The Most Complicated Watches Ever Made
With telling the time now as simple as tapping a home screen, it can be easy to forget that watches are machines of exquisite craftsmanship. Even the simplest of mechanical movements can have a mesmeric effect, with hundreds of individual parts ticking like, well, clockwork. And some manufactures go one cog further. “Horological complications are viewed by many as the pinnacle of precision manufacturing,” says Michael Wilson, in-house watchmaker at American luxury outfit Niall. “And there’s a lucrative business for complex novelties, limited editions and extreme complications. Pair this with general brand rivalry, and watchmakers often pursue ultra-complex watches out of a thirst to be the best.” This race to the bottom of your bank balance has resulted in some of the most mind-boggling tickers ever made, most of which would require nothing short of a Rothschild inheritance to afford.
Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon
The most elaborate watch ever produced by Patek Philippe, one of the most revered luxury watch brands in the world, the Sky Moon Tourbillon requires two dials to fit 13 outrageous complications. The most audacious is a celestial chart of the northern hemisphere that allows the wearer to chart the course of the moon and stars, alongside a perpetual calendar, retrograde date and mean solar time function. Because, why not? The otherworldly piece is housed inside an 18-carat white gold case with intricate enamel hand-carved over 100 painstaking hours.
Vacheron Constantin Reference 57260
Vacheron Constantin is to watches what Bentley is to cars: classic, well-crafted and very, very expensive. The Reference 57260 takes this reputation to the next level. Dubbed the world’s most complex piece, this 50mm thick pocket watch boasts 57 individual complications made up from over 2,800 components. To give an idea of how much showing off is going on here, it houses nine astronomical calendar functions, eight Hebrew calendar functions and seven alarms. Like a Bentley, it’ll guzzle a small fortune in maintenance costs, too.
