Complications in watches and smartwatches have nothing to do with the original meaning of the word - impairment, problem, disability. The complications of a clockwork or on the watch face of a smartwatch are incredibly useful, small additional functions that offer the wearer of a watch a lot of valuable information at a glance. Complications make the movement more complicated - hence the name. I have put together the most important information about complications in watches for you.

Wearers of mechanical wristwatches and smartwatches know that complications of a watch are something incredibly useful and really have nothing to do with what the word means in common usage. Watch complications are small, often circular displays that give the wearer valuable information at a glance. Normally a mechanical watch only shows the time on the dial.

At first glance, smartwatches often only show the time and date. The complications of a clockwork or on the Watch Face (dial) a smartwatch supplement this display with further information. With an analog clock, these are mapped mechanically. The choice of complications is correspondingly limited. It takes a certain art of watchmaking to display additional information on a mechanical watch. With a smartwatch such as the complications of the Apple Watch this information is mapped in the operating system and displayed on the digital clock face.

Complications on the movement – ​​the small dial on a large scale

In order to display additional information on a mechanical watch, a certain level of watchmaking skill is required. Complications in watches are modules that use the movement of the watch but are not part of it. The complications are often round because they are based on the design of the watch.

Timepieces such as wristwatches or pocket watches that have many complications on the movement are called complicated watches. One speaks of a Grande Complication. The most important complications in wristwatches include

• Date display, big date or full calendar
• Date change
• weekday
• Moon phases and moon ages
• Stop second
• Alarm clock
• World time (with up to 24 time zones)
• Minute
• Great Sonnerie
• Power reserve display
• Rotating bezel

Complications with smartwatches – useful additional information on the screen

Complications can also be displayed on the smartwatch. Of course, they are not created mechanically, but are displayed digitally on the watch face - the smartwatch dial. While a small amount of additional information is implemented in a complicated manner in mechanical watches, a wealth of information can be displayed on the smartwatch display. In addition, the complications displayed on many electronic watches can be completely individualized and adapted to the wearer.

For example, not only the time and date, but also the weather, temperature, heart rate and EKG (electrocardiogram), notifications and messages, calories burned and shortcuts to apps are displayed. With just a quick glance, the wearer of the smartwatch can get all the information they want using the complications. He can get even more information by touching the complications via the touchscreen, with the digital bezel or the Digital Crown (Digital Crown) drives. With the complications on smartwatches, the manufacturer has Apple the use of additional information taken to extremes. With the so-called Infograph Modular you can display up to eight different complications and the time at the same time. The abundance of complications that can be displayed on the digital clock face is measured by the range of functions of the watch. Examples of smartwatch complications include:

• Date and Time
• World time and time zones
• Weather, temperature and UV radiation
• wind speed
• air quality
• Sunrise and sunset
• moon phases
• Physical activity
• calorie consumption
• Standing hours
• Trainings
• Volume level
• Calendar
• News and communications

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Complications of the Apple Watch – Infograph and Infograph Modular

I think the face design of many smartwatches is half-hearted. In my opinion, the Infograph and the Infograph Modular are among the few successful watch faces Apple Watch. They are based on the tradition of mechanical complications in watch movements and give the wearer of the watch all the information they want at a glance. Both dials are only with the Apple Watch Series 4 or newer available. All complications of the Apple Watch Infograph and Infograph Modular at a glance:

Apple Watch Infograph

• Activity • Alarm clock • Air quality • Audiobooks • Battery • Breathing • Calculator • Calendar • Signal strength (only for models with cellular network) • Cycle log • Date • Digital clock • Earth • EKG (not available in all regions) • Preferred contacts • Find people • Heart rate • Home • Mail • Maps • News • Monogram • Moon • Music • News • Noises • Phone • Podcasts • Radio • Rain • Reminders • Remote • Solar • Solar System • Stocks • Stopwatch • Sun History • Timer • UV Index • Voice Memos • Walkie -Talkie (not available in all regions) • Weather conditions • Air temperature • Wind • Training • World clock

Apple Watch Infograph modular

• Activity • Air quality • Alarm clock • Audio books • Battery • Breathing • Calculator • Calendar • Signal strength (only for models with cellular network) • Cycle log • Date • Earth • ECG (not available in all regions) • Preferred contacts • Find people • Heart rate • Home • Mail • Maps • News • Moon Phase • Music • News • Sounds • Now Playing • Phone • Podcasts • Radio • Rain • Reminders • Remote • Solar • Solar System • Stocks • Stopwatch • Timer • UV Index • Voice Memos • Walkie-Talkie • Weather conditions • Air temperature • Wind • Training • World clock

FAQs Complications (clockwork) – the most important questions and answers

Smartwatch Wiki - the most important smartwatch terms at a glance

Letter	Term
A	Smart watch strap
E	EKG (electrocardiogram)
D	Digital crown (multifunction button)
G	GPS tracking (location)
H	Heart sensor
K	Complications (clock)
L	Bezel (rotating ring)
P	Positioning (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou)
	pulse
	Pulse oximeter
S	Measure oxygen saturation
	Smartwatch sensors
T	Touchscreen (touch sensitive screen)
W	Watch Faces (Smartwatch Dial)
U	Watch glass (smartwatch cover glass)

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Which sports watch or smartwatch are you currently using? Which functions do you attach great importance to? Share your experiences in the comments.