HARDLY surprising, this. Krayon, maker of complicated movements that was established in Neuchatel in 2013—the brand lists HYT among its clients—a day before the summer solstice in 2017 turned into an outright watchmaker by releasing the Everywhere timepiece. 

What this watch can do is to determine the exact time when sunrise and sunset occur no matter where on Earth its wearer happens to be. The way it is able to do this is via a universal mechanical calculator that takes into account the four parameters needed to figure out at what time sunrise and sunset will happen. The wearer will then set, by way of the crown and a pusher, and in this order, the latitude and longitude of a chosen location, the UTC time zone, and the date and month. The watch will then display, on a contrasting-color ring with a 24-hour scale, the hour at which the sun will appear and disappear on the horizon. The display is quite intuitive; bright yellow connotes daytime and the dark part is—well, you get it. At a glance, one could easily tell as well the varying lengths of the days and nights through the seasons.

In July Krayon lavished the Everywhere with a fancy—and quite pricey—wardrobe. The result is the Everywhere Horizon, which takes the astronomical wizardry of its predecessor in a jewel-encrusted, 43-millimeter case.

Instantly apparent is the new watch’s dial, which has turned dark from the original’s white—or from day to night, if you will. What this treatment does is highlight the 70 baguette diamonds, weighing some 3.5 carats in total, that are set on the bezel. Even the lugs now luxuriate with 24 baguette diamonds that weigh in at around 1.35 carats. The case sees the flourishes of several engraving techniques.

With this sort of credentials, it is little wonder the Everywhere Horizon has ended up as one of the six nominees vying for the Men’s Complication award in the 18th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve. Already a winner by virtue of having been chosen, the Everywhere Horizon earned its spot among the best names in watch-making by way of a stellar presentation and complication.    

True, a smartwatch, relying on electronic gnomes, can do what this complication does. But achieving this on essentially nothing but a collection of gears, springs and levers is a feat deserving of the heavens’ blessings. That the Everywhere Horizon managed to get on the 18th GPHG shortlist, then, is a feat that’s as clear as the sun.