Complication In horology, a complication is generally any feature added to a timekeeper beyond the usual basic timekeeping functions, such as the display of hours, minutes and seconds. It is important to note that for early timekeepers (i.e. those made before and into the early 1600s), the inclusion of minute hands and seconds dials was extremely rare. In many cases, the addition of such features would have been considered prohibitively expensive. Examples of complications added to early clocks and watches include but are not limited to seconds dials, calendars, alarms, solar and lunar readings, equation dials, high tide readings, astrological readings and ruling planet discs. For early British timekeepers with technically sophisticated complications see the Vallin Astrological Table Clock made by Nicholas Vallin around 1600, the King James Portrait Watch made by David Ramsay around 1618, the Lennox Pluvier Watch made by Isack Pluvier around 1665 (coming soon to Clocktime), the Sidereal Tompion Regulator made by Thomas Tompion in 1708 and the Teiger Shelton Solar Longcase made by John Shelton the Younger in 1736.
