Patek Philippe Caliber 89 The worlds most complicated watch?

Patek Philippe Caliber 89

Patek Philippe is one of the oldest and most prestigious watch companies in the world. Founded by Antoni Norbert de Patek and Franciszek Czapek in 1839, the company was originally known as PATEK, CZAPEK & Co. In 1845, Patek and Czapek separated so that the company became Patek & Co. In 1851, Patek joined efforts with Jean-Adrien Philippe thus forming the Patek Philippe & Cie label.

Patek Philippe made the first wristwatch in 1868. The prestigious company moved on to gather about 70 patents in perpetual calendar for pocket watches; precision regulator; split seconds chronograph; double chronograph and first self-winding wristwatch to name a few.

The deaths of Anton Patek (1877) and Jean-Adrien Philippe (1894) brought about the eventual acquisition of the company by Charles Stern in 1932. The change of ownership did not change the company’s goal of producing excellent and innovative time pieces.

In 1989, Patek Philippe celebrated its 150^th anniversary. To commemorate the event, Patek Philippe presented the Calibre 89, declared as the most complicated watch in the world. It has 33 complications edging out the Henry Graves Jr. super-complicated watch with 24 complications also made by Patek Philippe in 1933.

Patek Philippe Calibre 89 is an astronomical open-faced watch with twin dials. Its 33 complications are divided into five functional categories namely: timekeeping; chronograph; calendar; chime and operational functions. It weighs 1.1 kg, has 1,728 components and 24 hands. It is made of 18 karat gold at an estimated value of US$5 to US$6 million. The watch took about five years of intensive research and development to conceptualize. It took another four years to finally set the wheels in motion in manufacturing the watch.

There are only four models of Calibre 89 made by Patek Philippe – one of each in white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum. It was said that an unidentified royal family bought the whole collection. However, the collection was separated, as in 2004, the white gold edition of Calibre 89 was auctioned at Antiquorum’s 30^th anniversary for US$5,002,652. Just recently, the Calibre 89 in the yellow gold edition was auctioned off at Antiquorum’s 35^th anniversary for US$ 4,877,662.00. That leaving the rose and platinum edition still at the hands of its original buyer.

What makes this pocket watch so interesting and complicated? Imagine cramming 33 functions in to a single pocket watch. Imagine having that watch and actually using all the functions or just basically knowing how the watch ticks.

On the front dial are the following complications: day of the month; hour hands; 12-hour recorder; up-down chime; day of the week; hour of second time-zone; Chronograph second hand; Seconds hand; Moonphases; Winding crown position indicator; Century decade and year displays; Leap Year Indicator; Minutes Hands; Chronograph counter; Power Reserve; Month; Split second hand and thermometer.

The second dial has the sidereal time hour hand; time of sunrise; star chart; date of Easter Equation of time, Sun hand, sidereal time minute hand and sidereal time second hand and the time of sunset.

A beautiful and complicated time piece like this only comes once in a lifetime, well in this case four times!

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