As we travel further in time, circa 1670, we find that a new mechanical invention had risen from the minds of the watch gods: the spring driven balance wheel. Now this opened up a whole new arena for the watch designers: “accuracy to within 10 minutes per day”!! Now the time was ripe for the new modern ultimate in complications: “ the minute hand”. Minutes… OMG… they could tell time to within minutes. This was an amazing step forward in the engineering of timekeeping. Imagine telling your daughter that she must be home from the Shakespeare play by 4:30 PM or you’ll take away her candle and make her sleep in the dark. Or maybe tell your son to be home by 3:30 PM to practice his harpsichord, or you’ll take his checkerboard game away. The day just became shorter as we parsed the time away in minutes.

But the grand complication of them all was just around the corner in the 1700’s. As watchmaking, and particularly timekeeping, became more refined by the introduction of “ exotic” metals in the balance assembly, the watch was ripe for the introduction of the second hand complication. Imagine, if you can, being able to tell time to the very second! What perverted brain of a genius thought up this mechanical wonder? Did he drink too much juice of the grape and had a space-time-continuum epiphany? And what did we really need the seconds for?? Did they have horse races that needed to be timed to the second? Not only did “Beethoven’s Bevy” win Ye Old Cambridge Porridge Race, but it also beat “Storm the Bastille” by 2 minutes and 23 seconds.

Seconds were, and still are, just a luxury. Just a complication to show it could be done. Just like the phases of the moon, the day of the month, the chronograph, and the tourbillion. And truth be told, I find myself only using the second hand to tell me if the watch is running. And as for the chronograph, moon phase, fly back, triple time zone… be honest.… have you ever really used these functions other than to show them off??

Today, I’m almost afraid to ask someone with a nice watch, ”what time is it?’ I’m afraid they’ll tell me the time, the date, the phase of the moon and the rotation of the earth. Great information, but useless to me. After all is said and done, just give me a great looking time-only watch.