Geneva Watch Days
Two Timers: Dennison’s ALD Dual Time Series Stole the Show at Geneva Watch Week
Built on the timeless beauty of hardstone dials and a classic cushion case, these beauties are also the fair’s best value proposition.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
In Ancient Greek philosophy, time has two faces: Chronos and Kairos. Chronos represents numeric, chronological time (or that which is measured). Kairos refers to the opportune moment for something to happen. In other words, chronos is quantitative, while kairos is qualitative.
In Roman mythology, the god of time, Janus, was depicted as having two faces, one looking forward and one looking back. And in physics, a duality is when a single physical system can be described with two completely different sets of equations. When physicists encounter such a situation, taking multiple, distinct approaches to a problem leads to a new understanding of its Janus-like system.
I am neither a philosopher, a historian, nor a physicist, but these takes on the duality of time were the first things that popped into my head when I first saw the ALD Dual Time novelties launched by Dennison at Geneva Watch Days last week. Let’s take a deeper look.
Everything Everywhere, All at Once
A dual time watch is a complication that has become more popular over the last decade, as it allows travelers and folks doing business across different time zones to keep track of various operating hours. The most popular models are GMT watches with a UTC hand to separate home time from your destination’s time zone.
Less common is a watch that features two distinct dials to indicate the time difference. But that’s exactly what the Dennison ALD Dual Time Series offers.
Working with designer Emmanuel Gueit (the brains behind the brand’s 2024 relaunch as well as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, among others), the Dennison ALD Dual Time features two separate sets of hour and minute indicators on a hardstone (or aventurine glass) dial housed in a television-screen-shaped case.
Design-wise, it absolutely captures the popularity of ‘70s-era watches currently on the secondary market. Fun Fact: Gueit’s father, Jean-Claude, created legendary timepieces such as the Piaget Polo and Rolex Cellini in the 1970s. That is why style signatures of that decade feel like a natural extension of Emmanuel’s design sensibility (as opposed to a marketing gimmick).
This new range is also very sensible, consisting of two Swiss quartz Ronda movements packed into a single case – no need to translate time from a UTC hand – you just need to look at your wrist and remember which side represents your home base. And setting the time is just as easy because each side has its own crown and handset.
For mechanical snobs, the use of a quartz movement here makes sense because it’s easier to set the time and keeps case thickness reined in at a very wearable 6.1mm. These pieces also feature water resistance to 30m and come set on an Epsom leather strap with a buckle that mirrors the chape of the case.
Back To Duality
The Dennison ALD Dual Time collection consists of two style options. The first features a single slice of malachite, tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, or aventurine, with sunray-finished matching sub-dials at 3 and 9 o'clock for enhanced readability. With their retro glam look, these pieces share a kinship with Piaget pieces from the ‘70s in that they look just as good with quiet luxury as well as a tuxedo.
The other option (and the one we’re saving our pennies for) has a two-tone dial, split down the center with different combinations of tiger’s eye and black marble or bloodstone and lapis. And that’s it. Apart from the polished hands and the Dennison logo, this style of dual-time display is the definition of maximal minimalism.
The cushiony case – available in stainless steel or gold PVD – is slightly larger than previous iterations of the ALD. This model measures in at 37mm by 33.5mm, about 2 millimeters wider than its predecessor; the additional millimeters allow for extra space to give the contrasting stone on the dials enough room to breathe. And each ALD Dual Time is powered by dual movements
Finally, also appealing to our dual natures is the price: the ALD Dual Time series is priced at just $890. For more information, visit the Dennison website.