====== Complication ======
{{wst>image_cr|Vacheron Constantin|Tour de L'Ile|[[Vacheron Constantin Tour de L'Ile]], a wristwatch with a particularly high number of complications|250px}}

**Complications** are display mechanisms on a watch. Some, like hour, minute, and second, are taken for granted, while others are so rare and difficult as to be considered "Grande Complications" (see below).

===== Typical complications =====
The following complications are commonly found on many watches 

  * Hour hand, minute hand, second hand (not always considered complications)
  * [[Date]] and day indicators, including "[[big date]]"
  * [[Second timezone]] or [[GMT]] hand
  * [[World timer]]
  * [[24 hour]] hand
  * [[Day/night indicator]]
  * [[Subdial]]s for second timezone, [[GMT]], 24 hour time, or [[small seconds]]
  * [[Retrograde]] hands
  * [[Power reserve indicator]]
  * [[Moon phase]]
  * [[Alarm function]]
  * [[Chronograph]] functions 
    * Hour, minute, second
    * [[Split seconds]]
    * [[Rattrapante]]
    * [[Countdown]]
    * [[Flyback]]
    * [[Foudroyante]]

===== Non-Timing Complications =====
Many people only consider complications related to time-telling when counting. However, a number of watches feature other non-timing features or complications, including the following 

  * [[Barometer]]
  * [[Temperature]]
  * [[Altimeter]]
  * [[Depth gague]]

===== Grande Complications =====
More elaborate functions are often used to demonstrate the technical skill of a watchmaker. These **Grande Complications** are often so important that they are the focal point of a watch. Some, like the [[tourbillon]], [[perpetual calendar]], and [[repeater]], can command hundreds of thousands of dollars and are hallmarks of a prestige [[manufacture]]. For example, see the [[Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 5002]] with twelve complications, the [[IWC Il Destriero Scafusia|IWC "Il Destriero Scafusia"]], the [[Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica]] series, or the [[Vacheron Constantin Tour de L'Ile]], depicted here.

Some consider a watch to be "Grande Complication" if it includes any of the following rare complications. Others demand that a watch have more than one of these. Still more consider a watch to be a "Grande Complication" only if it includes complications from three categories Timing, chiming, and calendar.

Grande complications include 

  * [[Tourbillon]], [[gyrotourbillon]], or [[carousel]]
  * [[Repeater]] and [[Grande Sonnerie]]
  * [[Perpetual calendar]] with leap year
  * [[Sidereal time]]
  * [[Equation of time]]
  * [[Astronomical]] indications, including [[sunrise and sunset]] and zodiac

===== Super Complications =====
Watchmakers occasionally "flex their muscles" by releasing special extremely-complicated watches, singularly or in tiny numbers. Such is the case for the most famous complicated watch, the [[Henry Graves Supercomplication]] by [[Patek Philippe]]. This pocket watch, commissioned in [[1925]], has set consecutive records when sold at auction, most recently selling for CHF 23.2 million ($23.8 million) on November 11, [[2014]] at [[Southeby's]] in Geneva. That same month, to celebrate their 175th anniversary, Patek Philippe released a limited edition of seven [[Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime|Grandmaster Chime]] wrist watches, their most complicated ever, with more chiming functions than any other watch.

===== Literature =====
  *[[Die Reparatur komplizierter Taschenuhren]]; Author [[Bruno Hillmann]]; ISBN 3898806596 ISBN 978-3898806596


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