Beauty & Style | Wednesday 2 November, 2016 1:15 pm |

In a world where ‘digital’ is the new buzzword, mechanical watches that boast intricate complications are undoubtedly what make watch connoisseurs tick. Complications are an integral part of the world’s most ultra-luxe watches, and it is generally those housing complications that make it onto collectors’ wish lists more so than timepieces displaying just hours and minutes.

 

Complications are the most difficult to design, create, assemble, and repair, and therefore carry the jaw-dropping price-tags they are known for.

 

Some of the world’s most complicated watches will be displayed in Dubai during the upcoming Salon des Grandes Complications, which is taking place at DIFC from 7-10 November. The annual exhibition has become the go-to destination for serious watch enthusiasts in the region, and this year’s third annual event will showcase the creations of numerous world-famous brands – and the show-stopping complications crafted by them.

 

Here, we take a sneak-peak at ten of the most complicated watches that will be displayed at the Salon:

 

1. A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon

Just limited to 100 watches, this is perhaps the most iconic chronographs produced by A. Lange & Söhne and definitely is one of the most desired.

 

The black solid-silver dial contrasts beautifully against the 41.5 mm platinum case as well as the hands and hour markers in rhodiumed gold.

 

Developing the 729-part caliber L952.2 movement, the finissage and assembly of this masterpiece is no easy task, with the entire process challenging the expertise of watch manufacturing. Only the most talented watchmakers can overcome the numerous obstacles encountered in creating flawless interaction of the individual modules.

 

The path to success requires extensive experience, dexterity, concentration and patience. Thus, the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon is yet another manifestation of A. Lange & Söhne’s determination to never stand still and to test the limits of mechanical horology.

 

 

2. Armin Strom Tourbillon Skeleton Water

Armin Strom’s new Tourbillon Skeleton celebrates the mechanical artistry of watchmaking’s ultimate complication – the tourbillion. Tourbillon Skeleton is a new timepiece specially designed to highlight its technical prowess.

 

Only an elite circle of watch manufactures are capable of producing a tourbillon. With the Tourbillon Skeleton, the skeletonising of the tourbillon compounded the technical challenge for Armin Strom. Ultimately, the skeletonising enhances the movement’s mechanical artistry, with PVD colorisation of the main plate emphasising the caliber’s layered construction.

 

Along with the constant rotation of the tourbillon, owners will observe the animation of the double going barrel while the watch is wound.

 

The watch is equipped with Armin Strom caliber ATC11-S, manual-winding, tourbillon, double going barrel, 10-days power reserve, small seconds and off-centre time indications, fully skeletonised, main plate with blue PVD coating, frequency 18,000 A/h, 24 jewels and 184 components.

 

 

3. Arnold & Son Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Escapement Skeleton

A pure design and an impressive masterpiece, assembling the Arnold & Son UTTE Skeleton’s ultra-thin movement is definitely a complicated task.

 

As the plates and bridges get thinner, a certain amount of rigidity is lost as the cross-section of the components becomes smaller and smaller.

 

The skeleton movement also allows for a better view into the gear train and other components. Almost every possible part that could be skeletonised has been skeletonised, save four gears and a couple of levers in the keyless works. The view of the twin mainsprings is more impressive than most, and it provides a glimpse at the mechanics behind the 90-hours of power reserve.

 

 

4. DeWitt Acedamia Skeleton

The avant-garde DeWitt Academia Skeleton is a perfect example of incredible technical horology. It has a unique patented technical innovation: a bi-directional seconds at 7 o’clock.

 

The seconds hand changes direction after 30 seconds thanks to a disconnecting gear system, and performs an instantaneous jump that sends it in the opposite direction to mark the following 30 seconds.

 

The seconds are, therefore, indicated in two different directions, which gives the seconds hand a totally new way of moving. The principle is that of windscreen-wipers of certain sophisticated cars, constantly moving backwards and forwards to clear the entire windscreen surface.

 

 

5. Kerbedanz Polvs Arcticus, Double Tourbillon GMT

The Polvs Arcticus, a Latin name that reminds one of the makers of maritime instruments of old, carries an emotional and artistic charge dedicated to the mythical days of global adventures.

 

This watch’s incredible feats of miniaturization turn it into a genuine work of art. Inside beats the double tourbillon GMT KRB-07 caliber, a manually wound movement composed of 341 parts, conceived, manufactured and decorated by Kerbedanz in collaboration with Concepto.

 

It boasts a northern and southern tourbillon with microscopic cages made up of 80 components each and covered by two hemispheres. The one covering the northern tourbillon is a mere 0.1 millimeters thick. The northern hemisphere of Earth seen from the pole emerges from a blue, translucent backdrop in grand feu enamel, with the visible parts of the continents carved out of gold. The total thickness, including the reliefs, is under 0.3 millimeters.

 

The watch is fitted with an Alligator Mississippiensis leather strap. The double folding clasp has a Kerbedanz personalisation in 18-karat gold.

 

 

6. Louis Moinet Sideralis

Sideralis by Louis Moinet is the first and only Double Tourbillon whose function is to power a watch complication, making it the first patent application of its kind, and has been nominated in the Tourbillon Category for the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève 2016. The watch is limited to 28 pieces.

 

The Sidereal complication itself comprises two titanium discs, one atop the other, driven by an inverted gear system. The lower disc is hand-painted, and depicts three heavenly bodies in the cosmos: the Moon, Mars and Mercury.

 

Louis Moinet has decorated each of these with authentic, exclusive meteorite fragments and powder.

 

The upper disc features a hand-painted constellation of stars and planets on a dark blue background, and displays the movement of the heavenly bodies by rotating once every 60 seconds. The openwork movement reveals its purest mechanical essence. The tourbillons power the stars and planets.

 

 

7. Parmigiani Tonda Chronor Anniversaire

The new Parmigiani Tonda Chronor Anniversaire was announced on the brand’s 20th anniversary. Producing an in-house-made integrated chronograph is a distinct challenge. Until now, Parmigiani chronograph watches used a module system that puts a chronograph functionality module on a base movement. The Parmigiani Tonda Chronor Anniversaire is limited to 50 pieces.

 

With the PF361, Parmigiani has a single movement system that includes the chronograph and other components such as the regulation system and gear train in a single mechanism. Composed of 317 parts, the beautiful movement is mostly skeletonized, offering an extremely rich view into its architecture from the rear of the watch.

 

The movement is an ample 30.6mm wide and quite thick, at 8.5mm. This extra size is a trade-off, given that a watch with the movement will be inherently thick, but the user is rewarded with brilliant features and aesthetic design.

 

 

8. Roger Dubuis Excalibur 42 Automatic Carbon Skeleton

Though the execution of the movement is a key element to the Excalibur Skeleton’s design, its carbon composite case is impossible not to admire. Originally available in DLC titanium and pink gold, the use of carbon as a case material here works out well.

 

The movement design is far too asymmetrical for any structured carbon to really make sense. Each of its 167 components are hand-finished on all sides, as no part of the movement is hidden from its observer.

 

Each movement, just the movement and not the complete watch itself, requires a total of 530 hours of manufacturing to complete.

 

9. Rebellion T-1000 Gotham

Limited to just 25 pieces, the Rebellion T-1000 Gotham brings an air of rebellion to the town. An adrenalin-packed case encloses an exceptional three-dimensional mechanical movement, available in red, black, gold, blue or purple: a patented out-and-out war machine with a record power reserve of 40 days.

 

All muscle and power, the hours and minutes file past on two vertical rollers in a scene that would not be out of place in one of America's biggest blockbusters.

 

Its Avional movement with patented hand-winding system, power-reserve exceeding 1,000 hours (a world record) and a black DLC titanium case are some of the eye catching features.

 

 

10. Vacheron Constantin Overseas World Time

Tagged as ‘an ideal travel companion’ by this famous watchmaker, this particular piece has the world at your wrist. The watch has a center that features a 'Lambert' projection map depicting the continents (enhanced by a sunburst satin-brushed finish) and the oceans (in a velvet finish), along with a translucent lacquered disc bearing the city names.

 

A third sapphire disc is laid over the map that provides day/night indications by means of subtly graded smoky tints, synchronized with the 24-hour disc. Finally, a translucent lacquered velvet-finished outer ring serves to indicate the hours and minutes.

 

The case of the new Vacheron Constantin Overseas World Time is 43.5 mm in diameter by 12.6 mm thick. It is water resistant is to 150 meters, and even features a soft-iron anti-magnetic ring.

 

Caliber 2460WT is self-winding, and the rotor is made of 22k rose gold. In its entirety, this beautiful piece is made in-house by Vacheron Constantin. The 36.6 caliber offers 40-hours of power reserve, beating at 4 Hz, with 255 components.

 

The whole watch, inside and out, is just beautifully finished, and is Geneva hallmark certified.