When it comes to watchmaking, 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 a one-of-a-kind pocket watch 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, the Berkley Grand Complication weighs 2 pounds. 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.
