It Isn't That Complicated

While the variety of watch complications out there may seem overwhelming, Swiss master trainer Gianfranco Ritschel highlights the five main families important to a budding enthusiast.

- YANNI TAN

For budding watch collectors keen on acquiring more technical timepieces, it is crucial to understand the foundations of complications: what they’re intended for and their contribution to the realm of horology.

Helming a public conference at Watches and Wonders 2024, Gianfranco Ritschel, a former watchmaker and master trainer at the Fondation Haute Horlogerie based in Geneva, paraphrased Albert Einstein’s sentiment: “If you can't explain something complex, it’s just because you haven't understood it yourself.”

Contrary to its name, watch complications are not intended to complicate matters, said Ritschel, but rather represent any function beyond the fundamental timekeeping of hours, minutes, and seconds. “We don’t want to complicate life, we just want to find solutions to necessities, or solutions to make it more efficient,”he added, encapsulating the essence of complication development.

Far from being just impressive adornments, complications reflect centuries of horological innovation and craftsmanship. He highlighted the evolution of complications, expanding from traditional definitions to encompass various functions. Here are the five main categories, as presented.

CHRONOGRAPHS: FROM MONOPOUSSOIR TO FLYBACK

Chronographs augment basic movements with additional mechanisms that allow for the measurement and recording of elapsed time. Recognisable by their push-buttons, counters, and distinctive hands on the dial, chronographs serve various purposes, from calculating speeds and distances to facilitating astronomical calculations.

For instance, the monopusher chronograph is a watch with a stopwatch function that simplifies the operation with a single push-button, while the flyback chronograph found utility in aviation with its unique ability to reset without stopping.