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The double retrograde complication - Part 1
Visiting the Musée international d'horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, I fell in love with a fan-shaped pocket watch with a double (hours & minutes) retrograde complication (sometimes called 'sector' complication, apparently).
The idea of Vacheron Constantin's Mercator ref. 43050 came to my mind, but I decided to investigate further and it appeared to me that the hour hand and the minutes hand are either moving in the same direction (as in the fan-shaped pocket watch) or in opposite directions (as in the Mercator).
So, here's a double-part thread dedicated to both variants of this complication:
- Part 1 (below): multiple examples with hands moving in the same direction from Record Watch Co., Wittnauer, Jean d'Eve, Lip, Xeric & Ōtsuca Lōtec
- Part 2: Vacheron Constantin's Mercator, ref. 43050
Enjoy!
Personal photo from the Musée international d’horlogerie in La Chaux-de-fonds
2/ WITTNAUER FUTURAMA with cal. Eta 2784
credit: vintage times amsterdam
3/ JEAN D'EVE SECTORA
credit: @ oldmansecret_vintagewatch (1), Grand-Career-7362 on reddit (2) & LongjumpingChest5176 on reddit (3)
4/ LIP SECTEUR DOUBLE RETROGRADE, three models from 1972 powered by Wester German-made Duromat INT7525 automatic
credit: Mitch Greenblatt on watches.com (1-3) & ChP on montres pour tous (4-7)
5/ XERIC TIMELINE RETROGRADE AUTOMATIC
credit: ablogtowatch
6/ ŌTSUKA LŌTEC N° 6
credit: hodinkee & monochrome
Wittnauer Futurama in action
The double retrograde complication - Part 1
Visiting the Musée international d'horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, I fell in love with a fan-shaped pocket watch with a double ( hours & minutes ) retrograde complication (sometimes called 'sector' complication, apparently). The idea of Vacheron Constant...
Retrogrades are really bringing something special!!
As much as I struggle to read the time quickly, I love the design! Thanks for this nice selection! I really like the Otsuka Lotec! Best, E.
Yes, the Otsuka is very good-looking, but
my favorite remains the pocket watch: I love it!
Isn’t it an amazing place?
Took us two visits to absorb the wonders within. Your focus on double retrogrades also brought to mind the bras en l’air. I recall V&C’s first was in 1930 but there were others who offered this complication in the 19th century. Christies photo ...
Absolutely! And, yes, 'bras en l'air': I had in mind to do a separate thread on this slightly different complication.
There's a famous Patek fox and crow model... Best, Emmanuel credit: collectability ...