Throwback Sunday: Six Unassuming Watches with a Secret (Complication), from Our Archives

DEPLOYANT - the watch magazine for collectors, by collectors

When it comes to watches with complications, most of the people would like to be seen wearing one that shows people the functions and complications that he or she had paid for After all, he or she must have probably spent quite a fair bit of money on the timepiece.

However, we do think a bit differently What if we turn the equation around entirely, and we look at discreet watches that have hidden their complications away.

For example, a tourbillon that doesn’t have the tourbillon cage rotating on the dial-side, or an unassuming timepiece that features interesting complications such as the seconde morte mechanism?

Call us naughty, but we certainly love to imagine the shock on the faces of the people who realised that a three-hand watch actually has a tourbillon hidden at the back of the watch What are some of such watches that we think will blow the minds of other collectors away? Let’s find out!

Jaeger LeCoultre Geophysic True Second

We begin the article with the elegant Geophysic True Second, from Jaeger LeCoultre.

The Geophysic True Second is a timepiece with an interesting history The collection can trace it roots back to 1958, in which the collection was created to celebrate JLC’s 125th Anniversary and the world’s first “International Geophysical Year”.

Production for the collection is scarce, it was only manufactured for two years It is said that only around 1,230 pieces from the original collection were produced in its short life span.

JLC brought back the collection a few years back, and the True Second is one of the more intriguing pieces in the collection The watch is fitted with JLC’s Calibre 770, and its main highlight is the seconde morte mechanism.

This is similar to the movement of the seconds hand in a quartz movement, in which the hand advances only once a second However, achieving this from a mechanical timepiece is not an easy feat – more information on this particular movement and mechanism can be found in our review article of the watch.

Prices begin at S$13,300 for the stainless steel version, and we reckon that this is an interesting and relatively modestly priced piece (for a mechanical watch with this complication) to include in any collection

A Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Pour le Mérite

The Pour le Mérite collection from A Lange & Söhne is considered to be the pinnacle of watchmaking for the Glashütte-based watch manufacturer.

They are considered to be some of the most well-made, stunning, and complicated watches to be produced by the maison, and they are certainly one of the most desirable series of watches to collect for the longest time

The 40.5mm Richard Lange Pour le Mérite is one of the five watches from the exquisite collection While it might be the least complicated one (it is the only one without a tourbillon regulator), but there is a lot more to it than meets the eye.

Beneath the stunning enamel dial lies an incredibly finished movement that houses a fusée-and-chain mechanism The []

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