A mechanical watch in itself is a complication. Relying on pure mechanics to accurately record and display the time is marvellous feat of ingenuity and triumph. So, when you begin to layer those mechanics with complications like a chronograph, a calendar function, hemisphere tracking, gravity-negating and timezone crossing, then you venture into a realm of watchmaking that few dare to even attempt. We've rounded up a handful of complicated watches that we feel fit the bill of being immensely more complicated than your average run-of-the-mill mechanical watch, including pieces from Blancpain, Patek Philippe and Breguet. Enjoy!
Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet
Aesthetic simplistic and legible, the Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet in the flesh does seem like your average classical dress watch. But peering closer you can see an abundance of information derived from its calibre 6654 which includes a complete calendar and moon phases. Poetry meets complicated watchmaking.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Hémisphères
The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Hémisphères heralds in the necessity to record multiple timezones. The result is a complicated watch that displays not only any two locations, but also for those locations with a half-hour or quarter-hour difference to be paired with full hour times set from the Greenwich meridian. A world first when it was released in 2010.
Breguet 5437 Double Tourbillon
A double tourbillon from Breguet seemed a justifiable inclusion into this list. The twin rotating tourbillons dance their way away synchronously over the course of 12 hours. The end result is a fantastically complicated watch that screams upper echelon haute horlogerie.
Arnold & Son TE8 Tourbillon
Arnold & Son's TE8 Tourbillon is a complicated, semi-openworked marvel of watchmaking that combines complexity, engineering, architecture and abstract design to create a watch that is undeniably stunning.
Patek Philippe 5524G Calatrava Pilot Travel Time
The Patek Philippe 5524G Calatrava Pilot Travel Time did away with convention, especially so given its inclusion into the Calatrava family of watches. Polarising at its release, the Patek Philippe 5524G Calatrava Pilot Travel Time has come leaps and bounds and is considered by many collectors to be as un-Patek as a Patek can be, all the while still remaining high up on almost every Patek Philippe fanboy's wish-list. Subtle complexity through and through.
Girard-Perregaux 1966 Perpetual Calendar
From Girard-Perregaux we have the 1966 Perpetual Calendar. This particular model is limited to only 99 pieces and contains one of the world's most complicated mechanisms, the infamous perpetual calendar. Girard-Perregaux captured the complexity of that complication wonderfully well with the 1966 Perpetual Calendar, where legibility, modesty and an air of conservativeness are all at play. A lovely complicated watch from one of the most underrated modern watchmakers.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Chronograph Quantième Complet
The combination of a sporty exterior with a level of mechanical complexity to rival even its most stead-fast of competitors makes the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Chronograph Quanutième Complet a supreme choice for one of the best complicated watches on this list. I love the combination of a hardened durable case containing the components of a super complicated movement. One of my favourite pieces on this list, for sure.
Breguet 5707 Classique
The quintessential classical piece that combines a timeless aesthetic with an ingenious movement. The 5707 Classique's dial is distinctly Breguet with plenty of contrasting textures and finishings. I love the slim bezel which is complimented by the wire lugs, which brings much of the focus to the highly informative dial that is full of useful information along with the alarm function that the 5707 Classique is known for.
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