'Clock complication', what is this again? This is exactly the question that has come to the minds of many after seeing the title. In general, complication means 'complexity', but in horology or clock-construction, the meaning is a little different.
Although the clock has many features in modern times, the main function of the clock is to display the calculation of hours, minutes and seconds. The complication of the clock is what a watch is capable of doing outside of the role in that clich. This 'to do' list can range from giving alarms, to bar-date-month calculations, month calculations, stopwatches, and more.
Vassuron Constantine's Reference 57260 is recognized as the most complex and most complex watch in the world, with 57 different complexities. Today we will discuss some of the common complications that are commonly used in watches.
Debt complication:
Date display is certainly the most common, effective and popular complication of the watch. In addition to informing the time, these clocks will also help you keep track of the date of the month. The date is usually displayed with a small window on the watch dial.
GlassHutu Senator's Date Window;
However, in many cases the date is calculated with the help of second, minute and hour hands as well as another hand. This type of watch display on the watch is called pointer date or bankers date.
Oris Big Crown Pointer Date;
Many clocks have dates as well as days or times of the week, known as day-date complications. Most of the time, the date-complication window is close to 3 on the dial of the clock, but depending on the model, it can be seen near 4, 5, 6, 9 and even 12. The day-date complication has two separate windows for day and date, which are often seen side by side, but also separately.
What the date complication will look like depends entirely on the watch brand and watch model.
Complete calendar or triple calendar or annual calendar:
In this type of clock complication, the calculation of the month along with the date and time is also preserved, i.e. the name of the month can be known by looking at the clock. These clocks are known as complete calendars or triple calendars. An earlier article on clocks in Bengali discussed the perpetual calendar. The difference between these clocks and the regular calendar clocks is that they do not have a leap year.
The triple calendar of Vasuron Constantine:
Jump Hour
The complication that will be discussed now is relatively rare. Jump hour is a complication where the clock is calculated through a separate window instead of the hour hand. This window looks a lot like a date-window, but it doesn't update after 24 hours like a date-window; The number of hours in the window changes every 60 minutes.
Chronograph
We are all familiar with the term chronograph. Calling this complication a stopwatch rather than a chronograph would probably be helpful. This complication is usually connected to the analog clock using multiple sub-dials and separate second hand.
A chronograph attached watch has one or more pushers next to the crown (the handle of which is rotated to change the time of the watch). The chronograph can be further divided into three parts based on the number and function of these pushers. If there is one pusher in the chronograph, it is called monopoussoir, if there are two pushers, it is called flyback and if there are three pushers, it is called split-second chronograph.
If your watch has a chronograph complication, it has a 95% chance of having a fly back chronograph; Where the second fork of the stop watch is turned on and off with the upper pusher. The second fork can be reversed to the starting position with the lower pusher.
Since everything has to be done with a pusher on the monopusha chronograph, it is not possible to calculate the time from there once with a pause. Because, starting at the first pressure, stopping at the second pressure, it goes back to the starting state again at the third pressure. Because of these limitations, chronographs of the mind are now almost rare. Split second chronographs have two different second hand forks, which make it possible to keep track of two different moments.
Chronometer
Many people confuse the word chronometer with the word chronometer. But things are completely different. Although the word chronometer actually means clock, if you have the word chronometer written on your watch, you should understand that the clock is capable of accurately calculating time. The term chronometer is usually a feature of automatic clocks and cannot be called a precise complication.
To call a watch a chronometer, the movement of the watch has to pass many tests. Since the automatic clock is powered by static energy without electric power, it has a much higher probability of error than the quartz watch. If a clock does not err more than ± 5 seconds (differing +6 and -4) in calculating the day,
That is, if it does not count for more or less than 5 seconds in 6400 seconds (1 day), then the clock can be called a chronometer.
Rolex's superlative chronometer;
C.O.S.C is a world-renowned organization for testing and certifying chronometers, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Chronometer watches from world famous brands like Rolex, Omega are COSC certified. Patek Philip, however, marketed their watch chronometers after testing them in their own laboratory, and according to their claims, their quality control criteria are more accurate and ideal than those of COSC.
Rolex has now introduced the ‘superlative chronometer’ movement on their watches, which they claim is more accurate than the normal chronometer movement and can accurately calculate the time up to ± 2 seconds per day.
Munfage complication
When it comes to the least necessary complications, of course, the Munfage complication will come to mind. While this complication may not be of much use in everyday life, it will certainly play a role in making your watch more visually appealing. The moonphase complication can be used to calculate any lunar month, including full moon, half-full moon, new moon, and new moon. Since it is complicated enough to build a watch with a munphase complication, this complication can increase the value of the watch manifold.
Munfage Complications of Grovania;
Tachymeter
If a large number is written on the outside of your watch dial, then this complication has a 99% chance of becoming a tachometer. A tachometer is basically a scale for calculating speed, but it can be used to perform a variety of practical tasks. The tachometer is usually attached to a chronograph.
Suppose you are going somewhere in a car. For some reason you can't see the speed scale in front of the driver. Now if you have a tachometer in your watch, you can easily get an idea about the speed of your car. To do this, you need to calculate how long it takes to cover a distance of 1 km or 1 mile.
Suppose, after crossing a kilometer-post, you start counting the time on your chronometer. If you turn off the chronometer while crossing the next kilometer-post, the time required to cross 1 kilometer will be calculated. I think it takes you 15 seconds to cross 1 kilometer. After starting from the start-point, the second hand of the chronometer comes to the cell of 240 after 15 seconds (according to the picture). From this, the speed of your car is 240 kilometers per hour. Basically, with the help of a tachometer, the number of times a task can be completed in an hour is calculated.
Tag Heuer's tankmeter;
Power reserve indicator
This complication can only be seen on automatic clocks. The function of this scale is to indicate the amount of energy stored in the automatic clock and how long the clock will be in motion. While the clock is used as a unit of time on most scales, the day is also used as a unit in some expensive watches that can be operated for a long time.
Power reserve indicator;
Alarm
We are all more or less familiar with the alarm complication. Although almost all digital watches have alarms, the alarm feature is rarely seen in analog watches. While the watch is intended to remind the user of a specific time, it is also often added to increase the number of complications on the watch.
Dual time zone or GMT watch
In the '50s, Pan Am Airlines asked Rolex to design a watch for their pilots that could simultaneously keep track of time in two different places. Following that order, Rolex then introduced their world-famous watch, the GMT Master, to the world and at the same time launched a whole new category of watches, known as the Dual Time Zone or GMT Watch.
Rolex's GMT Master;
The Rolex GMT Master Watch uses a fourth hand in addition to the second, minute and hour hands, which completes one full rotation once every 24 hours. Simply put, its speed is half an hour. It is possible to rotate the calculation of 24 hours on the outside of the clock, and by turning this part you can calculate the time of two different places by adjusting the time of the second place you want to keep the time of the second place.
Patek Philippe's GMT Watch;
This system of keeping track of time in different places may vary with the model of the watch. Often two different clocks are seen inside the same clock (dual movement). Otherwise you can easily keep track of the time in two different places with the help of two different movements in the same clock. The same power source is often used for two different movements in the same clock.
The most complex version of the watch in this category is the World Time Zone Watch. These clocks have the names of 24 major cities in the 24 main time zones (the world is divided into 24 time zones) on the clock's rotating bezel or exterior, and the time of these cities can be calculated by a fourth hand that completes the rotation once every 24 hours. The original clock keeps track of local time.
World Time Zone of Vassuron Constantine;
Turbion
In addition to the Munfage complication, the complexity that plays an important role in increasing the price of the watch, the complexity called the tourbillon will be at the top of the list. However, there is a lot of disagreement about whether the turbion can be called a complication. This is because, according to the definition of complication, the turbion does not add any additional use in addition to viewing time, but can be called a different method of building a clock.
In 1898, the first turbines were invented by Abraham Louis Bigre in 1895. He is a world-renowned watch maker as well as the founder of the Breguet brand.
Bigger's Turbion;
Mechanical pocket watches were the only variant of the watches of that time. Since most of these breathable pocket watches were in the pocket most of the time, there was little chance of them changing their status like the current automatic watches. For a long time there was a fear that the springs of these clocks would sit under the influence of the gravitational ball.
Since the mechanical clock is moving with the spring, it is normal for the clock to err when the spring sits down. The invention of the turbine is to solve this problem. The turbine keeps the main parts of the clock - the balance wheel, the escape, the spring, etc. - rotating on its own axis, which negates the effect of the gravitational ball on these parts.
The construction of turbines is impossibly complex, so its presence on the watch can increase the price of the watch manifold. Although there is currently no need for automatic or mechanical watches for the use of technology, turbines are still used for external aesthetics, aristocracy and complex watch construction.
The lower part of the watch is the turbion;
Minute repeater
Undoubtedly, the number of people who have seen the minute repeater complication on the clock is very small. Although it is not one of the most common complications, writing about the clock remains incomplete without mentioning the minute repeater clock.
The Minute Repeater complication has been seen in pocket watches before, but now well-known watch makers make these watches mainly for collectors. These clocks can usually make special characteristic sounds every one minute, fifteen minutes, half an hour, and one hour break. The most amazing thing is that these words differ from each other at certain intervals. Just as the sound of the minute and the sound of the half-hour are different, so is the sound of the half-hour and the sound of the full hour. For a good brand one minute repeater watch you must spend a minimum of a few thousand dollars.
Patek Philippe's minute repeater;
This watch is the product of the knowledge of hundreds of scientists, the creativity of thousands of artists and the concentration of millions of workers. Whether you love to wear it or not, you can't help but be fascinated by the variety of watches used, the variety and the stories behind it!
