Start The Year Right With A Perpetual Calendar Watch
In the world of mechanical watches, there are few complications as revered as the perpetual calendar. After all, a mechanical calendar watch that can correctly keep time, day, date, and year in perpetuity without the need for adjusting (well, until 2100) offers actual real-world practicality. You may never take your dive watch more than a few feet underwater or use the stopwatch function on your chronograph, but a perpetual calendar watch provides useful information every time you glance at it. So in the spirit of getting organized and starting the year off on the right foot, let’s have a look at some standout perpetual calendars.
Patek Philippe 5270P
The Patek Philippe 5270P brings together a chronograph, a perpetual calendar, a platinum case, and the coveted salmon dial. Powered by the in-house manual-wound Caliber CH 29-535 PS Q, the Patek 5270P displays the day and the month via a pair of windows at 12 o’clock, the date and moon phase at a 6 o’clock subdial, and the leap year and day/night in small circular windows at 5 and 7 o’clock, respectively. Of course, this is all in addition to the time told by the center hour and minute hands and running seconds, as well as a chronograph center hand, a tachymeter on the periphery, and 30-minute counter. This is the first time Patek offers the 41 mm case of the ref. 5270 in platinum and when paired with that beautiful salmon colored dial, this perpetual calendar chronograph just hits all the right notes.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
One of the latest perpetual calendar models to join the Audemars Piguet lineup is the limited-edition Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ref. 26584OR.OO.1220OR.01. A full 18k pink gold model—from its 41 mm Royal Oak case to its octagonal bezel to its integrated bracelet—boasts a matching pink gold dial with the obligatory “Grande Tapisserie” finish. Contrasting with the warm rosy hue of the sumptuous watch are the punches of blue details on the dial, which includes a quartet of subdials to display the date, moon phase, day, month, and leap year. What’s more, rather than a traditional seconds hand sweeping around the dial, there’s a hand that points to a week of the year counter on the inner bezel.
Hublot Big Bang Unico Perpetual Calendar Sapphire
True to the brand’s raison d’être, the Hublot Big Bang Unico Perpetual Calendar Sapphire ref. 406.JX.0120.RT (limited to just 50 pieces) is here to make a bold style statement. With this model, Hublot fits their groundbreaking polished sapphire case with the in-house HUB1270 UNICO automatic movement to furnish the watch with time, perpetual calendar, and chronograph functionality. The skeletonized dial features four subdials that are cleverly designed to display both perpetual calendar (day, date, month, leap year indicator, moon phase) and chronograph indicators in a tight and well-balanced manner. Make no mistake, with a 45 mm diameter and a duo of large chronograph pushers flanking the oversized winding crown, this is a big and aggressively engineered perpetual calendar watch to wear and one that begs to be shown off.
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Edition “150 Years”
In celebration of its 150th anniversary, IWC released the commemorative Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Edition “150 Years” ref. IW503405, limited to 250 pieces. Sporting a red gold 44.2 mm case, a white dial with a lacquered finish, and blued hands, this is an IWC perpetual calendar that’s easy to fall in love with. Thanks to the Caliber 52616 movement equipped with the iconic automatic Pellaton winding system, the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Edition “150 Years” indicates the time, date, day, month, four-digit year, and moon phase for the northern and southern hemisphere all while boasting a seven-day power reserve.
