Patek Philippe Grand Complications are the epitome of horological mastery. The brand is known for creating some of the most complicated timepieces ever made. This is ironic considering that Patek Philippe is one of the industry’s most conservative watchmakers, with entire collections dedicated to simple, minimalist designs. Despite this, Patek still manages to shake things up when creating highly complex timepieces.
A grand complications wristwatch is a highly complex timepiece skillfully engineered to include several functions. This may include the tourbillon, striking mechanisms, minute repeater, perpetual calendars, moon phases, and split-second chronograph, among other complications. Patek’s Grand Complications collection includes several watches with these complex features built into their ultra-slim cases.
So far, the most complicated watch from this brand is the Grandmaster Chime Ref 6300G. The watch’s white gold edition houses 20 complications, with 1,366 painstakingly assembled parts. This watch was a commemorative piece created for the brand’s 175th anniversary. Only seven were made, each priced at a cool $2.6 million.
Patek Philippe has quite an extensive collection of Grand Complications wristwatches that are regularly produced. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at Patek Philippe Grand Complications for sale and what sets them apart from other timepieces from other watchmakers.
Record Number of Complications
By definition, a Grand Complication features a high number of complications. While a timepiece only needs about four complications to be considered a Grand Complications timepiece, Patek has a long history of producing watches with a record number of complications.
Within the past century alone, Patek Philippe has broken the record for the most complicated portable timepiece at least twice. The first was a pocket watch, the Stephen S Palmer Patek Philippe Grand Complication No. 97912, manufactured in 1898. Although it had only about 6 complications, it was still a record at the time. The timepiece was sold at a Christie’s Auction for $2.25 million (£1.73 million) in 2013.
Another impressive Patek grand complication wristwatch is the Henry Graves Supercomplication pocket watch. At the time it was created in 1932, it broke the record for the most complicated timepiece to be assembled without computer technology. This watch had 24 complications powered by over 900 parts. It took Patek seven years to complete the creation of this timepiece.
The Patek Philippe Calibre 89 is another record-shattering complicated timepiece. The pocket watch was released in 1989 to commemorate the brand’s 150th anniversary. This watch had 33 complications, including a thermometer and a star chat. This made it the most complicated watch in the world at the time until it was displaced 27 years later by the Vacheron Constantin Reference 57260.
Although Patek created only a handful of these super complicated timepieces, making each piece takes a high level of horological mastery. Very few manufacturers in the watchmaking industry have the resources and innovative acumen needed to create monumental timepieces like these highly complex watches.
Pioneering Innovation
Undoubtedly, the Patek Philippe company is one of the watchmakers pioneering innovation in the horological industry. Nothing demonstrates this better than the company’s line of Complications and Grand Complications timepieces.
Patek Philippe has been pushing the boundaries of watchmaking innovation since its early days. The company has contributed to developing some of the most complex watches by inventing new complications and movements. Pioneering key technologies needed to create Patek Grand Complications timepieces further sets this watchmaker apart from others in the industry.
Since the Stern Brothers took over in the 1930s, Patek Philippe has produced every component of its timepieces in-house. This means the company made every piece of the most complicated Patek watches, from the caliber to the casing, instead of outsourcing them to outsiders. This helps maintain the high standards of precision engineering and consistency needed to create complicated timepieces.
As a result of this dedication to innovation, Patek Philippe is responsible for many record firsts in the world of complicated horology. Today, the watchmaker holds over 120 patents for its inventions. Some major technologies pioneered and patented by this company include the perpetual calendar mechanism for pocket watches, the double chronograph, the first split-second chronograph, the annual calendar, the Gyromax balance, and other important watch features.
In addition to technological innovation, Patek Philippe also pioneered the use of silicon-based watch components. These notable patents and innovations have raised the bar of luxury, reliability, and efficiency of grand complications timepieces.
Exquisite Craftsmanship
Complicated watches are the ultimate test of a watch’s market’s craftsmanship. This is something the Patek Philippe company has mastered to perfection. Each grand, complicated timepiece this company makes has hundreds or even thousands of moving parts designed to work together in perfect harmony.
Patek Philippe Grand Complications are the products of several decades of artistry and skill. The company has mastered all horological complications and the art of combining them to create the most intricate pieces that work as intended.
Each Patek Philippe Grand Complications wristwatch is a product of hundreds of hours of work invested in sculpting each piece to micrometer accuracy before they’re assembled. For instance, each must go through over 40 operations to make them fit for purpose. Yet, even the simplest grand complications have over 60 wheels.
In total, it takes hundreds of people to create a complex piece of superlative luxury, working from concept to assembly, and this is just for the movement. The same meticulous effort is invested into making the casing, enamel works, dials, and even the bracelet. Considering the level of imperceptible workmanship needed to create these spectacularly intricate watches, only master watchmakers like Patek Philippe can pull it off as accurately as they do.
Simplicity – The Stern Family Philosophy
In the past, grand complications were more of a source of wonder meant to be admired or relegated to a museum rather than daily wearable pieces. Most super complicated watches of the 19th and 20th centuries, like the Caliber 89, were too heavy to be worn in the conventional sense.
This explains why watchmakers focused on complications and grand complications, which were the worst hit during the quartz crisis of the 1970s. In this tumultuous period, cheap but accurate electronic timepieces flooded the market.
Fortunately, Patek Philippe was one of the few Swiss watchmakers who learned and mastered the art of simplicity early in its history. After a near obliteration by the Great Depression in the 1920s, Patek Philippe’s design philosophy shifted towards simple time-only dress watches.
Patek would eventually adapt this philosophy to its line of super complicated wristwatches. The company began to roll out new dress watches that appealed to buyers who valued simplicity. But Patek Philippe never stopped making complications and grand complications. It simply focused on adapting the design of these watches to make them as wearable as possible despite their complex movement. As a result, Patek Philippe is one of the companies in charge of the comeback of grand complicated watches.
In the words of Patek’s president, Thierry Stern himself, “We have all types of complications. But in my view, it is the Stern family philosophy that differentiates us from others and makes a Patek Philippe grand complication special to collectors and those passionate about the brand. We are not only looking at the pure technical complexity… What I really care about is that however complicated our timepieces are, they should always be aesthetically appealing, comfortable to wear, easy to use, and at their best when worn on a wrist.”
These words capture the Patek Philippe philosophy and explain why the company’s range of grand, complicated watches still looks and feels comfortable to wear. These are not just rare watches meant to be kept somewhere safe. Patek Philippe Grand Complications models are wearable, thanks to their simplicity and stylish design. A modern-era grand complications wristwatch that demonstrates this perfectly is the 20-complication, reversible Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, hailed as one of the most elegant grand complications ever made.
Conclusion
Each Patek Philippe Grand Complications timepiece is a work of painstaking detail created with a level of craftsmanship in a class of its own. It is the closest thing to perfection that any mechanical watch could achieve. The Complications collection by Patek Philippe is the pinnacle of everything. Patek Philippe watches are known for their ingenuity, precision, stunning design, and remarkable beauty. The Patek Philippe Grand Complications are all works of art encasing a mechanical masterpiece that makes each of these watches truly exceptional. These watches are expensive, but collectors value each of these timepieces for their appreciation in value over time.
