Spend: The original smartwatch
Patek Philippe’s iconic Henry Graves Supercomplication is a wearable tech titan
“Supercomplicated” Patek Philippe to buy
what is it?
The most sophisticated timepiece ever made by hand. Finished in 1933 for banker and horological collector Henry Graves, it took computers till 1989 to beat its complexity.
how does it work?
Eight years in the making – three of which were “research” – it boasts 24 complications, one for each hour, including a perpetual calendar that adjusts for leap years.
what else can it do?
Well, it tracks the monthly lunar cycle, sunrises and sunsets and, rather neatly, New York’s night sky. A built-in minute repeater also boasts the exact same chimes as Big Ben.
what ’s it made of?
That’s 18-karat gold, with legendary Geneva watchmaker Patek Philippe using 900 different individual parts inside it. Graves paid a cool 60,000 Swiss francs for it in 1925.
how do i get one?
At the Sotheby’s auction this coming November. However, be warned: it sold for US$11 million in 1999, making it the most expensive watch ever; this time they want US$18m-plus.