Having spent time on a Thai island recently, I have to take exception to the phrase "travel broadens the mind". Perhaps I'm being a bit of a curmudgeon - and people who begin sentences like that almost certainly are - but when did burgers and chips washed down with Red Bull and vodka against a backdrop of thumping mid-1990s Dusseldorf techno beat become an authentic Thai experience?
Still, I don't want to ruin travel for anyone, and if you're jetting off soon or plan to do so this year, then make sure you grab a GMT (second-time-zone) watch, which would be a far more practical and stylish option than having to constantly check your smartphone. One of the best GMT watches on the market, the Panerai Radiomir 8 Days GMT Oro Rosso (right), was released last January and, a year later, is still taking on all comers. The PAM 538 - the short-hand name that all Paneristi will recognise - is immediately distinctive, given its very un-Panerai-like colour scheme. The blue dial and blue alligator-leather strap, coupled with the red-gold 45mm case, are highly eye-catching and make this a very special Panerai, and all with the added bonus of the GMT feature. There's little doubt that this is a beautifully designed watch, with its sun-burst blue dial and neat arrangement of indicators including the date at the three o'clock position, the power reserve indicator at the six o'clock position and the second time zone and 24-hour indicator at the nine o'clock position. Inside the case is a Panerai-made calibre P.2002/10 movement, which pumps out a very impressive eight days of power reserve and contains patented Kif Parechoc anti-shock technology, so as well as looking good, this watch has all the usual Panerai robustness. The Panerai Radiomir 8 Days GMT Oro Rosso is priced at HK$294,900.
A GMT watch at a much more accessible price is the Louis Vuitton Tambour eVolution Chronograph GMT (right). Coming in either steel or rose gold, this timepiece won't be everyone's cup of tea, especially those horological purists who still have a problem with fashion brands dabbling in watches. But, for all intents and purposes, this is a great watch nonetheless. The evolution aspect in the name refers to the latest update of the Tambour line, the cornerstone of LV's watch portfolio, with tweaks to the crown, cleaner lines and a two-tone case. The design is very sporty, befitting its chronograph features - two sub dials measuring minutes and seconds - and the overall look and feel is very masculine, with the black dial offset by the red hand of the GMT time-zone indicator. Other features include a nifty GMT day/night indicator as well as a date-indication window. The case is sized at 45mm and comes in hi-tech black MMC, a composite material used in Formula One and on spaceships, so one would presume it is hard wearing. The Louis Vuitton Tambour eVolution Chronograph GMT, which comes with a steel bracelet, is priced at HK$82,500.
