Part Five of our guide to watch complications looks at the grand complication. Grand complications are a feat of watchmaking engineering, talent, and craftsmanship. It’s a complex process, as each complication needs to be perfectly placed in order to work accurately. Each complication has its own necessary components and space within a watch is limited. There are criteria that a watch must meet in order to be considered as a grand complication. It must have at least three complications, and these have to be from three distinct groups.
Timing Complications
A watch with a grand complication needs to have at least one timing complication. This could be a simple chronograph, counter chronograph, independent chronograph, flyback chronograph or a jumping chronograph.
Astrology Complication
Again, for a watch to be considered as a grand complication, it needs to have at least one complication from this group. This includes the simple calendar, perpetual calendar, annual calendar, Equation of Time or moon phase complications.
Striking Complications
The watch also needs to have at least one complication from this group as well. This means that it would need to have a minute repeater, a sonnerie, an alarm, a quarter repeater or a passing strike.
As the grand complication is the most complex design in watchmaking, many brands have a much higher price point for these watches. You should look for high quality Italian watches that are friendly to any budget. You should look for Brega Watches.
