Guide to Watch Complications

Timepieces are a classic addition to any everyday outfit with fine artisan craftsmanship and stylish designs. These modern watches are also created for functionality beyond reliably telling time. Complications are additional features that simply make day-to-day life easier. However, more does not necessarily mean better; reflect on your lifestyle and then determine which of the popular complications is an ideal fit for you. Explore the variety of complications in contemporary watches from Manfredi Jewels.

Day-Date

This is one of the most common complications used in timepieces. As the name suggests, this feature showcases the day of the week and the date on the watch's face. It usually can be adjusted using the crown, but it differs from watch to watch.

Month

Similar to the day-date complication, the month complication enhances your ability to tell the date by displaying what month it is. The months are usually shown in abbreviated form and through a small dial opening.

Perpetual Calendar

This complication is superior to the day-date and month complication. The perpetual calendar is more complex, accurately displaying the date, day, month, and year. Some of these are even designed to take leap years into account.

Greenwich Mean Time

Often abbreviated as GMT, this complication comes in handy for those who often travel across different time zones. Tell the time from any timezone in an instant with this feature. Designers have created this complication in a few different ways, including a secondary movement and a 24-hour hand, so you can find the one that works best for you.

Chronograph

The chronograph complication features a stopwatch carefully built into the timepiece’s movement. Some pieces have one button (called a “pusher”), while most have two. Pressure on the pushers will allow it to be started, stopped, and returned to zero. Chronographs with two pushers can pause and resume the timer.

Moonphase

As a cherished traditional feature, the moonphase complication keeps track of full, half, quarter, or new moons. It was designed to serve sailors as they navigated the tides. Today, they are often admired for their aesthetically pleasing styles.

Power Reserve Indicator

Found exclusively in manual and automatic timepieces, the power reserve indicator calculates how much tension remains in the watch’s spring to power the entire piece. This helps the wearer plan when to rewind the watch and avoid inaccurate time-telling.

Jumping Hour

In this complication, the hour is often displayed in a small opening in the watch dial. Every 60 minutes, the display changes to allow for easier time reading.

Alarm

This complication is uncommon in timepieces, but it can be essential. An alarm makes a noticeable chime that alerts the wearer. Every watch is designed slightly differently, but the timer can typically be set independently of the primary setting.

Minute Repeater

The minute repeater was a complication popular in pocket watches in the 18th and 19th centuries. This feature rings out a distinct sound when a button on the side of the case is pushed, so the wearer can know the time without looking at the watch. The minute repeater is now considered more of a collectible.

Tourbillon

The rare tourbillon refines the watch’s balance to minimize any timekeeping errors caused by gravity. Because this feature requires many hours and years of training to construct properly, it is usually only found in the highest quality watches.

Find Your Expert Guide to Luxury Watches with Manfredi Jewels

Founded in 1988, Manfredi Jewels has worked tirelessly to stand at the forefront of luxury at the southern edge of Connecticut. Whether searching for a thoughtful gift for a loved one or simply indulging in a grand timepiece for yourself, our staff is happy to guide you through over 30 designer brands of expertly crafted watches as you search for the perfect piece. We also employ in-house teams of watchmakers in both our Greenwich and New Canaan showrooms to service and repair your favorite watches. Visit our locations in person or call (866) 610-0705 to start your shopping experience with us.