A watch might only tell time on the face but the beauty of it is really hidden away behind the dial. Sporting a complicated watch is a sure way to grab attention of those who know, but behind all the show off is elaborate and breathtaking work of engineering. Today, we take a look at 10 such ultra-complicated watches.
No 10. IWC Siderale Scafusia
This is IWC’s most complex watch which has a map of the heavens on the back, designed on a bespoke basis to reflect the night sky according to coordinates supplied by the buyer. It also features a perpetual calendar, sunrise/sunset indicators, a sidereal time display and a tourbillion escapement rotating in the dial. It costs 750,000 Swiss francs.
No 9. Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Grande Sonnerie
This amazing three-face watch by Jaeger-LeCoultre comes with a bevy of astronomical complications, including a zodiacal calendar with moon phases and perpetual calendar. Its third face is in the case beneath the main reversible body of the watch.
No 8. Fortis F-43
Touted as the world’s first mechanical GMT alarm chronometer with two separate power reserves, this ultra-modern watch costs $20,850. Fortis actually specializes in aviator watches and some of their watches have been worn to space and back.
No 7. Christophe Claret 21 Blackjack
This wonder is a whole casino in itself; it enables you to play blackjack, roulette and dice games by pushing a few buttons. It has card-marked discs rotating beneath windows in the dial for the blackjack game, a roulette wheel spinning away on the reverse side and a housing in the side of the case containing a couple of tiny dice. Its price varies between $200,000 and $225,000.
No 6. Greubel Forsey Invention GMT
Coming with an ingenious tourbillion, this masterpiece from Greubel Forsey has a three dimensional flying globe at 8 o’clock giving you time for each and every place of the world. The movements of the watch are coordination of 436 components in it working in pure elegance.
No 5. Urwerk UR-1001 Zeit Device
Coming with a day/night indicator, running seconds, power reserve, and calendar, plus 100-year and 1,000-year indicators for proper forward planners, this pocket watch from outer space costs over $400,000. Yes, beauty has a price.
No 4. Patek Philippe 5208P
Costing $25,500 less than a million, this luxury watch has a two-gong minute repeater to chime the time, perpetual calendar (across three windows) that won’t need adjusting for 100 years, chronograph, moon phase and a day/night indicator. It is protected by a platinum case in the classic Calatrava style and has a perfectly balanced solid gold dial in a discreet charcoal hue.
No 3. Jules Audemars Grande Complication
This watch comes in skeletonized form, which shows the intricate workings underneath. It boasts the classic combination of perpetual calendar with day, date, week, month, leap years, and moon phases; minute repeater and split-seconds chronograph. It has a titanium case and a crocodile leather strap.
No 2. Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4
Containing over 1,400 separate components, this is perhaps the most complicated watch of all. Created by Franck Muller, it has a split-second chronograph, three different time zones, minute repeater, a huge tourbillion, elaborate date displays among others. If you have $2.7 million extra to spend, consider buying this baby.
No 1. Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon
Not even the $2.7 million-Franck Muller Aeternitas Mega 4 beats this in terms of complexity. It has a front that has a classically ravishing design, with a perpetual calendar with retrograde date, mean solar time, moon phases and a gorgeous embossed opaline dial. And it sports a starry sky with astronomical indicators on the rear. All this, plus a tourbillion and a minute repeater. Price: $1,450,000.
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