Complications: I’m over them

I feel there is a place for complications on the watch face as long as it fits the look; though more often than not, they just "make things worse" (I'm looking at you open heart - even though this isn't a complication per se).
 

I don't quite enjoy the GMT or pointer date - too many hands!

I do prefer the power reserve at the back for GS though. 

I‘m with you. They are amazing bits of engineering and wonderful to look at…on someone else. What I see now when I imagine getting one is a four figure service charge. All I want anymore are three handers, preferably with no date. I don’t even want a chronograph anymore.

I find the day date & GMT complications really useful on watches. (Day date for the office and GMT because i have family in different timezones). A rotating bezel like on dive watches is great for cooking. 

But all the others i would agree, not really necessary. I'd  rather have a clean and symmetrical dial. (Why i don't own a chronograph) 

My love for chronographs is… complicated. 😂 That said, I think its an aesthetic thing for me, as they can add so much character to a watch face. Especially the older ones… my favorite being the Heuer A&F Seafarer… the combination of color and patina make my heart sing. It’s a watch I’d never wear out of fear of ruining it - probably why I can’t own any vintage watch as I am a clumsy fool. On that note, my favorite watch to wear are simple 3-handers with no day/date for many reasons you noted above.

I can certainly appreciate them, but not sure the maintenance bill would be worth it to me at service time.

I really really like some kind of timer on my watches, mainly cause i make my own coffee and attempt to cook often. I'm considering just going all in and getting a G Shock Rangeman, will I use a barometer? Ehh, maybe not, but it's cool to have. 

I used to love the look of chronographs, but now I prefer a three hander with date. 

I mostly wear my watch for the time, so anything that makes reading the time more difficult is not a great feature in my opinion. 

Long ago I was of the "more is more" mindset, which is a simplistic notion. Feature count is easy to assess, unlike quality or style. 

I still like a date window because I frequently use the function. I'm realizing that the date is usually readily available elsewhere, but convenience is convenience. All I ever did with a chrono was time how long I was standing in line or something silly. I do use the countdown timer on my G-Shock-ish digital beast when doing laundry. 

I no longer like the busy look of a chronograph, and the image that I'm some high-speed type that actually needs such a thing no longer appeals to me either.  Which leads me to the late Paul Fussell's observation about the social status conveyed by a wristwatch:

“The general rule about wristwatches is, the more ‘scientific,’ technological, and space-age, the lower. Likewise with the more ‘information’ the watch is supposed to convey, like the time of day in Kuala Lumpur, the number of days elapsed in the year so far, or the current sign of the zodiac. …devotees of the Cartier tank watch …will argue that even a second hand compromises … class implying …need for great accuracy, as if he were something like a professional timer of bus arrivals and departures.”
–Paul Fussell, Class: A Guide Through the American Class System

I have no desire for a high end complicated piece.  I prefer a simple design.  I can appreciate a tourbillon but I don’t want a hole in the dial to see it.  It’s OK if I can watch it work through a clear case back.  

I definitely don't need a date (usually don't set it anyway), and I'm not convinced I need a seconds hand.

I'm still in the phase of exploring complications and enjoying watches that have these, but only up to a point - chronos are not for me, neither are moon phases or open hearts. The date window is something I do use frequently too, but that surprisingly often is done badly, and going dateless is not a big deal. In terms of wrist time I end up giving my dress watches and simple fliegers a lot more wearage that I originally intended. During lockdown I for once found the day complication useful too, because I really lost track what day of the week it was...

One complication I really like to own is an alarm, not for daily alarm (rather use my mobile for that) but as a timer, especially for cooking. That complication is actually quite rare amongst modern mechanical watches, and it would be really useful.

There are some cool alarm watches out there from the likes of JLC and others but why pay for that expense and servicing cost when you can simply have a good kitchen timer (or use the timer built in to your microwave or stove)? To each their own I suppose. 

Well, I wouldn't use something as fancy as a JLC, and I do own a mechanical kitchen timer, but having that function on your wrist is just a bit more convenient. The timer in my oven is just too quiet - when I'm sitting at the computer I'm too far away to hear it.

There are some vintage Russian watches (brand Poljot) with an alarm function one can pick up on ebay for less than £100, so I will try my luck with those.