This year we are spoilt for choice with all kinds of creations in gold, platinum, titanium, ceramic and steel. According to some, it was a pretty tame year, with no major blockbuster releases. But that doesn't mean that no impressive watches were introduced. Here are some five favourite releases from this year, when it comes to highly complicated timepieces. In no particular order....
Text: Thomas van Straaten
Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Chronograph Moon
Jaeger-LeCoultre packed out this year with several new models in its Duomètre line. The principle behind these watches is simple, but the execution is all the more complicated. The idea is that complications like a chronograph affect the precision of a timepiece. The moment you switch on the chronograph, you put extra resistance on the mechanism, causing minute deviations in the time display.
JLC's Duomètre collection solves this by creating completely independent drives for the regular time display and complications. There are two separate spring barrels, which you wind independently by alternately turning the crown forwards and backwards. You will therefore see two separate power reserve indicators at five o'clock and seven o'clock, one for each main spring.
Funnily enough, this is not the most impressive feature of the Duomètre Chronograph Moon. For that is its appearance. The case and glass are organically shaped. The watch feels like a smooth pebble in your hand, even the transition between case and glass is perfectly smooth. Add to this an exceptionally beautiful movement architecture, fantastic finish, AND a finger-licking dial, and you have an absolute masterpiece.
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre Chronograph Moon costs €79,000 in rose gold and €97,000 in platinum.
IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar
For many, the perpetual calendar is the ultimate watch complication. A day, date and month display that automatically corrects for leap years is extremely difficult to make. However, when it comes to IWC lies can put your beloved perpetual in the trash. Why? Because you have to adjust a perpetual calendar in the year 2100, 2200 and 2300. Of course, that's unacceptable, so IWC developed the Eternal Calendar; a calendar that runs correctly until the year 3999! This is achieved by means of a cog wheel that makes only one rotation every 400 years.
On top of that, most high-end moonphase watches have to be adjusted every 122 years. This too is unacceptable if it is up to IWC. The Portugieser Eternal Calendar has a moon phase that needs to be corrected once every forty-five million years(!) We recommend keeping this watch on a winder, because of course you don't want it to come to a standstill and have to reset the complications anyway.
Externally, the Eternal Calendar is also impressive. The platinum watch measures a sturdy 44.4mm by 15mm thick. The dial is made entirely of sapphire. The main dial is frosted and lacquered white at the bottom. The sub-dials are translucent sapphire.
The IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar costs CHF 150,000 spot rate. That means the daily price is adjusted to the market the buyer is in.
Cartier Tortue Chronograph Monopoussoir
The following watch is perhaps technically less complicated. No exotic complications, but the Cartier Tortue does impress. The Tortue is the second case shape Cartier ever launched, making it older than the iconic Tank. The first Tortue dates back to 1912. The first monopoussoir chronograph was launched in 1928. You want heritage? You get heritage!
The Tortue has always remained rare. The previous version dated from the Collection Privée Cartier Paris period from 1998-2008. A monopusher chronograph was released then too, with a movement made by the dream team Vianney Halter, Fançois-Paul Journe, and Denis Flageollet. Over the years, a number of different dials were used, but they rarely appear on the market anymore.
And so now the Tortue Monopoussoir Chronograph is back. There have been some subtle aesthetic refinements, but the biggest change is the movement. Namely, the new 1928MC calibre is tortue-shaped. The calibre follows the elegant tonneau-like shape of the case and is visible through a uniformly shaped sapphire window in the back cover. Of course, the core of the watch is untouched. You still operate the chronograph via a single pusher, hidden in the crown. The result is a particularly elegant watch, not least because it is executed in typical Cartier style.
The Cartier Tortue Monopoussoir Chronograph will continue to be rare. Only 200 pieces in platinum (€53,000) and 200 in yellow gold (€46,000) will be produced.
Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon
Complexity does not always come in the form of functional complications. On that front, this Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon relatively modest. This is neither an eternal calendar nor even a perpetual calendar. This is a 'simple' calendar, meaning that the mechanism takes into account the number of days of each month, but not leap years and not the shorter month of February. So correct it every year on 1 March, small effort right?
In addition, this Ferrier contains a moon phase, which in itself is also not a particularly complicated feature. Sometimes, though, complexity is not in the design, but in the execution. And that is exactly the case with this Classic Moon.
The northern and southern starry skies are engraved on a disc of shiny aventurine. These are then coloured in white and fired at high temperature with luminous lacquer. The moon craters are then engraved by hand. This moon disk is partially covered with eight-shaped semi-transparent blue enamel applique. Craftsmanship in optima forma!
The Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon costs CHF 70,000 in steel and CHF 80,000 in rose gold.
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold 'Lumen'
You know you're dealing with a complicated watch when its name is already unpronounceably complicated. That is certainly the case with this new Datograph from A. Lange & Söhne. Lange introduces this special version in celebration of 25 years of Datograph. For those who still find the aforementioned Tortue a bit too generic: this Datograph is limited to just 50 pieces.
This is a flyback chronograph, combined with a perpetual calendar and a tourbillon. Flyback means that the chronograph can be reset and reactivated with a single push of a button. This was crucial when chronographs were still used for navigation. In this way, you did not lose time when you set a new course and wanted to start a new time measurement in the process. A. Lange combines this practical complication with a perpetual calendar (although of course IWC has its own take on this) and a tourbillon.
However, this is not the first Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon produced by Lange. A platinum version was already launched in 2016. What is new, however, is the honeygold case and the 'lumen' version. Honeygold is a proprietary alloy with a particularly tasteful and subtle colour and glow. 'Lumen' refers to the sub-dials and complications that are entirely luminous. A ghostly glow radiates through the sapphire dial when you wear the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon in the dark.
You will have to dig deep into your pockets for so much beauty from Lange. The Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon in Honeygold 'Lumen' costs no less than €620,000.
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