Worn & Wound
Introducing the Alterum Worldtimer, a Minimalist Take on a Notoriously Busy Complication
You might be familiar with the work of Justin Walters through his work with Marin Instruments, which burst onto the microbrand watch scene back in 2021 with a unique, contemporary spin on the classic skin diver. Justin has just launched a new brand, the Alterum Watch Company, which he’s been teasing to those of us in the industry for nearly as long. It’s great to see the watch finally made public, and to see Justin fully emerge as one of the most interesting watch design minds working today. Between this initial release for Alterum and the ongoing work with Marin, we’re seeing a clear, modern aesthetic evolve right before our eyes. Best of all, these watches are accessible to just about anyone, proving once again that you don’t need to spend a small fortune for thoughtful and interesting design. The working principle behind the Alterum Worldtimer is one of simplicity, or “cutting away the chaos,” as Justin puts it. We’ve heard and seen this before, of course. Many brands attempt to reach a minimal design, but it’s hard to think of one that starts with a worldtimer, a genre of watch that’s busy almost by definition. But it’s a good test, when you think about it. If the goal of Alterum as a brand is simplicity and clarity, finding success with a worldtimer would seem to bode quite well for future projects. In many ways the Alterum Worldtimer feels familiar, at least in its functionality, but when you really start digging into the details you come to und...
