For the planet-travelling savant collector who appreciates the individuality and exclusivity of hand finished Haute Horlogerie, with the added twist of convention-defying avant garde design, the Klepcys GMT Retrograde by Cyrus of Geneva is a stylish and distinguished piece of contemporary independent watchmaking with a technically complex but easy to use dual time zone functionality.

Equipped with a state of the art in-house movement which is exposed behind the clear sapphire dial, and encased in a cool, lightweight titanium case, with two functional crowns which make short work of moving across the time zones, the Klepcys GMT Retrograde is a watch with a distinctive personality, and an unmissable presence on the wrist.

Measuring 42mm across and 13.9mm tall, the Klepcys has a modern tonneau-like shape which is accentuated by its off-square bezel, and with its dual crowns at the three and nine o’clock positions it has a striking aesthetic balance. The curvature of the highly polished Grade 5 Titanium case is in contrast to the sharply defined edges and bevelled angles, as well as the flat recessed panels either side of the crowns.

The dial is an elaborate three dimensional display which is comprised of a completely transparent sapphire ring, on which the white arabic numerals have been given a soft blue Super-LumiNova coating, complementing the five minute markings around the rehaut and the hands. Inset, the ‘home time’ is displayed in twenty-four hour format on a ring of blue lacquer with luminous numerals and an arrow pointer for optimal legibility in all light conditions. A black disc with rotating blue three-handed helix indicates the seconds, and beneath all of this, the anthracite grey movement plate has been skeletonised in a sunray pattern, revealing the internal workings within.

While the hour and minute setting, as well as the winding are carried out using the three o’clock crown, the local time hour hand is advanced incrementally through the push button on the opposite crown, so adjustment of time zones is instant and simple to do.

Inside, and visible also through the sapphire caseback, the self-winding Calibre CRY708 is a fully in house designed and developed movement, and is the work of Jean-François Mojon, an award-winning Master Watchmaker, renowned across the industry as one of the great technical innovators and conceptualists of fine contemporary watchmaking.

Beating at a brisk 28’800 vib/hour and deriving a power reserve of 55 hours from its single barrel, the movement features anthracite NAC bridges and plates with a sunray effect radiating across their surfaces, with a similar working on the skeletonised oscillating weight, giving the movement and indeed the entire piece a dark and brooding veneer.

Fitted with a black natural rubber strap with folding clasp, the Cyrus Klepcys GMT Retrograde is a truly spectacular modernistic wristwatch, and manufactured in a limited edition of only fifty pieces, one which is highly exclusive too.