SpaceOne Worldtimer: what does its owner think?

The SpaceOne WorldTimer, launched in 2025, offers a radically different interpretation of the world-time complication. Created by the young French watch company SpaceOne, founded around Guillaume Laidet and independent watchmaker Théo Auffret, it is designed by Olivier Gamiette and assembled in Paris. Instead of using conventional hands surrounded by a city ring, it divides the display between several rotating discs: minutes and seconds around 3 o’clock, local time on a 12-hour disc around 6 o’clock, then 24-hour world time and corresponding cities around 9 o’clock. Its sculptural Grade 5 titanium case measures 52.7 x 41.9 mm and reaches 15.88 mm thick at its imposing sapphire domes.

The automatic Soprod P024 movement serves as the base for the WorldTimer module developed by Théo Auffret, with a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and 38 hours of power reserve. Three inaugural Titanium, Blue and Black executions are subsequently joined by a Purple version, all produced in limited series.

Design & legibility: world time conceived as a cockpit

The WorldTimer immediately breaks with the usual arrangement of a world-time watch. A conventional worldtimer generally places local time in the centre, followed by a 24-hour scale and the names of major cities around the dial. SpaceOne instead divides the information between several independent volumes, as though each function had its own instrument within a dashboard. On the right, a large disc displays the minutes and another element at its centre indicates the seconds. At the bottom sits the 12-hour local-time disc. On the left, two coaxial discs combine the 24-hour scale with reference cities. The separation of time into several rotating discs beneath sapphire domes forms the essential distinguishing feature of the SpaceOne WorldTimer. The watch therefore evokes a cockpit or analogue computer more than a conventional watch dial.

Reading naturally requires a short period of adaptation. Local time is first read from the 12-hour disc around 6 o’clock and then the minutes from the disc positioned on the right. Seconds are isolated within the same area and mainly serve as a running indication. For world time, the eye moves to the two coaxial discs on the left, where each city corresponds to a value on the 24-hour disc. Once correctly set, the watch therefore allows the time across several major geographical zones to be known simultaneously without further action. The WorldTimer requires more learning than a classical three-hand watch, but its organisation becomes logical once each area is associated with one specific function. The absence of traditional hands contributes strongly to its identity but also means that an extremely quick glance requires more familiarity.

Olivier Gamiette’s work plays a central role. The automotive designer does not simply place an existing movement inside a spectacular case: the outer volumes are constructed around the arrangement of the displays. Sapphire domes protect the discs while making them appear to emerge above the middle case. The city and 24-hour display in particular creates substantial visual height, partly explaining the 15.88 mm measurement at the highest point. Titanium surfaces alternate polished, brushed and sandblasted finishing so that the geometry remains legible despite its complexity. The case is not merely a container but directly participates in the hierarchy of the displayed information. This coherence between mechanics, display and exterior bodywork gives the WorldTimer the character of a genuine design object rather than simply a watch carrying a complication.

The different treatments substantially change the perception of this architecture. Titanium retains the natural colour of the metal and most clearly reveals the changes in finishing across each surface. Black darkens almost the entire structure and moves the watch towards the appearance of a technical instrument. Blue uses a far more demonstrative colour treatment, while Purple continues the same logic with a violet DLC and sandblasted finish. Titanium reveals the case geometry most clearly, whereas the coloured versions emphasise the neo-futuristic character of the model. In every case, the discs remain black or strongly contrasted so that the numerals can be identified independently of the external colour. Legibility is therefore not sacrificed purely for chromatic effect.

Case and comfort: large dimensions compensated by titanium

The raw measurements can appear intimidating: 52.7 mm in length, 41.9 mm across the other axis and 15.88 mm at the thickest point. These figures should not be interpreted exactly like the diameter of a round watch. The WorldTimer has an asymmetric shape whose longest dimension extends horizontally, while the measurement that actually crosses the wrist is closer to 42 mm. Its attachments are short and integrated into the overall geometry. The 41.9 mm measurement across the wrist is more representative of real wearability than the full 52.7 mm overall length. The watch nevertheless remains substantial and its upper dome clearly prevents it from being considered a slim piece designed to disappear easily beneath a shirt cuff.

Grade 5 titanium therefore plays an essential role. Lighter than steel at comparable volume, it allows the watch to retain reasonable mass despite the substantial amount of material and sapphire. It also permits much sharper polished finishing than the commercially pure titanium commonly found on certain tool watches. SpaceOne combines polished, brushed and sandblasted surfaces on adjacent areas to emphasise changes in angle. Grade 5 titanium makes the spectacular dimensions of the WorldTimer considerably easier to accept on the wrist. Rounded sections also prevent its large dimensions from translating into aggressively sharp edges. Trying it on nevertheless remains advisable for smaller wrists because the perception of such an unusual case is difficult to predict from specifications alone.

The displays are protected by several sapphire elements whose volumes form part of the cockpit appearance. This solution provides excellent scratch resistance but naturally increases height and multiplies reflective surfaces. The architecture therefore prioritises depth and mechanical spectacle rather than discretion. Water resistance is limited to 3 bar, or 30 metres. The 30-metre water-resistance rating means the WorldTimer should be treated as a travel and design watch rather than an aquatic sports watch. Light rain and ordinary splashes are not equivalent to deliberate immersion; swimming and water activities should therefore be avoided. This limitation is especially important because the technical appearance could otherwise suggest much greater aquatic capability.

The strap measures 22 mm at the case before tapering to 18 mm at the buckle. SpaceOne notably supplies the watch on fabric with a Grade 5 titanium buckle. The taper contributes to comfort by preventing a visually broad case from being extended by an equally substantial strap. Because the attachment is offset towards the right side of the middle case, the world-time display on the left can occupy the flat area of the wrist without requiring additional lugs. The fabric strap is consistent with the pursuit of low weight and avoids unnecessarily adding mass to an already visually substantial watch. A thicker or stiffer strap can substantially change the behaviour of the watch, making flexible solutions able to conform quickly to the wrist preferable.

Movement and WorldTimer module: a Swiss base and a complication developed in Paris

The mechanical heart is the Soprod P024, a Swiss automatic movement used as the base calibre. It operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz, and provides approximately 38 hours of power reserve. SpaceOne adds a specific module developed by Théo Auffret to drive the various display discs. Assembly of the complication and watch takes place in Paris. The mechanical interest of the model lies primarily in the specifically developed WorldTimer display module rather than in the Soprod P024 calibre considered in isolation. The base movement supplies energy and regulation while the module distributes this energy to the hours, minutes, seconds, 24-hour disc and city disc.

Setting was designed to remain relatively simple despite the visual complexity. The crown provides three functional positions. In its first position, it allows manual winding. In the second, it controls only the city disc so that the reference city can quickly be positioned correctly. In the third, the 12-hour local-time and 24-hour world-time discs move simultaneously. The ability to set the city disc separately and then synchronise the 12- and 24-hour displays forms the ergonomic centre of the complication. There is therefore no need to use several pushers distributed around the case as on certain more traditional travel watches.

Once the reference city is correctly aligned, different time zones expressed in complete hours can be read directly. The system does not, however, fully accommodate zones using thirty- or fifteen-minute offsets. Regions such as India, Nepal or certain territories therefore have times that cannot be read exactly through the simple correspondence of the discs. The principal functional limitation of the WorldTimer system concerns time zones offset by half an hour or a quarter of an hour. This constraint is shared by many world-time watches based around 24 principal positions, but frequent travellers to these regions should be aware of it. Seasonal daylight-saving changes also require the wearer to understand the current local situation of the cities being consulted.

The 38-hour reserve is comparatively modest for a recent automatic watch. A WorldTimer worn every day remains naturally wound by its rotor, but it can stop when left in a box for an entire weekend. Resetting then requires checking local time, the 24-hour disc and the reference city. The 38-hour power reserve is the principal mechanical compromise of a watch whose main interest lies in its proprietary display. An owner with a large watch rotation will therefore need to accept more frequent setting than with a 70- or 80-hour calibre. In return, the single crown makes restarting the watch more intuitive than its spectacular dial might initially suggest.

Chronological milestones and main models (2023–2026)

(2023) SpaceOne Jumping Hour First Creation of the Brand:

Before the WorldTimer, SpaceOne establishes its visual language with the SpaceOne Jumping Hour reference not communicated. This first project brings Guillaume Laidet and Théo Auffret together around the idea of accessible mechanical watchmaking that is visually far removed from traditional watches. The watch already uses disc-based display and volumes inspired by the space age, with jumping hours replacing conventional hand indication. Different versions in steel, titanium or forged carbon are produced as limited editions. Its importance to the history of the WorldTimer is significant: it demonstrates that SpaceOne can build its identity around a visible mechanical complication and deliberately futuristic case without entering the conventional price levels of highly complicated independent watchmaking. It also establishes the combination of French mechanical design and component production from several specialised partners.

(2024) SpaceOne Tellurium Second Astronomical Chapter:

The second model considerably expands the technical ambitions of the young brand. The SpaceOne Tellurium reference not communicated displays the relative position of Earth and Moon together with their movement around a representation of the Sun, inside a titanium case designed by Olivier Gamiette. This collaboration with the designer becomes decisive for the WorldTimer that follows. The Tellurium particularly establishes an approach in which display organs are treated as visible mechanical volumes beneath a large sapphire surface rather than hidden behind a conventional dial. Its organic and spatial aesthetic differs from the WorldTimer’s more cockpit-like appearance, but both watches share the desire to make a complex complication immediately spectacular. The Tellurium therefore confirms the three-part formula that will subsequently characterise SpaceOne: futuristic design, a specific module and French assembly.

(2025) SpaceOne WorldTimer Titanium Natural Inaugural Version:

The natural version forms the largest series at launch. The SpaceOne WorldTimer Titanium SOWT01 has a Grade 5 titanium case retaining the natural colour of the metal and alternating polished, brushed and sandblasted surfaces. Its dimensions are 52.7 x 41.9 mm and 15.88 mm thick at the dome, with a 22 mm strap tapering to 18 mm. Water resistance is 30 metres. Automatic Soprod P024 operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and provides 38 hours of reserve, while the WorldTimer module developed by Théo Auffret drives the different discs. The first batch is limited to 300 pieces, representing half of the 600-watch inaugural production. This finish is the most neutral and the one that most clearly reveals the different treatments applied to the titanium geometry.

(2025) SpaceOne WorldTimer Blue Spectacular Blue Treatment:

The second major variation transfers the same technical package into a far more expressive finish. The SpaceOne WorldTimer Blue SOWT03 retains a 52.7 x 41.9 mm Grade 5 titanium case whose surfaces receive a blue finish while preserving the alternation between polished, brushed and sandblasted zones. Maximum thickness remains 15.88 mm and water resistance 30 metres. The display system is unchanged: minutes and seconds on the right, 12-hour local time at the bottom, then 24-hour time and city discs on the left. Automatic Soprod P024 retains its 4 Hz frequency and 38-hour reserve together with the module designed by Théo Auffret. The first batch contains 200 pieces. This version particularly emphasises the references to space exploration and futuristic technical objects central to Olivier Gamiette’s design.

(2025) SpaceOne WorldTimer Black Rarest Inaugural Series:

The dark variation is produced in smaller quantities at launch. The SpaceOne WorldTimer Black SOWT02 uses a black-treated Grade 5 titanium case and retains the dimensions of 52.7 x 41.9 x 15.88 mm. Different case textures remain visible despite the dark finish, while the sapphire domes give greater contrast to the display discs. The watch remains water-resistant to only 30 metres and uses a 22 mm fabric strap with titanium buckle. Automatic Soprod P024 operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers 38 hours of autonomy with the same Paris-developed WorldTimer module as the other variations. The first batch is limited to only 100 pieces compared with 300 Titanium and 200 Blue. This smaller production makes it numerically the rarest of the inaugural versions.

(2026) SpaceOne WorldTimer Purple New Violet DLC Finish:

The collection subsequently receives a purple execution retaining the complete mechanical architecture of the model. The SpaceOne WorldTimer Purple reference not communicated has a Grade 5 titanium case combining polished, brushed and sandblasted surfaces with a violet DLC finish. Dimensions remain 52.7 x 41.9 mm and maximum thickness 15.88 mm, while water resistance remains fixed at 30 metres. Sapphire domes continue to protect the disc displays. Automatic Soprod P024 operates at 4 Hz and supplies 38 hours of power reserve, paired with the WorldTimer module developed and assembled in France by Théo Auffret. The series is stated as 200 pieces. This variation therefore changes neither complication nor ergonomics; it mainly exploits the spectacular potential of the case by giving its multiple levels an even more unusual colour.

Choosing the right version: colour, dimensions and genuine need for world time

The first question concerns the shape itself. The WorldTimer is large, asymmetric and deliberately demonstrative. It therefore does not suit someone seeking a discreet watch or one capable of disappearing beneath every cuff. Its 41.9 mm dimension across the wrist and titanium construction nevertheless make it more wearable than the 52.7 mm figure might suggest. Trying the watch on is especially advisable when the wrist measures below approximately 17 centimetres or when the wearer is normally accustomed to watches below 40 mm. The offset strap position and sapphire domes make comparisons with a conventional round watch particularly unreliable.

Titanium is the easiest version to combine with different clothing and allows the wearer to fully appreciate the different metal finishes. Black provides a stealthier interpretation and has the smallest inaugural production. Blue and Purple are substantially more expressive and strengthen the spacecraft character of the design. Titanium is probably the most versatile choice for someone wanting to keep the WorldTimer for many years without tiring of a dominant colour. The coloured versions better suit a collector specifically looking for a highly identifiable object and who already owns more conventional watches.

The WorldTimer function has genuine relevance for someone working or travelling across several time zones. It allows multiple regions to be consulted simultaneously after a straightforward initial setting of the city disc. A wearer monitoring only one additional time zone may nevertheless find a conventional GMT quicker to read. The WorldTimer prioritises a global overview and mechanical spectacle more than the absolute efficiency of a GMT hand. The complication makes most sense for someone wanting to visualise several major regions of the world simultaneously rather than simply retain home time. The inability to directly read half-hour and quarter-hour zones should also remain in mind.

The 38-hour reserve should be considered by collectors who frequently rotate their watches. Following a stop, resetting is not especially complex thanks to the three-position crown, but it requires more attention than a simple three-hand watch. With everyday wear, this weakness almost disappears because automatic winding keeps the calibre running. The WorldTimer is therefore more enjoyable when worn regularly than when left unused for several days between outings. An automatic watch winder is unnecessary and manual setting remains intuitive enough not to become a major burden.

Finally, the 30-metre water-resistance rating is a limitation that deserves serious consideration. Despite titanium, cockpit styling and imposing sapphire domes, this is neither a dive watch nor a watch intended for swimming. Its purpose lies in terrestrial and air travel, urban use and mechanical enjoyment. The WorldTimer should not be chosen as an only watch when water activities form part of everyday life. On a pre-owned example, the sapphire domes, any DLC coatings, correct alignment of the discs and operation of all three crown positions should also be inspected. Other customers’ opinions are essential.

Conclusion

The SpaceOne WorldTimer is aimed at enthusiasts seeking a world-time complication whose originality goes far beyond a new dial colour. Its multi-disc display, module developed by Théo Auffret, Grade 5 titanium case designed by Olivier Gamiette and Paris assembly give it an especially strong identity. Titanium forms the most neutral interpretation, while Black, Blue and Purple exploit the neo-futuristic dimension of the project more strongly. Its 38 hours of reserve and 30 metres of water resistance nevertheless show that priority was given to mechanical spectacle, design and complication rather than long autonomy or sporting versatility. Reading requires several minutes of learning but subsequently becomes logical through the clear separation of minutes, local time and world time.

To compare comfort, ease of setting, disc legibility and long-term case behaviour with real ownership experience, Dialicious customer reviews provide a particularly useful complement.

(Updated September 2026)