Minute repeaters first appeared in the mid-18th century before the widespread use of electricity, allowing the time to be heard in the dark, and were also used by the visually impaired. Soon, a bell was introduced for the hammer to strike and create a chiming sound. These ‘dumb’ repeaters struck the time on the inside of the case to produce a muted sound that could only be heard if the case was held closely to the ear.Ĭourtiers found these striking pocket watches to be especially useful, as they could discreetly check the time without offending the monarch. Its origin can be traced back to the so-called striking watches of the late 17th century. This sophisticated mechanism chimes the time on demand and in different tones for hours, quarters and minutes when the wearer activates a push or slide-piece on the case. One of the oldest and most joyful complications is the minute repeater. A moon-phase display is therefore a hugely charming and artistic complication, and one that is certainly a talking point. As the lunar cycle completes, the other moon on the dial comes into view in the aperture. With the disc advancing every day, one of the moons will move across the display over the course of 29 and a half days, with the ‘waxing’ and ‘waning’ faces of the moon shown using the curved edges of the dial aperture.
Most moon-phase watches achieve this effect by using a disc illustrated with two identical moons, which sits behind the dial, often at 6 o’clock. A moon-phase complication is a mechanism that displays the different phases of the moon as you see it in the sky each night, in an aperture on the dial of your watch.
#Horology complications full#
A complete lunar cycle takes 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.8 seconds, and there are four lunar phases: new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter. Tracking the phases of the moon became our main method of measuring the months - and naming the days of the week (Monday is ‘moon day’). For centuries, the skies were our clock, as our early ancestors used the sun, moon and stars to calculate time.
Man has long been fascinated by the moon.
In this guide, we will share with you such complications: the ones that may not have any practical bearing on your everyday life, but will certainly add a little something to your luxury timepiece. Also, many of the higher complications add a considerable amount of value to your watch, making them smart investments. While complications were all invented for a reason (even the whimsical moon-phase was developed to assist farmers who grow their crops according to the moon’s rhythms), today they are cherished more for the beauty and charm they add to a timepiece. In part II of this guide, learn all you need to know about high-end complications such as moon-phase displays, minute repeaters and tourbillons. We know that setting your heart on a new watch can be a monumental task, so we’ve put together this guide to horological complications to help you understand their value.
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