Lesablier is a micro brand that has always marched to the beat of its own drum. While other watch brands were focusing on dive watches, Lesablier was putting out sports watches with bold case designs. More brands are leaning into sports watches, but Lesablier seems to have moved on ahead of these brands yet again. The Travelgraph is a world timer that is bucking the trend of three-hand sports watches while keeping Lesablier’s design aesthetic intact. Let’s take a closer look.
On the Wrist
The Travelgraph looks like a big watch before you put it on your wrist. The large bezel, funky case shape, and busy chapter ring give the impression of a large watch. However, the Travelgraph comes in at 40mm wide, 44mm lug-to-lug, and 12.8mm thick (11.5mm wrist-to-crystal). Not too shabby for a contemporary world timer designed to show lots of small text and remain readable.
After I sized the Travelgraph and got it on my wrist, I was surprised at how compact it felt (and looked). I’ve found my sweet spot for watches to be in the 37-39mm range, and while the Travelgraph is only 1mm outside that range, it looked more like a 38mm watch. The deceiving dial size partly gives this effect as two additional rings are outside the dial to display the world time information. If this were a traditional GMT without the cities shown, this would likely be a 38mm case size.
Using the Travelgraph takes a minute or two to get used to, especially if you’re not a frequent wearer of world timers. The 24-hour disc outside the dial rotates to correspond with the wearer’s time size. This allows the numerals to line up with the fixed city ring on the outside of the dial. Set your time zone, and you can effortlessly read the time zone in any of the cities displayed on the ring. The Travelgraph uses the Miyota 9075, so the main hour hand can be set independently to local time without disrupting the 24-hour scale previously set.
Lesablier Travelgraph Specs | |
Case Width 40mm | Lug-to-Lug 44mm |
Case Thickness 12.8mm | Lug Width 20mm |
Water Resistance 100m | Strap Bracelet |
Crystal Sapphire | Lume Super-LumiNova BGW9 |
Movement Miyota 9075 | Price $795 |
Dial Details
A few changes will be made to the production model dials, and I am extremely grateful for the following one: The serial number below the logo on the dial will be removed and engraved on the caseback. The logo will stand alone. It will also be updated to reflect Lesablier’s new branding. The final change is a small one, but one I am sure residents of Washington, D.C., will appreciate. The “DC” timezone will be updated to “D.C.”
The Travelgraph features a relatively simple handset, but one that makes the watch easy to read. Great care has been put into the text printing on the 24-hour scale and the city ring. The printing is clear and crisp and does not require the wearer to squint to read the timezone.
The dial has a subtle sunburst effect, and the color-coordinated rings on the outside of the dial create a seamless look.
Those who are lume aficionados will appreciate the lumed 24-hour scale, which is inverted on half of the scale to aid in the daytime/nighttime split.
Case and Bracelet
The case of the Travelgraph is more traditional compared to Lesablier’s other offerings. The case appears asymmetrical at first glance, but the bump out on the left side of the case is mirrored on the right to create the crown guards. This ties in perfectly with the scalloped-style bezel (thankfully, Lesablier made it fixed and didn’t ask us to use it to rotate the bezel like Omega).
The finishing and execution of the case are excellent overall. The brushing and polishing transitions are crisp, giving those who like shiny things plenty of reasons to rotate their wrists when in a retail store or another place with good lights. The crown is perfectly sized to operate, even when the watch is still on the wearer’s wrist.
The bracelet is excellent and has the same fit and finish as the rest of the watch. The polished center links (if that’s what we can call them) look fantastic when paired with the style of the bezel. I was expecting a lot less articulation in the links than what is there. This is a comfy bracelet, and the production models will be even better as they will have a buckle extension for micro adjustment (instead of a plain butterfly clasp on this prototype).
Final Thoughts
I know of a few brands planning world timers for 2024, but I believe the Lesablier Travelgraph is the first to hit the market. The early bird gets the worm. The Travelgraph is smartly priced at $795, and for a well-designed and functional world timer, that is a steal. If you have ten grand lying around, by all means, go for the Omega world timer, but you surely aren’t going to be getting over ten times the watch.
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