Perhaps echoing the paucity of highlights in indie watchmaking, the best complications of 2024 were not numerous, but those that stood out were outstanding. Vacheron Constantin, for instance, unveiled the most complicated watch ever, while Bovet solved the longstanding problem of summer time across continents in an enormous (and enormously expensive) wristwatch.

Here’s the team’s take on the best complications of the year.

A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Handwerkskunst – Brandon Moore

The iconic Datograph turned 25 this year, and collectors were treated to three different limited edition variants to mark the occasion.

We were first introduced to the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold “Lumen” and the Datograph Up/Down 25th Anniversary at Watches & Wonders, but Lange was arguably saving the best for last: the first Datograph to receive the brand’s artisanal Handwerkskunst treatment.

Featuring a hand-engraved tremblage dial and limited to just 25 pieces, the Datograph Handwerkskunst is a fitting way to celebrate a quarter-century of being best-in-class. While not particularly creative, this very-limited edition captures both the magic of Lange and its Datograph perfectly.

Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1 – SJX

The introduction to our story on the watch sums it up best:

“The Bovet Récital 28 Prowess 1 is an ingenious solution to an age-old problem: accounting for daylight saving time (also known as summer time) in a multi-timezone wristwatch… the solution is extraordinarily complicated, requiring two dozen rollers and many more gears and springs.”

The 24 rollers, each with four positions, inside the Recital 28 allow it to switch between summer and winter time across continents, a first in watchmaking.

However, that results in a movement that is almost impractically large, explaining the 46 mm by 18 mm case. Wearability aside, the Recital 28 is an impressive technical achievement, especially since it largely an in-house development.

In fact, the movement has a part count of over 700, putting it in grand complication territory. In other words, it is an extraordinary complex answer to a simple question – but one that could not have been solved any other way.

IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar – David Ichim

It was a full year for IWC, which debuted an entirely updated Portugieser collection. Among the numerous new Portugieser models, one stood out: the Portugieser Eternal Calendar.

The watch boasts two exceptional complications — an “eternal” calendar (which stays correct, without adjustments, for at least 400 years, unlike a conventional perpetual calendar that needs to be reset by a watchmaker during the same period) and the most precise mechanical moon phase.

Building upon Kurt Klaus’ calendar module that’s now an IWC signature, the watchmakers from Schaffhausen added a clever system that tracks the centuries to create the “eternal” calendar, while adding a complex gearing ratio for the moon phase display, making it accurate to a day in 45 million years. 

The watch itself is a modest departure from the traditional Portugieser design that installs a glass dial on the front and sapphire bridges in the movement. This gives the watch a more modern look but it still remains elegant at its core, albeit with a large case. The only gripe with the Eternal Calendar is the price, which is high despite the added complexity. 

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph in pink gold – David Ichim

The history of Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC) is marked by notable movements in great watches – not all of which were branded JLC.

One of those movements, however, was in a JLC watch. The cal. 829 from 1995 was a rectangular chronograph movement for the Reverso. The original was a limited run of 500 pieces, but last year JLC brought the movement back into production as the cal. 860. The new calibre was gently updated but largely similar to the original.

This year the brand launched the Reverso Tribute Chronograph in 18k pink gold, with both the famous case as well as the movement plate and bridges fashioned out of the precious metal. This calls to mind special Reverso models from the 1990s, which also featured solid gold movements. Admittedly, this watch is not wholly new, but it is particularly appealing.

The only element missing in the Tribute chronograph are the chronograph-function indicator and date, both of which were found on the 1995 model and added to the movement’s uniqueness. Nevertheless, the watch is appealing, especially with the striped dial and solid gold movement (though the high price is a challenge).

Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon – Brandon Moore

The Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon is a record-breaking watch, being the thinnest tourbillon ever made. Does that matter? Not really. At the rate that records are falling for slimness, its record will surely fall eventually. It’s equally certain that when a slimmer tourbillon is created, it will win by an insignificant margin; the difference will be measured by the tenths of a millimetre, at most.

The records don’t matter, because what makes the AUC Tourbillon special is the remarkable cohesion of its build quality and design, which work together to create an almost miraculous wearing experience that is unlike anything else. Though thinner than a five-franc coin, it manages to look and feel quite robust thanks to its novel materials, like a cobalt-alloy case. If that weren’t enough, it beats at a sporty 4 Hz, and is water resistant to 20 m, meaning it’s actually usable as a watch.

And best of all, it looks like a conventional watch with a round case and crown at three, avoiding a pitfall common to other record-setting ultra-thin watches that have to contort themselves into shapes resembling a credit card or biscuit.

Vacheron Constantin “The Berkley” – Brandon Moore

The creation of a watch like “The Berkley” is not something that happens every year. Though monstrously large, The Berkley is the most complicated watch ever made, surpassing its sister watch, the Reference 57260 that made for the same American collector almost a decade ago.

Among The Berkley’s 63 complications, the most significant is the perpetual Chinese calendar, which is a world first. While it’s said to be extremely complicated to set, the large size provides plenty of space for the various indicators, making it surprisingly legible and elegant for a watch of such complexity.

As an achievement, it rivals historical masterpieces like the Breguet Marie Antoinette and Patek Philippe Calibre 89. And The Berkley perhaps hints at what’s in store for Vacheron Constantin’s 270th anniversary in 2025.