What is a complication?

The term "complication" comes from Latin and means something like making things more difficult or complicated. A complication is a complex mechanical additional function of a mechanical movement. Even just one additional function makes a watch more complicated, because the number of individual parts can quickly rise from 60 to over 300. Watches with complications go beyond the usual display of hours, minutes and seconds and therefore have a greater functional value than other timepieces. While complications are usually undesirable in everyday life, a complication is the highlight of a watch and always offers the wearer a certain added value that is fascinating.

classification and discrepancies

A distinction is made between small and large complications. Small complications include, for example, date display, day of the week display, moon phase display, power reserve display, rotating bezel, and the display of a second time zone. Large complications, on the other hand, are tourbillons, minute and hour repeaters, annual calendars, and perpetual calendars. World time watches, wrist alarms, equations of time (equation) and watches with striking mechanisms are also considered large complications. Whether the tourbillon is really a complication is controversial. The tourbillon (French for "whirlwind") is a device that is intended to eliminate the influence of gravity on the accuracy of the movement. However, a watch worn on the wrist is always moved differently, so the tourbillon often offers no advantage. For this reason, some experts do not see it as a real watch complication.

Are chronographs complications?

Chronographs are often also counted among the major complications, because they are just as difficult to implement as a perpetual calendar. However, they are integrated more often and are less expensive. The chronograph functions flyback, rattrapante and foudroyante are also included. With the rattrapante or "split-second chronograph", intermediate times are stopped by dragging a second stop second hand along during the timekeeping, which can be detached and reset to the main second hand. The foudroyant, on the other hand, is an exotic complication in mechanical watches, also known as a "flashing second". A hand rotates on its own axis once per second. The complication is extremely complex, so only a few watches are equipped with it.

Convenient additional benefits thanks to these visionaries

In particular, simpler complications such as the date display or the display of a second time zone are helpful in everyday life. Rolex plays a crucial role in these, as the company has repeatedly introduced advantageous additional functions to the world of watches and developed them further. But other long-established manufacturers such as A. Lange & Söhne , Breitling and IWC Schaffhausen have also made a contribution to this. Timepieces with several such complex complications are known as "Grande Complications". For many watch fans, such an exclusive masterpiece is the ultimate, as these luxurious pieces of jewelry contain intricate handwork, a great deal of sensitivity and the highest level of watchmaking art.

Popular Grand Complications

One of the most famous Grand Complications is the Vacheron Constantin Tour de L'Île with 16 complications. For the 250th anniversary of the watch manufacturer, Vacheron Constantin created seven exclusive Grand Complications, including the Tour de L'Île. It is equipped with a minute repeater, a moon phase display, sunrise and sunset display, and a perpetual calendar. The timepiece is made of pure gold and is composed of 834 components. At an auction, one example was sold for an impressive 1.56 million US dollars. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie with 26 complications was for a long time the most complicated watch in the world. It features a perpetual calendar, a Grande Sonnerie, a Petite Sonnerie, and power reserve displays for the movement and striking mechanism. It was also the first wristwatch ever to play the entire melody of the Westminster Clock Tower. The A. Lange & Söhne Grande Complication No. 42500 is also one of the most famous watches with complications. It was introduced in 1902 and sold to a Viennese man. After that, nothing was heard of this special timepiece for almost a hundred years before it found its way back to A. Lange & Söhne . The disastrous condition of the watch required several thousand hours of work, but the effort was worth it in the end and the Grande Complication No. 42500 was restored to a functional condition. It is now on display in a museum as a historically significant cultural asset. Based on this pocket watch, the Grand Complication Ref. 912.032 was finally presented in 2013, the most complicated wristwatch from A. Lange & Söhne to date.

complication master Patek Philippe

When you talk about watches with complications, you can't ignore Patek Philippe . The watch manufacturer is one of the leaders in this segment and has even produced the most complicated watch of the century twice. The Patek Philippe Grand Complications Ref. 5207P-001 is a prime example of the company's craftsmanship. The model comes with a minute repeater, moon phase display and a perpetual calendar. The platinum case emits a particularly bright tone. Repeater is Patek Philippe 's specialty. The Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 5002 with 12 complications is also one of the Swiss company's most famous complication masterpieces. In addition, the Grandmaster Chime timepiece was presented to mark the company's 175th anniversary - with an impressive 20 complications. Only seven pieces of this special wristwatch, which is considered one of the most complicated in the world, were produced. It is worth several million euros, and one example has naturally secured a place of honor in the manufactory museum. A team of the best watchmakers, designers and engineers worked on this model for eight years. The date repeater of the Grandmaster Chime is a revolution in the wristwatch segment. The date button uses a chime to tell the wearer how many days of the month have already passed. A high and a low chime make ten days. An alarm clock is also integrated. Here you don't start the day with the usual beep, but with the soothing sound of the minute repeater chime. This special luxury item was designed for top-class watch fans. It is 16.1 millimeters thick, has a diameter of 47 millimeters and is decorated with sapphires and 18-carat rose gold. According to reports, the Patek Philippe team already needed 100,000 hours just to assemble the individual components of the seven Grandmaster Chime examples.

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