The beautiful thing about watches is the creation of art from a function piece. Nonetheless I am thinking of streamlining my search by categorizing the solutions to different approaches then find my beauty in the selected approach.
Approach 1:
Divers, using bezel to read the second time zone. Simple solution easy to do but don't cater for those half hour places that I go (such as New Delhi) and need some practise to get used to. mMybe changing the bezel to 1, 2...12 will help but I also used it as a parking ticket timer.
Divers Seiko n Tag. For the SKX007 local time 5.38, second time zone 7.38. PM or AM determine by seeing sun outside
ps: the wide bezel of the tag really makes the watch look small doesn't it?
Approach 2:
Dual time at One time. I love this Eco-Drive cos I dont have to change the battery and the date is always right, especially when I tear parking coupon. Nice dressy bracelet and roman numerals. But a very awkward solution to second time zone cos it may take a long while for it to wind to second time and you can't see 2 times at the same time. Also the lume is just barely adequate at night.
Citizen Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar
Approach 3:
Electronic. This gives me the solution to those awkward half-hour time zone change.
The Pathfinder also gives me a compass for general direction when I get lost overseas especially at night and I don't want to look lost by flipping out my phone. Moon feature for 1st n 15th lunar and also can tell people whether you feel it is gonna be bright tonight. But looks wise a bit out for my workplace. Again solar-no change battery
Casio Protrek Pathfinder
In this category is also a simple super. He gives me "analogue" home time, local time with corresponding local date. Not a solar but 10yr battery life. I guess I can live with that. He is so light I can bring it for jogging, bike or swim.
Casio World Time 10 yrs
Approach 4:
GMT. I am exploring this option now. But a bit tempted to use a normal diver with bezel as a simpler solution. Also can't solve the half-hour time zones.
Approach 5:
2 Analogues. One big, one small. Astron and Citizen AT9010 series. Some G-Shocks also here with a more rugged look. I think SBDM007 is also here, with the additional plus of slide rule.
Approach 6:
Rotating world time bezel. A bit or work whenever you wanna tell time everytime. A diver does this work in the brain.
Approach 7:
Analogue+Electronic. G-Shocks. Citizen Skyhawk or Navihawk, also can play with the slide rule computer to pretend to be good in maths. snj017 is also here. A new type of looks which is hybrid.
Any particular approaches that any one find better, be it practical function use or aesthetics (by this I mean the general sense-eg combining electronic with analogue)? Please feel free to discuss the merits and demerits of each approaches and also any peculiarities or preferences. (I still have not a GMT and slide rule so my comments are biased in a way.)