The Swiss-based luxury watchmaker of Scandinavian descent has updated the 2009 Linde Werdelin 3-Timer GMT with a new material/color combination.
The Linde Werdelin 3-Timer GMT series was originally introduced at the beginning of the last year. At that time, the watch was offered in stainless steel, DLC coated steel, 18-karat rose gold and 18-karat yellow gold cases.
The stainless steel version was available only with black, dark brown or silver dial. Of course, the dark brown version was the most appealing of the three.
Since the dark brown-faced model has already been sold out, the UK-based company decided to offer the watch with a beautiful dark-green dial reminding me of the skin of the American alligator. Too bad they don’t offer the 3-Timer GMT on the same-colored leather strap!
While the 3-Timer’s general styling does not differ too much from the other members of the growing family, the main point of attraction here is the GMT complication. You see, it is capable of displaying not two, but whole three different time zones: two on its dial and the third on its bi-directional rotating bezel.
Just like it is done in the 2010 Bvlgari Diagono Chronograph GMT X-Pro, both extra time zones are indicated with a standard arrow-headed second hour hand making a full rotation around its axis in 24 hours.
The 3-Timer uses the same Caliber ETA 2893-2 automatic movement with a GMT module as the 2008 model-year Two-Timer Biformeter, but employs completely different layout of the dial, which is a somewhat of a problem if you want to know current time in all three time zones.
You see, as brutal as it was, the Biformeter sported an extra 24-hour scale on its busy dial making it pretty easy to tell current time in the second time zone (if the lighting conditions were good and if the watch was equipped with a black dial since the Arabic numerals printed in black on red surface didn’t provide too much contrast). The 3-Timer GMT, however, has the second hour-scale completely removed from its fine-textured dial, which is great in terms of elegance but makes it difficult to tell time, if you are not used to this sort of layout.
Anyway, if you like this model for the style sake, don’t care about time zones, and have a wrist big enough to accommodate this chunky 46mm x 49mm x 12mm job, you should hurry up placing your order. Just like the brown version, the number of versions with the green dial is limited to only 22 examples. Linde Werdelin plans to retail them at pretty much affordable €4140.
WWR Verdict
Originality 5/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Overall Legibility: 4.5/5
Nighttime Legibility: 4.5/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
See also: SIHH 2010: Panerai Luminor 1950 Marina 3 Days 44mm in Titanium (PAM351)
Photos: Linde Werdelin
Linde Werdelin 3-Timer GMT specification:
Price range: €4140 (MSRP)
Movement: Caliber ETA 2893-2, 21 jewels, 28,800 vph, Swiss Made
Winding: Automatic
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT, third time zone
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case: Stainless steel
Shape: Round
Dimensions: 46.00 x 49.00 mm
Case height: 12.00 mm
Dial: Dark Green
Numerals: Arabic numerals on the rotating bezel
Hands: Steel, coated with SuperLuminova
Water resistance: 300 meters
Strap: Black perforated calf strap with a deployant buckle
Crystal: Sapphire
Back: Solid stainless steel caseback cover, engraved
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Bought my first mechanical watch in 1986 and it took me ten more years to realize that I have a problem: at some point in time watches became my passion. Well, it could be worse.