Weird Watch Wednesday: Aeternitas Mega 4, The World’s Most Complicated Wristwatch
You may recall that in Novemeber last year Franck Muller announced the creation of the world’s most complicated wrist watch and presented it to an American collector in Monaco. Well, according to the brand, their watchmakers are already putting the finishing touches to a second model, which will be available for release in the near future. Now, I know what you’re thinking, is this also the world’s most complicated to read wrist watch? A fair question but probably not, although it’s definitely up there and definitely a top candidate for Weird Watch Wednesday!
It’s Complicated
So what do you get for the $2,7 million price tag that comes attached to this fine example of technical superioity? How about 36 complications, 25 of which are visible (looking at the dial that’s not really that hard to believe is it), 1,483 components, a 1000-year calendar and the culmination of 5 years’ work. Not to mention the ability to completely baffle anyone who asks if they can check the time.
Just looking at this piece I can help but be awed by the enormity of the challenge that the Master Watchmakers of Genthod must have faced. How do you embed (cram in?) all the complications known to be in existence in a watch that was designed to be worn. Perhaps the more poignant question to ask would have been, why?
However, my personal sentiments aside, the Mega 4 really is an impressive piece of mechanical mastery. The Aeternitas movement served as a base, while the Mega 4 represents the pinnacle of the art of watchmaking with its grand and small Westminster chime striking-work, the only one available on the market with a tourbillon visible on the dial. If you’re wondering why that is important, having the tourbillon visible on the dial side limits the space available for the “Grand Sonnerie” mechanism and thus makes the design even more complicated.
Added to this are a minute repeater, a mono-pushpiece split-seconds chronograph, a perpetual calendar secular, and an equation of time which only varies by 6.8 seconds per lunar month, the equivalent of one day every thousand years!
The Final Word
I cannot deny that the level of skill and craftmanship involved in the creation of this timepiece is absolutely amazing. Having said that, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I think its creation was necessary. To me this an excerise in excess whereby classic design and tradition is foresaken in the name of crassness. For want of a better way to describe this, its like buying a Ferrari, bolting on several additional turbos, a bodykit, big wheels, etc.
Just because you can afford to put everything under the sun on there, doesn’t mean you should.
Category: Wow Watch Wednesday
