Berry's Guide To Complication Watches

From sporty chronographs to practical calendar complications and from the complexity of a split-second rattrappante watch to the intricacy of a tourbillon - luxury watches can be as simple or as technically impressive as you like.

Some complications have to be built around a standard watch movement, whilst others prove a practical addition to an elegant daily dress watch. This guide to watch complications provides everything you need to know about all the main complications found on the luxury watch market, enabling you to tell each function apart and decide which complications you may or may not require in your own luxury watch before investing in one.

Date
A date watch is the simplest complication to own in a luxury watch. Not only does it tell you the day of the month in numerals, but it also provides a striking asymmetrical look to a dial. The date aperture can either be accompanied by an hour and minute hand or positioned on a three-handed dial design. In addition to this, it can also be combined with other complications like a perpetual calendar or a chronograph watch. The date usually appears at the 3 or 6 o’clock location on a simple two or three-handed dial, yet in a chronograph, it can also appear at 6 o’clock. More unusual locations for a date complication include the 9 or 12 o’clock position.

The Chopard Alpine Eagle Large watch, crafted from 18ct rose gold bears no chronograph complication but still displays the date window in between the 4 and 5 o’clock location.
 

Day Date

Displayed often at the 3 o’clock location, a day-date complication is a practical addition to any luxury watch, especially if you tend to rely on your timepiece for work commitments. Day-date watches can be incredibly classic and come in a myriad of different styles, dial colours and case materials. It features the first few letters of the day or the entire day in full next to a date complication. An example of an affordable and classic-looking day-date watch would be the Tissot Heritage Visodate watch.


Moon Phase

The moonphase complication works by displaying the portion of the moon lit by the sun exactly how it is observed from Earth at any given point during a 29.5-day lunar cycle. The lunar cycle is the time it takes for the moon to transition from its new moon state (where none of its surfaces is lit) to a full moon and back again. The moonphase function on a luxury watch is often decorated beautifully with deep blue, silver or gold accents and is usually positioned at the southern hemisphere of the dial.

OMEGA incorporates the elegant moon-phase indicator into its iconic Speedmaster watch design. The broad 44.25mm model crafted from stainless steel features a blue ceramic tachymeter bezel, which frames a captivating deep blue dial with chronograph and date features positioned at 3 and 9 o’clock. Balancing the two counters is a beautiful moon phase indicator at 6 o’clock interacting beautifully with luminous-coated hour markers and hands.

More abstract moon phase indicators can be appreciated in designs like the Glashutte Original Senator Moonphase watch, crafted from 18ct white gold, with its blued Breguet-style hands set against a galvanised silver dial. Whilst the intricacy and complexity of the in-house Calibre 49-13 is put on show through the dial, so is an elegant blue and golden-coloured moon phase located at the unusual position of 10 o’clock.

Perpetual Calendar

The price of a perpetual calendar watch is reflected in the intricacy and complexity of its design. Often associated with watches of the highest Haute Horlogerie, the refined perpetual calendar complication takes into account the leap years, owing to hundreds of extra gears to ensure its accuracy. The day, date, month and leap year are all displayed on the dial of a perpetual calendar watch.

The Blancpain Villeret Perpetual Calendar, crafted from 18ct rose gold, is a superb example of this special and often rare complication. At the 3 o’clock location, a sub-counter displays the date ring, balanced by a days-of-the-week ring at 9 o’clock and the months and leap year indicator at 12 o’clock. A moon phase indicator is also offered at 6 o’clock against a white dial adorned with rose gold coloured hour markers and hands to match the material of the watch’s 38mm case.



Minute Repeaters

The minute repeater complication in a luxury watch is an audible feature that chimes the time in three separate sounds. The first sound indicates the hours, the second sound represents the ¼ hour and the third sound indicates every minute. Often viewed as a novelty timepiece to add to a collection, minute repeater watches are rare and highly-priced to reflect their desirability, deriving from the 18th-century pocket watch.

The Breitling Aerospace Evo watch crafted from titanium, with a black digital and analogue display, offers a minute repeater within its sleek design. Alongside this function are a 1/100th of a second, a second time one, an alarm, and a calendar. The 100-meter water-resistant titanium case of this Breitling Aerospace Evo watch is powered by a SuperQuartz movement and is fitted on a black Pro Diver III strap, giving it a dynamic and modern look on the wrist.

Chronograph

The chronograph is a stopwatch feature that is commonly incorporated into a luxury watch, giving it a resolutely sporty look. Being able to tell the time and utilise the watch as a stopwatch feature is a desirable and practical addition to a timepiece. Seiko was considered one of the first official watch brands to make an automatic chronograph watch available to the general public, whilst other brands such as Breitling, IWC, Longines, TAG Heuer and IWC are revered for their range of expertly crafted chronograph watches.

Usually, a chronograph complication will feature a 30-minute counter, a 12-hour totaliser and a central chronograph seconds hand, as well as a small second sub-counter and a date aperture. The OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch is one of the world’s most instantly recognisable and highly collectable chronograph watches and is loved for its black tri-compax dial with a surrounding black tachymeter bezel and stainless steel bracelet.

Split Second

The split-second chronograph, also known as the rattrappante, can time multiple simultaneous events like two runners in one race, for example. A split-second watch can be identified by a total of three push-pieces on the case. One example of a split-second chronograph watch is the Patek Philippe Grand Complications watch, crafted from platinum and measuring a 41mm diameter. The beautiful timepiece features a striking blue dial adorned with two chronograph counters at 3 and 9 o’clock to display 30-minute and small second features. Additionally, split second, hour and minute hands take up residence on this blue backdrop, along with Arabic numerals and a tachymeter scale.



Tachymeter

A tachymeter function is used to measure speed based on time and usually comprises the units per hour in miles or kilometres. The scale is normally applied to the surface of a bezel or printed on the edge of the dial. Perfect for tracking travel time based on speed, it works on a per hour conversion and frequently accompanies the chronograph complication.

Ideal for measuring speed on the racetrack, the sporty TAG Heuer Formula 1 watch features a tachymeter scale applied to the surface of its black ceramic bezel. Printed in white numerals and letters, the scale stands out against its black background and a matching black dial, equipped with a trio of chronograph counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. The sub-counters provide small seconds, a 1/10th of a second and 30-minute features, whilst a red-tipped central chronograph seconds hand stands out against luminous coated hour and minute hands on the main dial.



Dual Time

Dial Time watches have an additional hand that can be measured against a 24-hour scale. GMT watches usually feature this 24-hour scale on the bezel, whilst dual time watches can often showcase the second time zone in a sub-counter. This function is particularly appealing to pilots and military personnel, as well as those who frequently travel, displaying the time in any other part of the world at a glance.

The Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time watch is a highly desirable timepiece and measures a 38mm case crafted from 18ct white gold. Its deep blue dial donates a classic look to the wrist and features a matching blue leather strap with white contrast stitching down the sides. A local and home indicator is positioned at 9 and 3 o’clock respectively, whilst the 24-hour scale in this design is displayed at 6 o’clock.

World Time Zone

World time zone watches feature an inner rotating bezel that displays the 24-hour scale and lists the main cities of the world on an outer bezel. Useful for those who frequently fly on business or for pleasure, luxury watches with a world time zone are a niche feature to own and this is reflected in the watch’s price tag.

The Nomos Glashutte Zurich World Time watch is a compact 40mm stainless steel model that features a 24-hour retrograde style aperture at 3 o’clock, highlighted by a red indicator and a world time ring set against a white backdrop. Additional features on the dial include a small seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock and a set of blue square-shaped indexes around the hour track. Powered by the Nomos DUW-5201 movement, which can be viewed through a sapphire crystal exhibition caseback, this luxury world time zone watch is completed on a black Horween Cordovan leather strap to complete its understated yet refined look.



Power Reserve Indicator

A power reserve indicator is not an essential feature in a luxury watch but it does offer a little more technical appeal to the dial and is a handy feature to assist with keeping track of the winding state of the mainspring. The power reserve indicator can check that the watch has stored enough power to keep running whilst off the wrist, making it a desirable feature for those who often alternate their luxury watch depending on the occasion.

The Panerai Luminor 1950 watch is a great example of a watch with a clear and legible power reserve complication. This practical tool features a black dial with a striking blue hand denoting the running seconds at 9 o’clock and features a date window at 3 o’clock, positioned above a power reserve indicator located at the 4:30 location. The watch bears a case diameter of 44mm and is crafted from stainless steel. The power reserve indicator in this Panerai watch is also accompanied by a GMT hand, making this an ideal travel companion for anyone Panerai enthusiast.

 

 

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