"Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin’s latest timepiece is not just packed with novel features — it is, officially, the most complicated mechanical wristwatch ever produced. In horology, a “complication” refers to any function that goes beyond standard time-telling, such as a Gregorian calendar or moon phase display. And Vacheron Constantin’s new Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication contains a record-breaking 41 of them," the CNN reports.



"Seen by CNN during a fair preview, the watch presents three different measures of time: A conventional 24-hour-day, the sidereal time (the time taken for Earth to spin on its axis, which is around four minutes shorter than a calendar day) and the solar day (which is adjusted for the Earth’s elliptical orbit).

"Among the dozens of other complications are astronomical functions tracking the sun’s position, height, trajectory and angle relative to Earth’s equator. A rotating display featuring the zodiac’s 13 constellations can meanwhile be adjusted to show when those stars will next be visible in the sky."

"The most expensive watch sold at auction was a one-off stainless-steel edition of the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A, which achieved 31 million Swiss francs (£24,329,900; $33,649,500; €28,520,400) at the eighth Only Watch auction held at Christie's in Geneva, Switzerland, on 9 November 2019. As this was a charity event, there were no auction fees or buyer's premium," the Guinness World Records says.

"In addition to its one-off steel casing, several other features made this watch unique, including golden opaline and ebony-black dials and an inscription on one of the dials of "The Only One".

"Featuring 41 complications, 5 rare astronomical functions and an innovative Westminster minute-repeater, this unique watch with 1,521 components crowns eight years of research and development, including 13 patent applications filed," the Vacheron Constantin's official website says.



"One major difficulty lay in housing the Calibre 3655 and its 1,521 components in a reasonably sized case that would comfortably fit the wrist. Mission accomplished by the watchmaker, who succeeded in tucking the movement into a case measuring 45mm in diameter with a height of only 14.99mm – a watchmaking tour-de-force.

"This watch occupies a special place in horology, notably for its five innovative astronomical complications, four of which relate to the course of the Sun across the sky. Thanks to an innovative mechanism, the display shows the position of the Sun in real time, its height, time of culmination and angle of declination – astronomical feats for a mechanical wristwatch.

"This fifth astronomical complication – a world first – combines a split-seconds chronograph with a representation of the celestial vault and makes it possible to calculate the time it takes for a constellation or a given star to appear centred in the observer’s field of vision."

"Vacheron Constantin's Les Cabinotiers department has done it again, setting a world record for the most complicated wristwatch with the "Solaria Ultra Grand Complication" less than one year after the announcement of the world's most complicated watch. Far from a pocket watch this time, the Solaria features 41 complications, 13 potential patented inventions, and a shockingly modern design and wearable size," the Hodinkee reports.



"The entire movement, the Calibre 3655, measures only 36mm in diameter by 10.96mm thick and features everything from 14 astronomical complications to five chiming complications, including a split-second chronograph that also doubles as one of those astronomical complications, and more. With 1521 components and 204 jewels, the watch runs at 3Hz with a 72-hour power reserve.

"The most fascinating complication (or combination of them), in my opinion, is the use of the column-wheel split-second chronograph as an astronomical tool. The rear of the watch features a display of the "celestial vault" (the apparent surface of the sky) with two overlapping sapphire displays. It's complicated (for lack of a better word), so bear with me."

"In 1755, Jean-Marc Vacheron signed his first apprenticeship contract, which defined the starting point of a quest for excellence and a human adventure. To embody 270 years of technical and aesthetic mastery, the Maison has developed the most complicated wristwatch in horological history, answering its motto of "Do better if possible, and that is always possible".

"With 41 complications, this single-piece edition, which is the subject of 13 patent applications, is the result of eight years of research and development. A masterpiece of innovation, it incorporates five astronomical functions never previously combined in watchmaking.

"With 1521 components, the new manufacture Calibre 3655 is housed in a white gold case with a 45mm diameter and a height of just 14.99mm, a true feat of miniaturisation," the official press release says.

"The double-sided Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication – La Première watch is part of this long tradition of timepieces dedicated to the particularities of the solar system and the fascination that they exert. With its 1521 components, 41 complications and 13 patent applications, it is an inventive creation that transcends boundaries, in terms not only of complications and innovation, but also of miniaturisation.

"Work on the architecture of Calibre 3655, which unites all the astronomical functions on a dedicated mechanical module barely 2.8mm thick, prompted the Maison to do further research into the display of new astronomical functions. 

• Five rare astronomical complications

Les Cabinotiers Solaria offers five innovative astronomical complications in an unprecedented combination, including a world premiere: 

• The position of the Sun 
• The height of the Sun 
• The culmination of the Sun 
• The declination of the Sun 
• Temporal tracking of celestial objects – world premiere

Four of these complications are related to the apparent path of the Sun and are displayed on the front of the watch – one on the periphery and three on the counter at 6 o’clock. The fifth one is displayed on the reverse side of the watch.

"

Maxximus LNG 2000 Receives Car of The Year Award

Most Awards Won in Major Book Competitions for a Finance Author: world record set by Kenneth Winans

Most drones piloted at the same time by children: world record set by Ated4Kids (VIDEO)

Largest display of toy windmills: energis GmbH sets world record (VIDEO)

Longest playable stringed musical instrument: CapitaLand Ltd. Singapore breaks Guinness World Records record (VIDEO)

Most Company Quality Certifications within 11 months: Altran Technologies India sets world record (VIDEO)

Emirates Identity Authority won the 2013 International Technology Award

 World's Most Powerful Laser: The Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) in Romania

 Longest running wet cell battery: Karpen's Pile