The Evolution Of The Luxury Watch (Infographic)

Posted on Nov 8 2013 - 9:37am by Alexandra Ashton

It has been more than two centuries since the brand Breguet created the first wristwatch for the Queen of Naples, in 1812. Since then, we have watched the astonishing evolution of luxury timepieces like the ones made by the watchmaker Patek Philippe, since the company was founded in 1839, just a few years after this historic moment. Currently, Patek Philippe is considered by collectors from the four corners of the world as the golden standard of the luxury market. But the Swiss company is also famous for designing and manufacturing some of the most complicated timepieces ever sold till date, especially the “Henry Graves Super Complication Watch”, like our infographic about the evolution of the luxury watch will show you.

Considered the most expensive timepiece of all times, this one of a kind 18-carat gold watch was auctioned off at Sotheby’s on December 1999 for a hefty sum that went over £7 million. The timepiece’s name is completely justified: the “Henry Graves Super Complication Watch” is, without any trace of doubt, the most complicated watch in the world. According to several experts, its unmatched 24 complications make it look like a beautiful mess, as the watch goes well beyond basic timekeeping.

The object features interesting functions like a chart of the night time prevalent sky over New York City or the magnitudes of the Milky Way, as well as a perceptual calendar and a two-faced moon structure displaying the 24 separate complications. But who inspired this creation? His name was Henry Graves Jr. and he was an American banker born in 1868. Besides being an art collector, he was also a watch collector and patron of Patek Philippe. Graves wanted to be the owner of the most complicated watch in the world, so he commissioned the machine and this was how the timepiece was born. But now it’s time to check our infographic and learn more!

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About the Author

Alexandra Ashton, Communications at Neomam Studios , the UK based Infographic Agency. Alexandra is a content and design enthusiast with a keen eye for detail.