no technology ever dies. this is perhaps the most complicated mechanical device ever.

To celebrate its 260 years of uninterrupted history, Vacheron Constantin has revealed the Vacheron Constantin Reference 57260 pocket watch is the most complicated watch ever made. Commissioned by one of the top collectors in the world and the result of 8 years of research, development, prototyping, manufacturing, and assembly all performed in Vacheron Constantin’s Atelier Cabinotiers haute horlogerie workshop, this unique piece was conceived to be the most complex mechanical timepiece ever created – taking the title from another pocket watch, the Patek Philippe Caliber 89 pocket watch and its 33 complications and 1728 components.

We should mention that there is not one definitive rule as to what can and cannot be called a complication. Theoretically, everything beyond the simple timekeeping functions (hours, minutes, seconds), all functions could be called that, but some argue that features such as retrograde date displays or even the tourbillon do not count as such. Nevertheless, we will refer to these functions cumulatively both as complications and features – and when you count all of them, you will find that the Vacheron Constantin Reference 57260 pocket watch has a record-setting 57 complications.