Complications

Shows the difference between mean civil time and apparent solar time.

Displays the duration between sunrise and sunset for a specified location.

• Sunrise And Sunset (usually)

Displays the duration between sunset and sunrise for a specified location.

• Length Of Day (usually)

Displays the line of nodes or nodal cycle used in advanced astronomical watches.

Displays the age of the Moon in days since the new moon.

• Moon Phase

Displays the illuminated phase of the Moon through a disk, aperture, hand, or three-dimensional moon.

A mechanical model of planetary or orbital relationships shown on the watch.

• Planetary Display

Shows the apparent movement or relative positions of planets.

Shows a flattened celestial dome or rotating sky map for a selected location.

• Star Chart

A moon phase display with a more accurate gear ratio, sometimes requiring no correction for hundreds or over a thousand years.

• Moon Phase

Displays apparent solar time continuously with a dedicated hand rather than only showing the offset.

• Equation Of Time

Displays the current season or seasonal transition.

• Month (usually)

Displays time measured against the apparent motion of fixed stars, used in astronomical watches.

Displays time based on the Sun's apparent position rather than mean civil time.

• Equation Of Time

Indicates solstices and equinoxes within the solar year.

• Seasons Indicator (usually)

Displays a rotating map of visible stars for a given location.

• Sidereal Time

Displays the Sun's angular position north or south of the celestial equator.

Displays local sunrise and sunset times for a specified geographic location.

• Date (usually)

Displays the Earth-Moon-Sun relationship, often including seasons, lunar phase, or eclipses.

• Moon Phase (usually)
• Solar Time (usually)

Displays the state or timing of tides, often using lunar cycle approximations and local tidal calibration.

• Moon Phase (usually)

A dial-side animation or moving tableau not required for time indication.

• Automaton (usually)

A mechanical animated figure or scene triggered automatically or on demand.

Animated figures that strike bells or appear to do so, often linked to repeater action.

• Striking Mechanism (usually)

An animation triggered by a pusher or slide rather than continuously running.

• Automaton

Sounds at a preset time, usually with a dedicated alarm-setting indication.

Uses three or more gongs/notes for richer chiming than a standard two-gong repeater.

• Grande Sonnerie (usually)
• Repeater (usually)

Uses longer gongs encircling the movement more than once for a fuller sound.

• Repeater (usually)
• Striking Mechanism

On demand, chimes hours, ten-minute intervals, and minutes rather than quarters.

• Minute Repeater (usually)
• Repeater

On demand, strikes hours, quarters, and five-minute intervals.

• Repeater

Automatically strikes hours and quarters in passing, repeating the hours at the quarters; often includes minute repeater on demand.

• Minute Repeater (usually)
• Petite Sonnerie

On demand, strikes hours, quarters, and half-quarter intervals.

• Repeater

Strikes the hours, either on demand or automatically depending on design.

• Striking Mechanism

On demand, chimes hours, quarters, and minutes so the exact time can be heard.

• Repeater

Plays a melody mechanically, either as a dedicated music mechanism or as part of an automaton clock/watch.

• Striking Mechanism (usually)

Automatically strikes at passing hours or half-hours.

• Striking Mechanism

Automatically strikes hours and quarters in passing, usually without repeating the hours at every quarter.

• Minute Repeater (usually)
• Striking Mechanism

On demand, strikes hours and quarter-hours.

• Repeater

Chimes the time on demand when activated by a slide or pusher.

• Striking Mechanism

A control that disables or mutes striking functions.

• Striking Mechanism

A mechanism that audibly strikes or chimes time on demand or automatically.

On demand, strikes hours and ten-minute intervals.

• Repeater

Audibly signals a predefined time or interval.

• Striking Mechanism

Reproduces the Westminster quarter-chime melody with multiple gongs and hammers.

• Carillon

Measures elapsed time in hundredths of a second, usually requiring very high frequency or a separate chronograph train.

• Chronograph

Shows elapsed minutes with a central hand instead of a subdial.

• Chronograph Minute Counter

Measures elapsed time with start, stop, and reset controls, independent of the main time display.

Counts elapsed chronograph hours for long-duration timing.

• Chronograph

Counts elapsed chronograph minutes, typically on a subdial or central minute hand.

• Chronograph

Measures time remaining to a preset interval.

Extends split-seconds timing from seconds to seconds and minutes.

• Chronograph Minute Counter
• Split-Seconds Chronograph

Allows reset and immediate restart of the chronograph with one press while timing continues.

• Chronograph

A rapidly jumping hand that subdivides each second, often used to show fractions of a second.

• Chronograph (usually)

A separately controllable seconds display used for timing without a full chronograph.

Elapsed chronograph minutes advance in crisp jumps rather than creeping gradually.

• Chronograph Minute Counter

Uses one pusher to start, stop, and reset the chronograph sequence.

• Chronograph

A simplified split-time chronograph approach that uses one main elapsed-time hand plus a reference or memory system.

• Chronograph

A countdown function optimized for yacht-race start sequences.

• Chronograph (usually)
• Countdown Timer

Adds a second chronograph seconds hand that can stop for lap or intermediate times and then catch up.

• Chronograph

Extends rattrapante timing to seconds, minutes, and hours for long comparative measurements.

• Chronograph Hour Counter
• Double Split Chronograph

Uses separate start/stop and reset pushers, the common modern chronograph layout.

• Chronograph

Allows the wearer to feel the time discreetly by touch, historically using external indicators.

A silent or dumb repeater that indicates time by felt taps rather than audible chimes.

• Repeater (usually)

Uses a central seconds hand coaxial with the hour and minute hands.

Seconds hand advances in discrete one-second jumps in a mechanical watch.

• Jumping Seconds (usually)

General family of displays that advance instantly rather than continuously.

Displays the hour through an aperture or disk that jumps instantly at the top of the hour.

• Jumping Display

Displays minutes by a disk or hand that jumps at each minute or interval.

• Jumping Display

A seconds hand that jumps at defined intervals instead of sweeping continuously.

Displays time along a straight scale rather than a circular dial.

• Retrograde Display (usually)

Shows time or calendar values as numerals through mechanical disks, drums, or apertures.

• Jumping Display (usually)

Makes hands or indicators appear disconnected from the movement, often using transparent disks.

Separates hours, minutes, and seconds onto distinct axes for precision-style reading.

A hand travels across an arc then springs back to its starting point.

Seconds display that sweeps over an arc and snaps back at the end of its cycle.

• Retrograde Display

A wandering-hours variant where hour numerals ride on rotating satellites.

• Wandering Hours

Places the seconds indication on a subdial instead of centrally.

Displays the hour on moving satellites or carriers that travel across a minutes scale.

• Jumping Hour (usually)

Automatically accounts for 30- and 31-day months and generally needs one correction at the end of February.

• Complete Calendar

Uses two large disks or other enlarged displays to show the date with improved legibility.

• Date

Displays business-oriented information such as week number and day/date in a work-calendar format.

• Date
• Day Of Week
• Week Number

Combines calendar indications with lunar phase display, a common classical complication layout.

• Complete Calendar
• Moon Phase

Displays date, day, and month but normally needs manual correction for months shorter than 31 days.

• Date
• Day Of Week
• Month

Displays the day number within the month, usually by aperture, pointer, subdial, or disk.

Combines day-of-week and date indications in one watch.

• Date
• Day Of Week

Displays Monday through Sunday, usually as part of a day-date or complete calendar.

A perpetual calendar whose indications jump together near midnight instead of changing gradually.

• Perpetual Calendar

Shows the current year in a four-year leap-year cycle.

• Perpetual Calendar (usually)

Displays the current month, commonly paired with annual or perpetual calendar logic.

Automatically accounts for month lengths and leap years, with most Gregorian systems requiring correction at secular exceptions such as 2100.

• Complete Calendar

Shows the date with a hand pointing to a numbered outer or inner scale.

• Date

Shows the date on an arc; the hand snaps back to the beginning at the end of its cycle.

• Date
• Retrograde Display

Shows the day of week on an arc with a hand that returns after Sunday.

• Day Of Week
• Retrograde Display

Shows the month on an arc with a hand that jumps back after December.

• Month
• Retrograde Display

A perpetual calendar that also handles Gregorian century-year exceptions not divisible by 400.

• Perpetual Calendar

A calendar that shows one or more basic calendar indications and needs correction for short months.

• Date (usually)

Traditional name for a complete calendar displaying day, date, and month.

• Complete Calendar

Displays the numbered week of the year, often according to ISO-style business calendar conventions.

• Date
• Day Of Week

Displays the civil year or a year cycle used by a calendar program.

Displays Chinese lunisolar calendar information such as lunar month, solar terms, zodiac, and new year position depending on implementation.

A mechanically programmed Chinese calendar that accounts for irregular lunisolar cycles over a defined multi-decade or multi-century span.

• Chinese Calendar