When we think of Grand Complications, one of the first brands that comes to mind is Patek Philippe. The story starts in 1927 with a commission from the famous American banker, Henry Graves Jr., who ordered a pocket watch with 24 complications—including astrological calendars, perpetual calendar, and much more. This “Supercomplication” took two years to design and a further six to create, and it remains the world’s most complicated watch entirely crafted by hand.

In more recent history, Patek Philippe celebrated its 175th birthday in 2014 with its most complex timepiece to date (this time using modern-day CNC technology). The Grandmaster Chime Ref. 5175 comes loaded with six patents, 20 complications, five chiming modes, two reversible dials, and a movement made up of 1,366 parts. A one-of-a-kind version in stainless steel (reference 6300A-010) was sold at the Christie’s Only Watch charity auction in 2019, fetching $31 million and becoming the most expensive watch ever sold at auction. Since then Christie’s sold off Sly Stallone’s GMC, which seems to have angered Patek CEO Thierry Stern.

The Berkley Grand Complication holds the current record for the world’s most complicated timepiece, breaking a previous record, also set by Vacheron Constantin with the Ref. 57260. Both watches were commissioned by the same gentleman: William R. Berkley, an insurance mogul based in Connecticuit. This pocket watch took 11 years to make, weighs over two pounds, measures 3.5 inches across by 2 inches wide, houses an incredible 63 complications (including the first-ever Chinese traditional perpetual calendar), and has a movement composed of 2,877 parts. If ever there was a prize for loving watches, Mr. Berkley would win hands down.

Jaeger-LeCoultre has created numerous extremely complicated timepieces over the last few years under the name Hybris Mechanica, and the Reverso Quadriptyque is one of our favourites. It was released in 2021 for the Reverso’s 90th anniversary and is the most complicated Reverso ever made. It took six years to research and develop, boasts 12 patents, and houses 11 complications that are spread over four different faces. The complications include a tourbillon, perpetual calendar, minute repeater, and a complex celestial and astronomical system that indicates three lunar month displays that include the synodic, draconic, and anomalistic cycles. Jaeger-LeCoultre has not only surpassed itself in terms of complexity, but has made this timepiece extremely wearable.

The A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication is the most complicated timepiece that the brand has ever made, featuring a grand and petite sonnerie, split-seconds chronograph, lightning small seconds (that flies around their subdial every second), and a perpetual calendar with a moon phase. The timepiece was inspired by a vintage grand complication pocket watch (serial no. 42500) that the brand had restored a few years previously. Limited to six pieces, each watch is powered by the L1902 movement (named after the year the original pocket watch was made) which is made up of 876 parts. Each piece takes over a year to produce.

Released in 2023, Audemars Piguet’s Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle paid tribute to the brand’s L’Universelle pocket watch from 1899. Currently on display in Audemars Piguet’s Musée Atelier, this historic piece was one of the most complicated pieces ever produced by the brand so it was no wonder that the brand wanted to return to it. The modern-day Universelle is even more impressive with 26 functions and a host of complications, including a Grande Sonnerie Carillon, perpetual calendar, split-seconds chronograph, jumping seconds, and deadbeat chronograph seconds to name a few. What also makes this timepiece particularly interesting is that it is only 42mm in diameter. To pack that much into such a small space is a complication in itself. It is also extremely intuitive and user-friendly, another major plus in the world of grand complications.

The story behind Breguet’s Marie Antoinette No. 1160 pocket watch is full of drama, mystery, and intrigue. It was ordered in secret by one of Marie Antoinette’s secret admirers to try and impress her, but the watch took 44 years to make, long after both Marie Antoinette and Abraham-Louis Breguet had passed away. It was finally finished by Breguet’s son Louis-Antoine in 1827 and was the most complicated watch of its time with close to a dozen complications. The drama would continue throughout the watch’s life, with it being forgotten by one client and then stolen in 1983. When Nicholas G. Hayek bought the Breguet company in 1999, he too fell under the spell of this watch and ordered an exact replica to be constructed from scratch, based on plans in the brand’s archives. Funnily enough, the original resurfaced a year before the reconstruction was finished, adding even more drama to the story.

The IWC Portuguieser Eternal Calendar technically doesn’t come close to grand complication status with only two complications—a perpetual calendar and a moonphase—but its Eternal Calendar breaks interesting new ground. The current record for the most accurate perpetual calendar is 400 years, while moon phase accuracy currently stands at 2 million years (both achieved by Andreas Strehler’s Sauterelle à Laune Perpetuelle 2M, in case you were wondering). IWC’s Portugieser Eternal Calendar, however, will keep perfect track of the exact date until the year 3999 and it only stops there because no one knows what is going to happen with leap years in the 40th century! In case that wasn’t enough, it has also taken moon phase accuracy to 45 million years.

Another watch which is improving complications is the Bovet Récital 28 “Prowess 1”. Daylight Savings Time (DST) has been causing havoc with worldtimer watches since World War I, when the system was first introduced to add more daylight hours (presumably to conserve energy resources). This should not have been a problem as such, but not every country switches DST at the same time, meaning that when 70 countries change to daylight saving time and 125 don’t, 64 per cent of time zone indications will be wrong. For 106 years, it was just one of those irritating things in life, but it infuriated Bovet’s CEO Pascal Raffy so much that he set his team to work on finding a solution. It was no easy task, but they found a way to switch between UTC, American Summertime (AST), Europe and American Summertime (EAS), and European Wintertime (EWT) so all 24 time zones are always correct. This watch also took Robb Report‘s Best of the Best for watches this year.

We end with a contemporary take on the grand complication. The De Bethune Kind of Grand Complication combines the technical and aesthetic achievements from the brand’s 22-year history. Eight functions, including jumping seconds, an ultra-light 30” titanium tourbillon, perpetual calendar, leap year indication, spherical moon phase, age of the moon, and end of power reserve gauge are displayed across two quite different dials—one classic, the other contemporary—that can be reversed thanks to De Bethune’s ingenious case rotation system. The timepiece comes in a 43.3mm titanium case and—especially when compared to the rest of the watches in our list—is beautifully simple in all its grandeur!

Photography: Christie’s, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet, Breguet, IWC, Bovet, De Bethune

Previously published on Robb Report USA

Lead image: Watches from Audemars Piguet, IWC, Patek Philippe