These complex movement watches are what you call real watches

    They say the simpler a person is, the better—pure, without desires, living a plain life. However, if you are a bit more “ complex ”, with more desires and ideas, it might help us achieve more of what we want; this is perfectly acceptable. After all, people with no desires are in the minority in this society. If you are simple but want to achieve more, you have to be a bit more “ complex ”. We live in society, not in a temple, so we have to be a bit “ complex ”. Of course, just like watches, the more complex a watch is, once it is refined into a “ masterpiece ”, its value naturally becomes different. Because truly great things are never simple, nor are they cheap.

　　What is a grand complication watch? Generally, the functions added to a watch can be divided into three major categories: chronographs, including single-button, split-seconds, rotating bezel, and flyback chronographs; astronomical displays, such as moon phases, annual calendars, perpetual calendars, and the equation of time; and striking mechanisms, such as alarms, grande and petite sonneries, two-gong, three-gong, and Westminster chime watches. This is the convention in the Swiss watchmaking industry: as long as a watch includes at least three of the aforementioned functions, it can be called a grand complication.

　　World time

　　In recent years, many world-famous watch brands have added standard time zone and daylight saving time settings. For example, Vacheron Constantin's world time watches, Cartier's multi-time zone watches, and, oh, I almost forgot Glashütte Original's tourbillon watch, which is complex because it simultaneously possesses world time, a perpetual calendar, day/night display, big date, and a flying tourbillon. With so many functions gathered in one, how could it not be complex?

　　Of course, when mentioning complexity, how can one omit the perpetual calendar? I believe everyone was taught by their teachers in school how to calculate the number of days in each month and the difference between common and leap years. Yet, watchmakers have installed these calculation principles into a wristwatch the size of a palm. Isn't that incredible? For example, IWC's classic invention, the four-digit perpetual calendar display, originated from Kurt Klaus. It achieved the first complete four-digit year display and perpetual calendar linkage adjustment. This watch uses a single-digit year disc, a ten-digit year disc, and a century display strip to form a four-digit perpetual calendar display. The month and date display parts are connected through a gear train that identifies long and short months. To ensure the size of the components, the moon phase is driven by the week gear train, with the moon phase wheel coaxial with the week gear, saving space. How about that? After hearing this, do you feel like bowing down in admiration? Very well, I accept your praise...