Audemars Piguet

The Equation of Time complication is seldom seen for good reason. Belonging to the category of ‘romantic complications,’ like the classic and iconic moon phase display, it is a complication that is impressive to behold and yet is not likely to be useful on a daily basis. The complexity of the complication, however, is matched only by that of the theory behind its creation, and Audemars Piguet was the first brand to ever put this historic complication into a wristwatch.

Due to the ever changing orientation of the Earth, tilting on its axis as it travels along an elliptical path around the sun, a day is rarely exactly 24 hours long. This deviation is almost never taken into account in regular civilian life, despite the fact that a day can be up to 15 minutes longer or shorter depending on the time of year. An Equation of Time indicator solves this issue, being able to display the real time difference between civilian and true solar time, and in the case of the present watch is indicated on an outer ring graduated to +/- 15 minutes.

To supplement this, each watch is calibrated to a specific city, adjustable to the owner's wishes during service and in this case set to Jerusalem. Not only does this allow for the Equation of Time complication to be as accurate as possible, but also to accommodate a further complication: the sunrise and sunset indicators, an equally seldom seen but truly pragmatic addition to the watch. As if this weren’t enough, the present watch also features a perpetual calendar for good measure, making this watch a true spectacle to behold, especially since it remains extremely wearable despite the level of complication housed within.