Reflecting on the year that was in horology, things got complicated, very complicated, as we reviewed some of the most daunting technical timepieces created this year.
A watch complication is a function that provides information beyond the time. After the date display, the chronograph—or stopwatch function—is arguably the most ubiquitous complication, but there are many more that sometimes reach for the stars. While the tourbillon may not meet the traditional definition of a complication, some now consider it to be one due to its complexity.
At the top of the watchmaking pyramid, a handful of masters test their mettle by audaciously combining multiple complications in a single piece, further upping the degree of difficulty and expense.
Produced for the world’s elite collectors, these jaw-dropping watches amaze with technical prowess. Here’s a look at five dazzling unicorn watches that caught our eye this year:
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Dual Moon Grand Complication
Vacheron Constantin has pulled off another astonishing astronomical watch, the double-sided Les Cabinotiers Dual Moon Grand Complication (price upon request). This unique piece features 11 time-related and astronomical complications regulated by a tourbillon.
With its large moon phase display front and center on the dial, this piece pays homage to our luminous lunar orb. The rare central moon phase offers a precise vision of the Earth’s satellite as it appears in both the northern and southern hemispheres with a double display.
The front of the watch also presents off-centered hours and minutes plus a perpetual calendar, distinguished by the brand’s signature retrograde date display. The slide lever on the left side of the case activates the minute repeater, translating the time into a chiming song of hours, quarters, and minutes.
Turn the piece over to find astronomical indications with the time of the sidereal day (which is four minutes shorter than the civil day) and a sky chart showing the position of the constellations in real time, while the tourbillon spins in its hallmark Maltese cross-shaped carriage. The 46mm, white-gold piece is powered by the new manual-winding Calibre 2755 TMRCCQP, consisting of a mind-boggling 774 components.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179
Limited to 10 pieces, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Hybris Artistica Calibre 179 (price upon request) synergizes the technical tour-de-force of its multi-axis Gyrotourbillon with the creativity of its artisans.
Calibre 179 is the fourth evolution of the brand’s multi-axis tourbillon, specifically designed to fit the slim rectangular dimensions of the brand’s iconic Art Deco-era Reverso case. The Calibre 179 also has a second dial on the reverse side of the swiveling case that displays a different time zone with a 24-hour indicator.
Showcased through both dials, the Gyrotourbillon pirouettes around its twin axes appearing to float in space supported by a ring of ball bearings, rather than a conventional bridge.
The artisans decorate the front dial with an Art Deco-inspired geometric pattern in a nod to Reverso’s roots. The fine golden lattice shines against the blue lacquer background and blue gradient lacquer time display.
On the reverse, artists apply blue lacquer to the fine bone structure of the skeletonized hours-minutes ring and its supporting bridges, highlighting the airy aesthetic while contrasting with the golden movement components.
Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4
More than a century after it created the ultra-complicated Universelle pocket watch, Audemars Piguet unveiled its first ultra-complicated self-winding wristwatch in the contemporary Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection: the Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4. The price: CHF 1.45 million, or about US$1.7 million, for the solid-dial version and CHF 1.6 million, or US$1.9 million for the open-worked version.
Designed for ergonomic comfort and ease of use, the RD#4 is the culmination of more than seven years of work by engineers, designers, watchmakers and craftspeople. Consolidating Audemars Piguet’s considerable horological savoir-faire, the new self-winding Calibre 1000 counts over 1,100 components and incorporates 40 functions including 23 complications, among which are a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, a split-seconds flyback chronograph, and a flying tourbillon.
Greubel Forsey Tourbillon Cardan
The Tourbillon Cardan (US$532,000) was years in the making, advancing the brand’s lifelong quest to attain ever higher levels of chronometric precision by rethinking movement regulation and other major complications.
The piece is built on three fundamental pillars: a rapid rotating tourbillon, a revolving 30-degree inclined plane, and two constantly tilting rings.
The Cardan is Greubel Forsey’s fastest tourbillon yet, completing one revolution every 16 seconds, compared to one minute for most tourbillons. Moving through more positions in less time delivers higher average performance. Meanwhile, the brand’s high-inertia oversize balance wheel makes it more resistant to shocks and variations in speed.
The Cardan’s high-speed tourbillon is guided by two mobile rings, linked by two 90-degree axes. In 48 seconds, they tilt backwards and forwards, evoking a traditional gimbal. The Cardan, however, keeps the tilt of the rings in the plus-30-degree to minus-30-degree range, while the tourbillon is inclined at 30 degrees and never varies, heightening timekeeping performance.
The brand will produce up to 11 pieces per year, completing 55 over the next five years.
Jacob & Co. Astronomia Revolution
Jacob & Co.’s new Astronomia Revolution (US$600,000) revs up its radical space-inspired Astronomia with unprecedented speed, achieving a full rotation of its central carousel in just one minute. That’s quite an advancement considering the original 2016 Astronomia took 20 minutes to complete a full turn.
The fast-spinning carousel features three arms: one carrying the time display, a second holding the double-axis flying tourbillon and a third tipped with a ruby pointer that indicates passing seconds.
In a nod to space exploration, the revolving satellite carriage hovers over a polished red-gold honeycombed array of 18 hexagonal mirrors, inspired by the James Webb Space Telescope’s gilded reflectors that capture light emitted at the beginning of time.Astronomia Revolution is a limited edition of 18 pieces—six in rose gold, six in white gold and six in white gold with a black DLC surface treatment.
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