[zdrummond]

I think the author is not familiar with watches in general. You have always been able to choose very complex and "busy" faces if you want to have easy and quick access to information.

Just do a quick images search for "high end watch complications" and you will see plenty of very expensive watches that commit the same supposed "design crime"

[theoh]

Yes, but the point is surely that "complications" are not what "design", as an activity, is about.

Watch complications are about showing off technical expertise (for the maker) and wealth (for the wearer). That has very little to do with the (admittedly moralistic) consensus about what good design should be.