The Most Complicated (And $2.5M) Patek Philippe Ever Made

To commemorate the 175th anniversary of Patek Philippe, the renowned Swiss watchmakers released seven of the most complicated watches in the world. The GrandMaster Chime as it is called, consists of 1,580 separate parts, and is an horological work of art.

The case is handmade from solid 18k gold and then hand-etched creating incredibly intricate detail. No two are identical. With 20 complications, the Grandmaster has features to keep tabs on everything from calendars, moon phases, power reserve, and worldwide time zones.

The Grandmaster features two different faces and can be rotated to show the face of the wearer's choosing. Patek claims development of the entire project took more than 100,000 hours from start to finish. Six of the watches are being sold to long-standing Patek collectors, the seventh is staying with Patek to reside in their horology museum.

The initial $2.5 million price tag is high but it's probably a good investment; a piece of horological art like the GrandMaster will only appreciate in value.

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Gavin Woolard is an editorial intern at Supercompressor. He's got an Audemars that's losing time and a Rolley that don't tick tock. Follow him on Instagram.