard says it makes the only wristwatches that allow change of time zone via the bezel.

In order to switch from one time zone to another, all the wearer has to do is open a hinged lever at the side of the case, rotate the bezel in either direction until the desired city is aligned with the 12 o’clock position and then close the lever. Vogardís Timezoner system automatically coordinates the bezels rotation with both the position of the hour hand and that of the AM-PM pointer at the centre of the dial. The locking lever prevents the bezel from being accidentally moved.

The operation takes as little as three seconds, making this feature as useful for the executive who wants to check the time on the other side of the planet before calling a colleague as it is for the international traveller landing in a time zone totally different from the one he or she took off from. Regardless of the number of times the bezel is adjusted, the movement functions as normal, ensuring no loss of accuracy in change of time zone.

In accordance with the internationally approved time zone system, the bezel is engraved with the names of 24 destinations, one per time zone. The watch has been created for travellers who frequently need to set their watch to a different time zone.

Michael Vogt, founder and owner of Vogard, unveiled his first collection of world time watches in 2003. A decade later, the established niche brand offers three collections, distributed in 16 countries in cities such as Palm Beach, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Washington, Vancouver, Denver, Grand Cayman, St Moritz, London, Paris, Moscow, Dubai, Doha, Muscat and Singapore.

Vogt’s vision was to create a watch in which the bezel would form part of the movement and, when turned in either direction, would enable instant adjustment of the hour hand. It sounds simple, but the logistics of perfecting such a mechanism presented major mathematical and mechanical challenges which took six years to overcome.

When the concept for the original Vogard watch was unveiled at the Baselworld show in 2003, it was recognised as offering a unique solution to the time zone problem thanks to its ingenious mechanism that was perfected and engineered by Switzerland’s independent watchmakers.

It remains the only wristwatch to offer instant time zone adjustment with a simple twist of the bezel. Thousands of its watches have been sold around the world and tested vigorously day in, day out in real-life situations.

Vogard assembles all its watches in its own ateliers in Nidau, Switzerland. To commemorate its tenth anniversary, the watchmaker has presented a series of special editions. One of them, the Datezoner Pilot, is dedicated to pilots and aviation fans, a target group which has particularly appreciated and followed the brand ever since its launch in 2003.

The Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition is an exhibition of the worldís most luxurious jewellery and watches. Held annually in Qatar, it attracts world renowned jewellers, watchmakers, exhibitors and jewellery enthusiasts.

The aims of the exhibition are to demonstrate the latest trends in the industry, showcase the most magnificent gemstones and sophisticated timepieces in the world, portray the dynamism of Qatar and its strong and progressive economy and, ultimately, to attract foreign investors to the country.

The Peninsula