What is the ugliest complication?

I think a moon phase may be the only complication that actually enhances the appearance of a watch. Even complications that I like, say day and date, are compromises at best in terms of aesthetics. 

Then there are the ones that just look awful. For me the worst of these would have to be world time, followed closely by the tachymeter. Each looks like some amphetamine-riddled Lilliputian neatly littered the watch with insane markings similar to a grade school student's attempt to cram information on a cheat sheet with tiny text. 

I am surely forgetting many. For example, power reserve meters often draw fire. What is the ugliest complication?

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For me? GMTs. Something about that extra hand just bothers me and I can't quite put my finger on it. 

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Chronographs are probably second, there isn't a single one that I've enjoyed looking at or wearing. 

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If you allow me to define "complication" broadly as "any additional feature that is supposed to add functionality", I'd say that moisture indicators don't do it for me. Even the fifty fathoms' orange and white circle would rather trigger my OCD.

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I don't mind stuff that has a purpose. I like pilot's watches.

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I don't like the plastic case but even this dial is nice to me. Very practical and balanced.

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But what I don't like are clean dials with a date. If it's gonna be clean then make it fully clean and symmetrical. The date just ruins it.

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I think date magnifies are pretty ugly on dress watches. Most Rolex are really ugly to me.

And I don't like design choices that are just there for no reason. 

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Just looks stupid.

Just my 2 cents. 

But I'm the king of everything so obviously I'm right and everyone else is wrong.

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For me, chunky spiky dive bezels, power reserve meters, and cyclops on top - below is nice.

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Jewbaka

For me? GMTs. Something about that extra hand just bothers me and I can't quite put my finger on it. 

I didn't want to ruffle feathers, but GMT hands tend to look very wrong to me as well, especially when they are more prominent (color, shape, size) than the normal hands. I think there is at least one model where the GMT hand is a big orange triangle pointer for no good reason and it looks like it doesn't belong and draw way too much attention to itself. I feel the same way about those calendars that have a central hand pointing to a date on the circumference, but at least those tend to be spindly little things.

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Yes, these tend to be more impressive than attractive. I have great inner conflict on this because I think they are awesome but usually a bit of a mess.

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Children

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I'm probably in the minority, but I find that most moon phase implementations detract from the aesthetics of a watch. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a watch with a moon phase complication that I don't think would be more attractive without it.

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It's said that familiarity is preference, so the complications we see most or have been around longest are accepted as attractive and newer or less common things seem odd. 

Now I don't know a soul with a moonphase watch, but I'm used to seeing that on grandfather clocks, as well as day/date displays. Tachymeters, world time, GMT functions - this is stuff that is just not seen on normal people wear or that one is even likely to stumble upon in the average shop. On top of that, there is the symmetry thing (aka "why I hate the Lange 1") that is a near universal standard beauty requirement.

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I like GMT & Chrono watches. A Moonphase is technical art to me. It's pretty but I wouldn't own one. All the skeletonized movements just look too busy like a Tim Burton movie on your wrist.  

Even Timer for Timer had a simple watch for a nutty guy

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This looks like a Thomas Gide of the Los Angeles Freeway system

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Not a complication but skeleton is the worst imo 

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Neilbarret

Not a complication but skeleton is the worst imo 

I can in no way argue with you or @TimeJunkie on this. Beating hearts are a close second, although both more "features" than complications.

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PoorMansRolex

I can in no way argue with you or @TimeJunkie on this. Beating hearts are a close second, although both more "features" than complications.

Totally agree,  I was on a bit of a rant there. The features and complications got slushed into one post LOL. Glad you understand 

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Power reserve meters spoil some otherwise very beautiful dials. I always think if you really need it, why can't it go on the back? Shouldn't be too difficult to do with a display caseback surely.

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Churchill

Power reserve meters spoil some otherwise very beautiful dials. I always think if you really need it, why can't it go on the back? Shouldn't be too difficult to do with a display caseback surely.

(Rolex, Grand Seiko et al: if you're reading this, and you do it, I want my cut)

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Churchill

(Rolex, Grand Seiko et al: if you're reading this, and you do it, I want my cut)

Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever seen a Rolex with either a display back or a power reserve indicator, but as I find the brand deeply uninteresting I may well have missed them.

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Churchill

(Rolex, Grand Seiko et al: if you're reading this, and you do it, I want my cut)

GS does do this:

https://www.grand-seiko.com/us-en/collections/slga007g

They could do it more though...

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Im personally on the fence about tourbillons. I mostly dont like them, I think on a very clean dial or a pocket watch I might think it looks ok.

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For me complicated analogue mix with digital battery watches. I had certain problem with just battery Casio which last 2 yrs and the lighting very poor. That why I went for solar and atomic have no issues. For lazy dum dudes like me.

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I'm a fan of complications in general. I like it when the watch is a little bit busy. But a 24 hours indicator in a subdial of a chronograph can be weird sometimes. 

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ChadDipps

For me complicated analogue mix with digital battery watches. I had certain problem with just battery Casio which last 2 yrs and the lighting very poor. That why I went for solar and atomic have no issues. For lazy dum dudes like me.

Ana-digi watches are a perfect example as they surely allow incredible functionality while preserving the analog display and all that entails. But the look is almost always a rather incoherent mashup and never an aesthetic improvement unless one wants a real "more is more" or sci-fi look.

@watchfun I never understood the 24 hour indicator before I had an calendar watch with an automatic movement. I thought "what, are people waking from deep sleeps not knowing if it is morning or night? But it suddenly makes sense when an automatic stops running on the dresser and the Shroedinger's cat nature of whether the watch is displaying AM or PM means a risk of having to overshoot the date and cycle through a whole month. Dinky AM/PM needles look odder than a full 24 hour subdial, as the little leap year indicator on perpetual calendars can be an odd looking necessary evil.

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PoorMansRolex

Ana-digi watches are a perfect example as they surely allow incredible functionality while preserving the analog display and all that entails. But the look is almost always a rather incoherent mashup and never an aesthetic improvement unless one wants a real "more is more" or sci-fi look.

@watchfun I never understood the 24 hour indicator before I had an calendar watch with an automatic movement. I thought "what, are people waking from deep sleeps not knowing if it is morning or night? But it suddenly makes sense when an automatic stops running on the dresser and the Shroedinger's cat nature of whether the watch is displaying AM or PM means a risk of having to overshoot the date and cycle through a whole month. Dinky AM/PM needles look odder than a full 24 hour subdial, as the little leap year indicator on perpetual calendars can be an odd looking necessary evil.

Not giving smart watches a bad rap. I think its a double edge sword they fun, and you can do a lot of cool things easy touch screen. The bad constant charging learning everything about the smart watch after a few years its outdate and out of style.

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Jewbaka

For me? GMTs. Something about that extra hand just bothers me and I can't quite put my finger on it. 

Just pop the crystal off 😜.

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The 24Hr indicator on chrono is dumb as f*k but it looks like the epitome of good taste and brilliant engineering when you compare it to the planetarium complications that some high end brands so love to stick on their watches.