Luxury Watch Complications That Transcend Timekeeping

In high watchmaking, functionality and craftsmanship go hand in hand. Luxury watches are both a labour of love and an engineering marvel. They are an extraordinary expression of artistic and technical excellence. To understand why luxury watches are seen as precious commodities by discerning collectors, one has to understand their intrinsic value, spanning functionality, complexity, heritage and desirability.

In watchmaking, functions beyond simple timekeeping of the hour, minute and second are known as complications. Notable complications range from the ubiquitous indicators such as dates, days and months to the more complex moon phases and perpetual calendars. Complicated luxury watches often combine several complications with artful interpretations and decorative techniques. More than a timekeeping instrument providing chronometric information, luxury watches are a medium showcasing watchmaking ingenuity. A finished product tells a story of which master watchmakers build upon centuries-old know-hows, metallurgists and alchemists push the boundaries of material sciences, and artisans dedicate their careers to perfecting their crafts. A watch epitomises the saying: the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

The moon phase is poetry in motion. The complication’s elegant appearance often belies its function and symbolism. Moon phases are central to lunar calendars steep in many great civilisations and cultures.

Appearing before our eyes on a night sky, the moon goes through eight phases: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter and waning crescent on a constant evolution. The lunar cycle influences tides and seasons. It repeats once a month, approximately every 29.5 days.

Therein lies the technical challenge for watchmakers: ensuring the moon phase stays correct for the years to come. While the approximation seems small at any month, over time, it adds up to a day in discrepancy. Therefore, an adjustment to the moon phase is needed to correct it. The ease of adjusting the moon phase is important to users.

Thanks to its emotive language, artisans relish the eclectic interpretations of the moon phase. Every watch brand has a unique take. The moon phase is usually articulated on a disc travelling gradually across a purpose-built aperture, accompanied by other celestial elements for decorative purposes. The moon itself can also take on a variety of forms and shapes, from reflective mirror polishing to enamelling and engraving.

Blancpain is synonymous with the moon phase. Offered in Fifty Fathoms and Villeret families of watches, the Phases de Lune is beloved for its emblematic moon phase, complete with a vivid man-like facial expression. On select models, ancestral craftsmanship is expertly demonstrated by grand feu enamel dials and serpentine hands for the calendar indicator, while exceptional watchmaking is evident in the under-lug correctors, secured calendar and generous power reserve.

On the other hand, the De Ville Tourbillon is OMEGA’s tribute to the tourbillon and the art of watchmaking. Housed in the brand’s signature precious alloys such as 18K Sedna and Canopus Gold, the watches are traditional in style but resolutely modern in quality, guaranteed by the Master Chronometer certification. The collection is a quintessential example of OMEGA’s reputation for precision and quality.