Horological Meandering

Other than the Split Second chronograph, and the Minute Repeater I hear consistantly, what is the 3rd most difficult complication?  Is it the Tourbillion?  The Tourbillion is seemingly common but I would guess it is the 3rd most complicated?  Any Comments?

.... i would greatly appreciate your comprehensive explanation, are there set rules as to what is considered " most complicated " ??  As i dont know much about watches, nor watch making, so, i look forward to your comments.

Wouldnt combing a perpetual calendar, add on top a tourbillon finishing off with a minute repeater  complicated enough for anyone's imagination ??  In other words, i think combining any complicated movements together as one watch, i would have thought will be the ultimate watchmaking.

A tourbillon is not a complication. It is simply a mechanism for improving the functioning of the watch (specifically, ensuring a low level of positional variation in timekeeping).

For the same reasons, a constant-force escapement is not a complication. Neither is an automatic winding mechanism. Nor a multiple winding barrels arrangement.

One could make an argument about a deadbeat seconds mechanism. This changes the way the watch displays time. But it does not really provide any extra information, so it's probably not a complication either, in the strictest sense of the term.

To answer your question, I would nominate an instantaneous perpetual calendar, adjustable forwards and backwards across midnight, as a good candidate.


Cheers
Tony P

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Three complications?

1. Whatever complications prevented the mythical Harry Winston Opus 3 from being realised;

2. Whatever complication has prevented the Vyskocil V-30/45-01-A from being produced before now; and

3. Whatever complication it is that has prevented the Moser perpetual from being delivered!

 

(Please pardon the 'OT' and somewhat mischievous response to a fair question).

Cheers,

pplater.

.

Volker's quest for perfection...

Magnus

minute repeater, split second, tourbillion, perpetual calendar and moonphase (presumably because moon phase does not equate to an even number of days).

A "Grand Complication" is usually required to have at least three of these.

Hope this helps.

Toodlepip!

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as this requires immense intellectual synthesis efforts to implement a given mechanism with as few parts as possible (see Ludwig Oechslin's MIH or even Ochs und Junior Annual Calenders). In other words:

- 'complicated watches': watchmaking complication
- 'simple watches': intellectual complication

Best,
Magnus