In horology, a ‘complication’ refers to any feature beyond the display of hours, minutes, and seconds. Some watches have date indicators, alarms, or stopwatches as additional complications. The world’s most complicated watch has 63 different complications and is regarded as a wonder of watchmaking.
In 2015, the watchmakers at Swiss manufacturer Vacheron Constantin unveiled Reference 57260, a one-of-a-kind pocketwatch commissioned by a private, anonymous collector with a set of very specific requirements, including a Hebraic perpetual calendar and a unique split-seconds chronograph that would allow them to time multiple events simultaneously. It took eight years to complete and became the basis of an even more complex timepiece, the Berkley Grand Complication.
Measuring about 2 inches in diameter and crafted in an 18-karat white gold case, Berkley Grand Complication weighs 2 pounds (960 grams) and features almost double the number of complications of the previous world’s most complicated watch, the Patek Philippe Calibre 89 (33 complications).
“Because the most complicated watch before this one had 33 complications, we set a goal of 36 complications,” Dominique Bernaz, head of the Atelier Cabinotiers division, told Forbes. “As we worked together, I would regularly ask my team if they thought we could do it, and they would smile and nod yes. We were halfway through the project before we knew just how many complications the watch would have, because the project kept evolving. Each complication is a special accomplishment, but putting them all together into one watch, that was the real challenge.”
In theory, many watchmakers could create a watch with double the complications of the Vacheron Constantin Berkley Grand Complication, but it would probably have the diameter of a football. What makes this timepiece so special is that the craftsmen at Atelier Cabinotiers managed to cram 63 of them into such a small case while also figuring out how to display every one of these extra features. Keep in mind that this two-sided pocket-sized marvel is made up of 2,870 tiny mechanical components.
The price of the world’s most complicated watch was confidential, but most experts estimate the price to be in excess of $10 million. As a unique collector’s item, its value is only expected to increase over time.
There will probably come a day when another watch dethrones the Berkley Grand Complication, after all, Swiss watchmakers have been one-upping each other for hundreds of years. But it’s worth mentioning that Vacheron Constantin is giving them a run for their money, improving on the original design (Reference 57260) and adding additional complications over the years.
