Alerts you in time

A very practical yet perplexingly rare complication is the mechanical alarm, which was first used widely in a wristwatch by Vulcain in the 1940s; its popular Cricket model (above) is still a flagship of the brand's product line today. The movement of such a watch is usually equipped with an independent hand connected to.a notched cam and operated by an additional crown, which can be set to activate a hammer that strikes a membrane for a vibrating buzz that reminds the wearer of an event. After being alerted by the sound and vibrations, the wearer can then switch the alarm off with a pusher. Jaeger-LeCoultre's Memovox and Tudor's Advisor are other well-known examples of mechanical alarms.

Indicates the stage of the moon

Moon phases are one of the most popular complications in the field of watchmaking by collectors, mainly for an aesthetic factor. Indeed, the charm of a well-made representation of the lunar surface is undeniable. 

The phases of the moon are used to describe the appearance that the Moon shows reflected on the Earth during its motion. It changes face due to the different orientation with respect to the Sun. The lunar phases are repeated every 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.8 seconds, synodic month, in which the Moon assumes 4 positions defined main phases and 4 defined intermediate phases.

Indicates all timezones on one dial

The World Hours complication allows you to instantly view the local time via the hands in the center as well as the time zones of the 24 major cities in the world. This technicality is made possible by the presence of a rotating disk on which the 24 cities are shown, which differ from each other by the time zone of one hour. There is also a second disc showing the 24 hours of the day and also the day / night indication. Local time and time zones are adjusted by means of dedicated crowns which, with a single click, make the rotating discs and hands slide at the same time.

A perpetual time indication

The perpetual calendar complication provides indications such as day of the month, day of the week, month and moon phase. It is able to automatically adjust the different length of the months of the year including February, both during normal and leap years. This complication is made possible by the mechanical memory of the movement based on 1461 days; equal to 4 years or the duration of a leap cycle. All the functions present are therefore connected to the special leap year wheel that rotates in four years.

For three years it selects a wheel configuration that will assign the duration of 28 days to February and then will skip the date to March 1st. When the wheel reaches the leap year, the 29th day will be added to the month of

Patented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801, the tourbillon is designed to compensate for the ill effects of gravitational pull on a watch movement's accuracy by placing the balance and escapement inside a rotating cage that made a 360º revolution every minute. To date, the tourbillon has become a complication of the highest watchmaking and a terrain of challenge among the great manufacturers to demonstrate the technical skills and savoir-faire of each of them.

Shows two Timezone on one dial

The GMT function, Greenwich Mean Time, is useful for indicating a second time zone on the dial.A second hour sphere is usually used, typically in the shape of an arrow and of a different color than the 12-hour sphere.

Shows the stored kinetic energy

The power reserve indicates the residual operating autonomy of the movement.It is usually shown in hours or days remaining from the time the watch reaches maximum charge. The power reserve is clearly represented on the dial and with a dedicated hand useful for indicating the charge level.

A plafyul way to show the date

This type of date display uses a center-mounted hand that moves around the dial in daily increments to point to the current date on a numerical scale (1-31), usually on the periphery of the dial.

Measure intervals

It allows you to measure time intervals starting from a moment 0. The measurement of the chronograph seconds usually takes place via a central hand. The timepiece then has two or three compax (sub-dials) in which the small seconds of the movement, the chronograph minutes and the chronograph hours are displayed.

The chronograph function is started and stopped by a button positioned on the middle case at 2 o’clock, the reset is done by a second button at 4 o’clock. The 60 seconds sub-dial does not depend on the chronograph function, the compax divided in thirtieths shows minutes and completes the tour every 30 minutes, the last sub-dial shows hours and it is divided into 12 hours.

Focus on one point to read the time

Immediately recognizable by the lack of the hour hand, the jumping hour complication allows you to view the time through a window on the dial. A rotating disc positioned above the movement clicks once every 60 minutes indicating the correct time.

Focus on the essential

The Day-date function displays the day of the week in addition to the day of the month. The representation can take place with the full name (as in the Rolex Day-date) with the abbreviated name, or through a sub-dial. The latter presents the seven days of the week and a special hand indicating the correct day.