Top 5: Most Elegant and Expensive Watches

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Watches are not just style statements, but heirloom pieces too. And exquisite watches usually go back to a few hundred years.  It is not just the technology, but the design that takes them to wardrobes of A-listers. Engineering like the tourbillon was invented in the 1700's, which counters the effects of gravity that would make the timepiece imprecise. Here are five most elegant time pieces.
The IWC's Grande Complication Perpetual
Watchmaker IWC has been churning out high-quality watches for over 100 years. Tom Cruise brought the IWC to the spotlight recently when he wore the IWC vintage. The IWC Grande Complication has 659 mechanical parts and 75 jewels. With 12 patents it has 21 functions and displays. It also has an eternal calendar, which makes it good enough for the next 500 years. Also it is combined with a perpetual moon phase display made of polished goldstone.
The case and band are made of solid platinum and the piece chimes out the time 'in crystal clear tones'. Production is limited to 20 watches per year.
Available at The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai; price $240,000 (approx Rs. 1.08 crore)

Vacheron Constantin's Tour de L'ile
The Vacheron Constantin Tour de L'ile, is considered to be the most complex watch ever made. This masterpiece can go on for 10,000 hours without manual winding.  This piece has two faces; the back shows time too. Only seven pieces of this gold-plated watch are made every year.
Available at The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai and Emporio Mall, New Delhi; price $1.5 million (approx Rs. 6.7 crore)

Girard Perregaux's Opera Three Musical Hours Watch
The opera three is an amazing piece of art. There are 20 blades and a drum inside the watch along with 150 hand-mounted pins. There is a lever to allow the music to be played on demand and can be personalized to taste (Mozart or Tchaikovsky). This watch made of 18-carat white gold has an alligator strap, and sapphire crystal in its dial. It is water resistant to 50 meters, is self-winding and has 50 hours of power in reserve.
Available at The prime - Luxury watch boutique, Crossroads II, Mumbai and Johnson Watch & co., Connaught Place, New Delhi; price $420,000 (approx Rs. 1.9 crore)

Front and back view of Sky Moon Tourbillon
The Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon 5002 P
The platinum Sky Moon Tourbillon 5002 P is composed of 688 parts, some of which are microscopically tiny. It is double faced with a 48 hour power reserve. It comes with a sapphire crystal dial and a black crocodile leather band. Only two units are produced each year in platinum and a rose gold.
Available online at Patek Phillipe; price $1.5 million (approx Rs. 6.7 crore); Service center: Marcks & Co., M. G. Road, Mumbai

Front and back view of Le Brassus
Blancpain's Le Brassus
The Carrousel Répétition Minutes Le Brassus is sure a master piece. The clock tells the hour with a cathedral gong. This watch allows you to keep a track of time by the minute, quarter hour or hour, as and how you want it. In short, the gong can be set to go off every minute, quarter hour or hour. While usually repeaters are vulnerable to damage if the owner attempts to change the time, the technology in this one allows you to disconnect its mechanism and eliminate risk of damage. In red gold, alligator skin strap, this is a limited edition wrist watch. Only 10 units are produced every year.
Available at Blancpain Boutique, Juhu; price: on request

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