One of the things I love about wristwatches is that they teach you so much about the fundamental aspects of time, our planet and the strange oddities that occur in our timekeeping methodology when the real world doesn’t nicely coincide with a practical system. Perhaps the best known example of the latter is the leap year, where we cram all the extra time that’s supposed to be around the edges of our days and years into a single extra day every four years. The Breguet Marine Tourbillon Equation Marchante 5887 is dedicated to a different such phenomenon.

Specifically, the Breguet Marine Tourbillon Equation Marchante 5887 is a grand complication watch that combines a perpetual calendar and tourbillon with the much rarer equation marchante complication. This function allows the watch to display both ‘mean solar time’ and ‘real solar time’ simultaneously. The easiest way to understand the difference between mean and real solar time is that mean time is the standardised time we live our day to day life by – that’s partly the reason GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time. Meanwhile, real solar time is the true local time based on the position of the sun in relation to the Earth.

For example, a wristwatch typically displays mean solar time but a sun dial displays real solar time. However, if you compare your wristwatch to a sun dial every day at the same time for a whole year, you’ll discover that the time according to the sun dial goes out of synch by up to as much as 16 minutes faster or slower than your watch. That’s because the Earth’s orbit is not perfectly circular and the planet is on a tilted axis, meaning real solar time can vary quite considerably depending on the time of year. Mean solar time is derived from the average of these discrepancies, hence mean.

Breguet’s equation marchante complication has two hands, a regular minute hand that displays mean solar time and a second minute hand equipped with a golden disc as its tip that displays real solar time. It’s a fascinating insight into the operation of our world and the systems humans have created in order to understand and control it. Similar in some regards to the IWC Eternal Calendar, which is an extreme version of a perpetual calendar accurate until the year 4000 and even then we can only say that it might not be accurate because humanity hasn’t yet decided if the year 4000 will be a leap year.

So far this has been a pretty intense article on scientific concepts so let’s zoom out and talk about the design of the watch for a moment. It has a 43.9mm diameter platinum case similar to the original Marine Tourbillon Equation Marchante that Breguet released in 2017. However, where the original had an ultramarine blue dial, this new edition has a black dial, giving is a much more sombre and sophisticated appearance. I’ve always been a fan of monochromatic design and the contrast between the dark wave motif guilloché and the bright silver tone of the hour scale and platinum case is very satisfying. Especially as it really emphasises the golden equation marchante hand.

The watch’s perpetual calendar complications are found via the days of the week window at 10:30, months at 01:30 and retrograde date scale nestled inside the hour scale with an anchor-tipped hand. At 5 o’clock is the characteristic tourbillon, a mechanism first developed by Breguet’s influential watchmaking founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet. Lastly, between 7 and 8 o’clock is a power reserve indicator.

The power reserve of the movement is 80-hours, provided by the calibre 581DPE. It’s an automatic movement with a peripheral rotor, visible through the exhibition caseback. Aesthetically it’s one of the most stunning movements around finished with immaculate engraving that depicts the Royal Louis warship from 1752 alongside a compass rose.

As for price, well, between the platinum case and the grand complication movement it’s not what you’d describe as accessible. In fact, this watch makes timepieces like the Panerai Perpetual Calendar GMT look accessible by comparison and that watch is 30k. Without beating around the bush any  further, the Breguet Marine Tourbillon Equation Marchante 5887 is a cool £253,300.

More details at Breguet.

Next year Panerai are celebrating the 90^th anniversary of their Radiomir collection, arguably one of the most influential designs ever produced in watchmaking (certainly when it comes to military divers). The story behind the earliest Radiomir prototypes is an interesting tale that involves a failed Rolex release being adapted and evolving into what we now recognise as the Radiomir – read the full story here. In celebration of those earliest prototypes Panerai have launched the Radiomir Perpetual Calendar GMT Goldtech™ PAM01453, the first ever Radiomir Perpetual Calendar.

With 90 years under its belt Panerai has surely built a Radiomir Perpetual Calendar at some point, right? However, the complication has mostly found a home in the Luminor collection while the most luxurious Radiomirs such as the platinum PAM01432 have featured only annual calendars. The launch of the new PAM01453 is therefore quite a significant milestone.

It measures 45mm in diameter with the classic cushion shape of the collection produced in Panerai’s proprietary rose gold, called Goldtech. It makes for a very nice, neo-vintage aesthetic that retains all the key features of the original Radiomir prototypes with a luxury twist – although the Radiomir Perpetual Calendar also retains some of that classic Panerai robustness thanks to a 100m water resistance rating.

Looking at the face, it leans in a classy, elegant direction with a white, sunburst finished sandwich dial. Compared to some perpetual calendars such as the IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar where the information is crowded onto numerous subdials, Panerai have opted for a far more restrained, legible layout. The central handstack features hours, minutes and 24-hour GMT hand, at 3 o’clock is a classic day-date display and at 9 o’clock is a multi-function subdial. Specifically it shows small seconds and a 24-hour hand with day/night indicator.

However, that’s not all of the complications that the Radiomir Perpetual Calendar GMT Goldtech PAM01453 is equipped with. You can see a whole raft of additional functions through the exhibition caseback: the year, leap year, months, and power reserve indicator. The Panerai calibre P.4100 that powers it all is a bit of a beast.

The calibre has a micro-rotor and double barrel system supplying a 72-hour power reserve, which is great for a power intensive perpetual calendar that has so many functions that require constant and precise power supply. On top of that, Panerai spent 5-years developing this movement in order to make it as easy to use as possible, which they achieved by enabling the crown to adjust the day, date, months and leap year without the need for additional tools or correctors. Plus, it can also be set towards the end of the month and towards midnight when many perpetual calendars advise you not to change them.

In my opinion the combination of a perpetual calendar and the Radiomir is a match made in heaven. While it’s the original Panerai, it’s also the dressiest compared to the Luminor and Submersible, which suits a refined complication like the calendar. Between the gold case and haute horology movement it’s got a price tag of £35,100, which feels appropriate.  If you’re looking for a combination of bold wrist presence, luxurious dress watch vibes and a perpetual calendar, there’s really not many other places to look.

More details at Panerai.

2024 has marked a huge focus on haute horology from Jaeger-LeCoultre with launches like the Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon, the Duometre Heliotourbillon, the Master Grande Tradition and now the new Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184. The Hybris Artistica is dedicated to the hybrid arts, or to put that differently, the fusion between haute horology and metiers d’art combining watchmaking and decoration on equal levels.

Starting with the watchmaking side of things, the Calibre 184 is truly insane in its scope (with 1,052 components). First released in 2019, it’s a grand complication movement that features a bi-axial gyrotourbillon, a perpetual calendar, a minute repeater with Westminster chime, a one-minute constant force mechanism, a dead-beat minute hand and a leaping date display. You could write an entire essay about each of these functions but as I respect your time, let’s do a whistlestop tour.

The gyrotourbillon, visible at 6 o’clock, is an advanced take on the classic tourbillon that makes use of an additional axis of rotation in order to offset the effects of gravity on the regulating organ even further. The Calibre 185 is JLC’s fifth take on this style of tourbillon and the smallest to date, with the gyrotourbillon’s 94 components weighing just 0.4g and taking up less room. This allows for the addition of extra functions without greatly increasing the size of the watch, which at 43mm x 14.1mm is already large.

In order to ensure a high level of precision, the tourbillon is equipped with a constant force mechanism, which ensures a consistent flow of power to the regulator regardless of how much power is in the system as the power reserve depletes. Interestingly, a side-effect of the one-minute constant force mechanism is the minute hand only moves once every 60-seconds, which is what is known as a dead-beat minute hand. Instead of being an issue, this is actually beneficial to the movement.

Normally with a minute repeater when you activate it and it begins to chime the minutes, the minute hand won’t be pointing directly at a minute marker. This means the audio time and visual time will be off set as the chimes will be a few seconds fast or slow depending on if they denote the minute just past or the one approaching. Due to the Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184’s dead-beat minutes, the chimes and minute hand will always be perfectly aligned.

The minute repeater itself has what is called a Westminster chime, which is prestigious even among minute repeaters. It means that the tune, or carillon, that it plays is the iconic and very complex tune of the Elizabeth clock tower in Westminster, aka Big Ben. The complexity of the tune means the minute repeater has to be equipped with four hammers as opposed to the normal two.

We haven’t even touched on the perpetual calendar yet. You can see it on the main dial, which is off-centre towards 12 o’clock. The dial is made from translucent black sapphire revealing the mechanisms beneath and is held within a black grand feu enamel display with gold geometric patterns. Around the edge is a pointer date function, at 9 o’clock is the days of the week, at 3 o’clock is the month and below 12 is the year. At the centre are the hour and minute hands.

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hybris Artistica Calibre 184 is presented in a pink gold case in a limited edition of 5 pieces available in September. JLC has also announced a white gold version is in the pipeline in the near future. As you might guess, it’s price on request and incredibly exclusive.

More details at Jaeger-LeCoultre.

As divisive as it is, the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch was genuinely revolutionary when it released back in 2022. It proved that when it comes to collaborations, brands don’t have to stay in their lanes and there is a genuine interest from collectors when high end brands work alongside accessible ones. However, in the years since no other brands (outside Swatch doing it again with Blancpain) have taken that risk. Until now, with the launch of the H. Moser & Cie. x Studio Underd0g Project Passion limited edition collaboration.

A major difference between this collaboration and the Swatch ones is that rather than fuse the two styles of the brands into a single watch, Moser and Studio Underd0g have created a watch each based on the same theme, influenced but not built by one another. Plus, both brands involved are known for their quirky senses of humour. The two watches are exclusively available in a two-piece set, limited to 100 pieces. Individually the watches are the H. Moser Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Passion Fruit and the Studio Underd0g 03SERIES Passi0n Fruit.

Studio Underd0g 03SERIES Passi0n Fruit

While the H. Moser is the higher end of the two watches, I want to start by talking about the Studio Underd0g 03SERIES Passi0n Fruit. That’s because the passion fruit concept behind the Project Passion is a natural follow up to Studio Underd0g’s most famous watch, the Watermel0n. According to the press conference where the brand’s founder Richard Benc talks about the launch, the specific idea stemmed from the fact that while in talks with Eduard Meylan, CEO of H. Moser, he was struck by their shared passion for the industry. As a fellow Brit, I understand why he couldn’t help but fall in love with the related pun.

Focussing in on the watch, it’s inspired by the original 01SERIES chronographs with a few notable updates, hence it being known as the 03SERIES. The overall layout of the watch is the same with a central, coloured disk with fumé gradient and brushed peripheral tachymeter – presented in passion fruit yellow and purple – along with the big eye style chronograph display. However, it’s cleaner and more streamlined. All of the text has been stripped from the dial as have the seed shaped hour markers, similar to Moser’s Pioneer Concept series.

Structurally, the steel case measures 38.5mm and is now a monopusher chronograph, as opposed to the 01SERIES, which had two pushers. That change leans it even further into the retro direction that the big eye display already gave that piece. Obviously, with that mechanical change, the movement has to change too and for the first time ever, Studio Underd0g have used a Swiss chronograph movement. Specifically, it’s the Sellita SW510 M with manual winding (like all of their watches) and a 63-hour power reserve.

It was inevitable that Studio Underd0g would eventually explore Swiss movements as they grew, but this is an upgrade of significant proportions. I imagine the size of this leap in quality comes courtesy of the fact that as it’s being sold alongside an H. Moser Perpetual Calendar, meaning consumer value is a little less of a front facing issue. It remains to be seen what the individual price will be once the 03SERIES has a solo launch – or when some daring flipper puts just this out to the open market.

H. Moser Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Passion Fruit

When Project Passion was being initially pitched, it was the Minute Repeater, not the Perpetual Calendar that was suggested as the H. Moser subject watch. However, Meylan felt that the Perpetual Calendar was a better fit because it has been a staple model in the Moser stable since way back in 2006. He felt that being able to compare the relatively traditional watch from 2006 with this riot of colour would be a fun way to mark how far the company has come in the last 18 years. It also shows how much changing a few details and colours here or there totally changes the character of a watch.

The dial consists of two parts, a purple brushed lower portion and an enamel fumé raised section in golden yellow. Adding a spark of visual interest to the piece is the fact that certain sections have been left exposed: the date window, small seconds subdial and power reserve indicator. Together these are a square, circle and triangle, an extra bit of play with the shape language of the piece.

Another aesthetic detail is the fact that the months indicator is green, like the stem of new growth in a passion fruit. This is mirrored on the Studio Underd0g via the green tipped chronograph subdial hand. Turning the Moser over to reveal the exhibition caseback reveals one last dash of colour via the yellow and purple leap year indicator along with the HMC 800 calibre, the same movement as used in the original 2006 model. It continues to impress with its 7-day power reserve courtesy of a double barrel system. Plus, it has all the usual Moser hand finishing.

Together, the Project Passion watches cost CHF 59,000 (approx. £52,900) and as mentioned they are only available in 100 limited edition sets. As I’ve been writing this article, I’ve been monitoring your live reactions to our post regarding the launch on Instagram and I can already see that it’s proving a little divisive – though nowhere near as much as the MoonSwatch. In general terms it seems that people like the concept of the collaboration in principle but that the colours are a bit too garish and not to everyone’s tastes. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or join the conversation on Instagram.

More details at H. Moser & Cie.

It was only the other week when Jaeger-LeCoultre launched the Master Grande Tradition World-Timer, that I thought about the fact that JLC haven’t produced a multi-time zone watch in a while. In the current collection there’s only the Grande Tradition (which is extremely exclusive) and a handful of Master Control references. It’s about time then for a new one in the form of the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Geographic. At the same time, they’ve also released some additional colourways for existing Polaris models.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Geographic

The Geographic is, to all intents and purposes, a worldtimer. It features a second time zone sundial at 6 o’clock that overlaps a 24-hour day/night indicator, allowing you to keep track of multiple time zones at the same time. At the very bottom of the dial is an aperture that shows a prominent city from each of the world’s 24 time zones, and by rotating this scale with the crown at 10 o’clock, the second time zone dial will automatically adjust itself to display the time in that city. It’s a little more elaborate that your standard GMT-based worldtimer.

Aesthetically, it follows the same style as last year’s Polaris Chronographs with its concentric fumé rings. Here they’re presented in ocean-grey lacquer, which is a new colour for the Polaris. It’s really nice, sitting in that transitional space between grey and blue, like slate. Adding points of emphasis are the red accents on the triangle markers, power reserve indicator and seconds hand.

The dial is housed in a 42mm steel case with the broad, brushed lugs and polished facets that help to give the Polaris its bold, sporty appearance. Enhancing that sportiness is the rubber strap, although I do wonder if it might look nicer on a steel bracelet. The case also protects the movement, which is the Calibre 939 with 70-hour power reserve, stunningly crafted. Although that does result in a price tag of £14,800.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Date & Perpetual Calendar

Alongside the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Geographic, JLC have launched a pair of existing Polaris watches in fresh colourways. The first of which is a Polaris Perpetual Calendar in pink gold with a gradient green lacquer dial. It feels very autumnal with the pinks and faded greens, although I suppose you could also flip that to being like the gentle bloom of new growth for spring. In short, a watch you can wear all year round, which is kind of the whole point of a perpetual calendar. It’s priced at £47,800.

The second addition is for the standard time and date model in the same ocean grey as the Geographic. Since the colour is new, it makes sense to add it to an existing edition alongside the new model to capture more of the hype. If you like the colour but aren’t planning the travel the world, you don’t have to buy the world timer model. It’s also a touch more affordable at £10,200, although that’s still very much a JLC price.

More details at Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Another year, another raft of Rolex Day-Dates. We gleaned that these would be plentiful from the Crown’s teaser and we can finally say… yes. There are Date-Dates. Essentially, this is Rolex plugging a few holes with some much-needed variations that they’ve until now missed. So, without further preamble, let’s check them out.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 Ombré Dial

Ombré dials aren’t all that new to Rolex’s line-up; their take on elegant fume was previously available on the Day-Date 36. Annoyingly though, it was only available at that size and with diamond hour markers. Here, it’s made its way into the larger men’s size and in a particularly handsome slate grey colour that they’ve not used before. It’s a lovely, subtle transition from grey to black at the edges and suits the rose gold case to a tee.

As ever it has the deconstructed Roman numerals and cyclops date window. In fact, other than the dial, there’s nothing new here. Which is fine, not everything needs to be ground-breaking. I mean, it would be nice if something were, but perhaps they’re leaving that to the Perpetual 1908 collection.

Inside is the calibre 3255 automatic, the current generation of Rolex’s in-house with all the Chronergy, Paraflex, Parachrom, Superlative Chronometer Certified goodness that entails. That includes a 70-hour power reserve and a +2/-2 seconds per day accuracy. All good stuff.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 Mother-of-Pearl

Another first for the larger Day-Date size, this time a 40mm white gold case has been paired with a gorgeous pearlized mother-of-pearl dial. It’s a particularly fine mother-of-pearl at that, making for a light iridescence that most men – especially in the kind of watch you’ll want to rock in the evening – can get away with. You might need to be a bit more confident to get away with the baguette-cut diamond hour markers, but they definitely work nicely with the pearl.

Otherwise, it’s business as usual. It has the same movement as the Ombré, the same 50m water resistance and the same President bracelet, more or less unchanged since the original in 1956.

Rolex Perpetual Day-Date 36 White Lacquer

Sharing goes both ways it seems as the new, smaller Day-Date size now includes the same deconstructed Roman numerals that were, until now, reserved for the larger models. Like I said, Rolex is plugging a few gaps in their expansive Day-Date line. In this case, that’s paired with a 36mm yellow gold case and a white lacquer dial, clean, crisp and elegant.

I actually love this watch. Yes, it’s not the most interesting release in the world, but the 36mm sizing is prime dress watch territory and I love those numerals. There’s something to be said for colouring within the lines. Which in this case, once again means the calibre 3255 and a president bracelet. Good, wholesome stuff.

Rolex Perpetual Day-Date 36 Teal

It’s not just the different Day-Date sizes this year’s release slate borrows from. Last year the Sky-Dweller came out in a very particular shade of blue-green that finally made me actually want one of the complication watches. It’s an intense teal and now it’s made it’s way to the dressier (and slightly more accessible) Day-Date 36.

I’m happy to see more of the colour – I have a living room wall painted something similar, so I need a watch to match. What I don’t really like is that it only comes with a diamond-set bezel and diamond indexes. Give it to me with those deconstructed numerals! Alas, it’s just not to be.

Either way, it’s a nice looking, glitzy watch with the same bells and whistles as everything else this year. Calibre 3255, President bracelet, the lot, wrapped in a 36mm Everose gold case.

More details at Rolex.

While IWC’s star launch of Watches & Wonders 2024 is the Portugieser Eternal Calendar, a star is only as good as its supporting cast. Fortunately, the extremely rare secular perpetual calendar is backed up by a trio of regular perpetual calendars, which is about as strong of a retinue as you could ask for. IWC have really gone all out on the horological royalty this year. So, let’s check out the new IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44.

Perpetual calendars have been a mainstay of the Portugieser collection since they were first introduced more than 20 years ago in 2003. Which means that the four new editions being added to the range are redesigns and new colours rather than being revolutionary new models like the Eternal Calendar. But for all that, the updates are really nice.

Starting with the 44mm case, the peripheral case ring has been thinned, making for a slimmer side-on profile and a more refined construction. Although the overall thickness remains the same as the previous model at 14.9mm. Plus, new box sapphire crystals on the front and exhibition back make it very elegant and easy to see both the dial and the movement.

The new case is available in a choice of two metals. The first is 18k white gold and the second is 18k Armor Gold. Armor Gold is IWC’s proprietary rose gold alloy that has an improved micro-structure, making it more hard-wearing than traditional golds. The white gold has been paired with the silver horizon blue and khaki dune dial options and the Armour Gold® is available with the black and silver-white dial options.

Speaking of the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44’s dials, there have been aesthetic updates there too – not just the new colours that IWC have used across the majority of their launches at Watches and Wonders this year. The rich, glossy finish has been achieved using 15 layers of transparent lacquer, making for an exceptionally smooth appearance on the main body of the display as well as the recessed subdials. The display itself is crammed full of information with day, date, month, moonphase, hours, minutes, seconds and a power reserve indicator all featuring. But the clear typography and wide spacing makes it very legible.

Beneath the updated dial is a familiar movement, the IWC manufacture calibre 52616, which has been their high spec perpetual calendar movement for several years at this point. However, it’s still class leading with a 7-day power reserve and pellaton winding. Having such a large power reserve is a godsend for a perpetual calendar, where resetting the watch can sometimes be an absolute pain.

In terms of price, the two Armor Gold editions of the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 are CHF 45,000 (approx. £39,000) and the white gold versions are slightly more at CHF 48,000 (approx. £42,000). Neither comes close to the Eternal Calendar I mentioned in the introduction, which is up at CHF 150,000, but that’s due to its improved movement and platinum case. It’s rare that you’ll see a release that makes a gold perpetual calendar look affordable in comparison. Ultimately, I think the four additions to the line up offer solid quality of life improvements to the range and the new colours look great.

More details at IWC.

In watchmaking, calendar complications are everywhere. Technically your time and date watch is a form of calendar, although the least prestigious kind as it needs resetting five times a year whenever a month doesn’t have 31 days. Essentially, the less often a calendar watch needs correcting the more prestigious it is, as it means that it can mechanically account for the nuances and peculiarities of the Gregorian Calendar. At the absolute pinnacle of calendar watchmaking is the secular perpetual calendar, a complication that IWC have attempted for the first time with their new watch, the Portugieser Eternal Calendar.

In order to understand why the secular perpetual calendar is so impressive, you need to understand how the Gregorian calendar works across centuries of time. Unsurprisingly, it all comes down to leap years – the phenomenon whereby every four years an additional day is added to the end of February. However, there’s also a nuance whereby in centenary years there is only a leap year if the year is also divisible by 400. So, the year 2000 was a leap year but the years 2100, 2200 and 2300 won’t be, and then the year 2400 will be. A standard perpetual calendar will assume that all of these years are leap years, which is why you’ll often see brands saying the next time their perpetuals need updating is the year 2100.

A secular perpetual calendar can account for these centenary years, skipping three leap years across a 400 year period. That means they will stay accurate to the Gregorian calendar indefinitely. In fact, the only limitation and the reason brands can’t advertise that their watches will be accurate forever, is that humanity itself hasn’t decided if the year 4000 will be a leap year or not. These watches are even rarer than perpetual calendars and we don’t exactly have perpetual calendars coming out of our ears.

The IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar accomplishes this by adding a new module consisting of 8 parts to its perpetual calendar movement. This module is called the 400-year gear and quite simply it’s a gear that completes a rotation once every 400 years and which has 3 indentations that cause leap years to be skipped. Considering the social media furore that rocks up every four years of collectors sharing their perpetual calendars ‘doing the thing’ on February 29^th, imagine the anticipation of the owner of a secular calendar at the dawn of a century. A once in a lifetime horological experience.

However, that’s not the only impressive mechanical feat of the Eternal Calendar as it’s also equipped with a new hyper-accurate moonphase mechanism. The engineers at IWC simulated over 22 trillion possible gear train configurations to find the most accurate possible mechanism and the resulting moonphase will only deviate by a single day after 45 million years. To put that into perspective, humanity has existed for around 300,000 years, which equates to approximately 0.7% of 45 million years. This level of accuracy borders on inconceivability.

Since we’ve already talked about the movement so much already, let’s continue. It’s called the IWC manufacture calibre 52640 and it’s an automatic movement with a 7-day power reserve. Which is an absolute blessing because all of those amazing technical feats of accuracy are pre-requisite on the watch staying wound constantly. If the watch stops working because of the power reserve then obviously it won’t keep time properly and will need resetting. A reliable watch winder definitely a worthwhile investment here.

Zooming out from the movement at the core of the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar, we come to the case and dial. The watch has a 44.4mm diameter x 14.9mm thick case made from platinum with a double-box glass sapphire crystal. Glass is an important material because the white lacquer dial is also made from it, giving certain elements like the Double Moon™ phase a translucent property.

The display itself is fairly conventional for a perpetual calendar. It has central hour and minute hands, with the moonphase at 12 o’clock with a scale and hemisphere indicator. At 3 o’clock is a subdial for power reserve and date, at 6 o’clock is months, between 7 and 8 is the year and lastly at 9 is the small seconds and days of the week.

It’s priced at CHF 150,000, making it one of the most expensive watches in IWC’s current range, similar to the Lewis Hamilton Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph, another platinum timepiece. The Eternal Calendar is a seriously impressive piece of engineering, backed up by a display that’s fairly industrial with its translucent glass, bordering on ascetic. A dedication to watchmaking as a science.

More details at IWC.

Ask me what my favourite A. Lange & Söhne collection is and I’m liable to immediately say something like the Lange 1 or Odysseus. However, if you give me a moment to think about it I actually think it would be the Datograph. There’s something magnetic about the way Datographs manage to balance a hugely complex dial with pure elegance and great legibility. And now, 25 years after the first Datograph, Lange have released a new edition called the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen.

It features a 42.5mm diameter case made from Lange’s honeygold, which is their patented gold alloy notable for being particularly hard wearing and having a rich pink-yellow colour. However, of more importance is fact that this watch is part of the Lumen series, a collection of 6 limited edition references with translucent dials and luminescent functions for a dramatic appearance in both day and night.

For the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen that means the hour, minute and chronograph seconds hands, tachymeter, date, moonphase and subdials are coated with lume. The subdials each feature a trio of complications superimposed on top of each other. At 8 o’clock is the small seconds with days of the week and day/night indicator. At 4 o’clock is the 30-minute timer, months and leap year indicator. The amazing thing is that despite cramming such a huge amount of information into a relatively small portion of the dial, it looks very neat.

The movement powering all of those functions is L952.4, the latest generation of the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon calibre that was first debuted in 2016. It has manual winding and operates with a power reserve of 50-hours, which is pretty impressive considering that there are several power intensive complications present between the tourbillon, perpetual calendar and flyback chronograph.

In terms of pricing and availability, the A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen is limited to 50 pieces and is price on request. I think my favourite thing about the Honeygold Lumen edition of the watch compared to previous versions is actually the combination of the translucent black dial and luminescent subdials that give the piece a reverse panda aesthetic. It adds a greater sense of dynamism to the display as opposed to the mono-colour variants that have come before.

More details at A. Lange & Söhne.

Audemars Piguet has announced a fleet of new releases for 2024. The highlights for these 2024 novelties include the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer” made in collaboration with the famous singer and the Sand Gold Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41mm in a brand-new gold alloy.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer”

Following on from the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar x Travis Scott Audemars Piguet have been quick to continue their range of musical collaborations with the release of the new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar x John Mayer. Mayer is typically associated with Rolex due to the John Mayer Daytona, but while that one is a nickname, his name is actually attached to this Royal Oak. A perpetual calendar in white gold with a 41mm diameter and a “Crystal Sky” dial.

That dial is produced using a highly involved combination of high-tech production techniques. First the brass dial is embossed using a stamp that was formed using electroforming, which means it was create atom by atom, resulting in an exacting and precise pattern. The dial is then coated in a deep blue PVD layer with a metallic sheen that makes the dial glitter and glimmer as light plays across it. The result is a dial that has a similar appearance to aventurine glass except that it’s far more complex and has a captivating 3D texture.

Powering the watch is the calibre 5134, a movement that first debuted in 2015. The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer” has been confirmed to be the last limited edition watch to house this movement, so its retirement is imminent almost a decade after its first use. It has a 40-hour power reserve with manual winding and beats at a frequency of 2.75 Hz. It’s limited to 200 pieces and is price on request.

Audemars Piguet Sand Gold Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41mm

The big news here is the launch of a new proprietary alloy of gold, which Audemars Piguet are calling sand gold. It falls on the spectrum between white gold and pink gold, which results in a very pale yellow tone. It’s an 18-carat alloy consisting of gold, copper and palladium that’s designed to be less susceptible to discolouration than other types of gold.

This new allow has been introduced on the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41mm, a model first released in 2022. It measures 41mm in diameter and features a skeletonised dial revealing the calibre 2972. It’s a pretty stunning movement with a 65-hour power reserve and automatic winding. It’s also interesting to see the three-dimensional architecture created in matching sand gold instead of the traditional materials used in movements.

As you’d expect from a watch with such intense skeletonization and haute horological flying tourbillon calibre, the Sand Gold Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41mm is price on request.

More details at Audemars Piguet.

Frederique Constant have teamed up with British watchmaker Peter Speake (a name you may recognise from the brand he founded, Speake-Marin) to create the latest timepiece in their Manufacture collection of high end luxury and haute horology watches. The new watch is the Frederique Constant Slimline Perpetual Calendar ref. FC-775PS4S6, a steel coloured version of the DLC-coated watch they launched at the tail end of 2023. The new limited edition is one of the few skeletonised watches I’ve seen that manages to be understated.

The case of the Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is largely where the new edition differs from the previous version as it features bare steel in a 42mm diameter. It makes for a much more classical aesthetic as opposed to the sporty, urban vibe black coatings tend to give watches. Although steel isn’t exactly a true dress watch material such as white gold. However, steel is more robust than gold would be, which is a pretty substantial benefit in its own way. So, in my opinion it makes for the best of both worlds, classy and durable.

As for the dial, which was designed by Speake, it’s elegantly skeletonised with an openwork display showing the mechanics of the movement below. The use of a limited colour palette consisting of silver, anthracite and black is great, accented by the occasional prick of colour from either the blued screws or red tipped hands. The layout consists of central hours and minutes with days in a subdial at 9 o’clock, date at 3, months and leap year indicator at 12 and moonphase at 6. I like the execution of the leap year indicator because it’s disguised as the regular index for February except that in a leap year it turns red.

Visible through the Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture in steel’s dial is the FC-775 automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve. A fairly low power reserve by most standards but not terribly uncommon for a power intensive complication like a perpetual calendar that’s operating half a dozen functions simultaneously. It’s also decorated with a combination of circular graining, perlage and Côtes de Genève, making it look fabulous from dial side or through the exhibition caseback. Through the caseback you can also see the blue rotor and the attribution that it was designed by Peter Speake.

Then we come to pricing and availability. The Slimline Perpetual Calendar Manufacture is £10,995 with only 135 pieces being produced. Overall, it’s a very refined and understated perpetual calendar, which plays into Peter Speake’s reserved personal style of watchmaking. Especially compared to watches like the Frederique Constant Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar that have more of that FC flavour. The Slimline Manufacture feels like a perpetual calendar you buy because you want a perpetual calendar rather than a perpetual calendar you buy because you want an expensive watch, which appeals to me on a level of horological appreciation.

More details at Frederique Constant.

Knowing the time is only one thing a watch can do. Sure, it’s the one we use more than any other, but more complicated calendar watches can tell us the date, too. Some can even factor in the day of the week. There are some however that go even further, loading the dial with the information you’d normally only find on your calendar – not only the day and date, but month and in some cases, years.

These calendar watches are among the most impressive complications in the watch world. However, not all are built the same, with varying layers of complexity, usefulness and, of course, price. So, read on if you want a guide to knowing the differences between the various types of calendar watches, the levels of complexity that makes them so extraordinary and why perpetual doesn’t always mean perpetual. Don’t forget to check out our favourite calendar watches from last year while you’re at it.

Complete Calendar

IWC Portofino Complete Calendar

The simplest of the calendar complications – if anything showing this much information could be described as ‘simple’ – the complete calendar (sometimes called the triple calendar) is the first offering the almost full suite of day, date and month. They’re considered the entry level in that it’s relatively straightforward in conception: it marks off 31 24-hour periods, before restarting for the next month.

Unfortunately, our calendar is weird and not every month has 31 days. In fact, if you learned your rhymes at school, you’ll know that five of them don’t: February, April, June, September and November. This means that your complete calendar watch needs to be adjusted five times a year. Oh the inconvenience.

Vacheron Constantin Complete Calendar

This fact is actually what really separates all three of the main calendar complications. It’s relatively straightforward to add more wheels onto the date; it’s a whole other matter to take into account shorter months and the absolute weirdo that is a leap year. For those of us less concerned with that level of accuracy however, or obsessively keeping the watch wound, the complete calendar offers plenty of useful information – sometimes also including a moon phase – at a far more accessible price point.

Annual Calendar

A. Lange & Sohne 1815 Annual Calendar

While it’s easy for us to remember which months have 31 days and which oddities have 30, it’s a lot more difficult for a mechanical watch that really, really wants to keep things nice and regular. So, in order to account for the variation, the movement has to be ‘programmed’. Obviously, that doesn’t involve linking a Lange to an app on your phone; instead, it’s done with a weirdly shaped month wheel.

This wheel has specific notches denoting the shorter months so that, when one of those months appears, the movement understands to skip day 31 and move straight onto the next month.

Patek Philippe 5035

Surprisingly, this is actually more recent a complication than its bigger brother, invented as it was in 1996 by Patek Philippe in the Ref. 5035, and only needs to be adjusted for February. That particular version’s not the be-all and end-all however, as there is a version of the annual calendar that also takes a 28-day February into account (Audemars Piguet calls it the Quadriennium) but the concept’s the same. Neither factors in the four-year leap year cycle.

The end result is that most annual calendars need to be adjusted once a year and the February-programmed version once every four years. Those four years however are the difference between the annual calendar and true high complication status.

Perpetual Calendar

Thomas Mudge invented the perpetual calendar pocket watch in 1764

It’s a point of pride that no matter what anyone tells you, the perpetual calendar mechanism was developed by British watchmaker Thomas Mudge. Others might say Abraham Louis Breguet (if you ever get asked who invented a complication, he should be the default answer) and he definitely popularised it in the courts of France, but it’s Mudge that got there back in 1762 and it was put in a wristwatch in 1925 by, of course, Patek Philippe in the 97975.

Patek Philippe 97975 (the first perpetual calendar wristwatch) introduced in 1925

So, as you’ve already surmised, the difference between a perpetual calendar and the rest of its less sophisticated ilk is the fact that it takes into account a leap year. So, it’s worth briefly going over what a leap year actually is.

Basically, it comes from forcing our calendar to fit nature. A year might seem 365 days long, but the Earth actually takes 365.25 (ish) days to orbit the sun. This means that if left to its own devices, the Gregorian calendar would gradually shift out of sync with the seasons as our place in the solar system makes a nuisance of itself. So, we came up with the little cheat of adding an extra day to February every four years. It’s a simple trick for most of us to grasp; a watch, less so.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar

There are actually a number of ways to make the concept work. They can have a 48-month cam instead of the usual 12-month, with an extra level of notch for the anomalous 29-day February. You can have a 12-month wheel a la the annual calendar, but with a separate cam for the leap year that makes one revolution every four years. Or you can integrate a Maltese Cross satellite to manage February. This last option is particularly cool. It’s basically a square integrated into the 12-month wheel with a protrusion on one side. Every year, it’s forced to make a 90 degree turn so that, on a leap year, the protrusion makes the movement count 29 instead of 28.

No matter how they’re done, perpetual calendars are a work of sheer mechanical ingenuity – with a price tag to match. They’re the pinnacle of what most brands offer, with grand maisons like Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet offering gorgeous versions, while independent watchmakers get ever more outlandish with the concept.

Secular Perpetual Calendar

Andersen Geneve Secular Perpetual

The problem with most perpetual calendars is that they’re not actually perpetual. You see, another quirk with our not-at-all-confusing calendar is that centurial years – years ending in 00 – are only leap years if they themselves are divisible by 400.

In the obsolete Julian calendar, this wasn’t the case, and every four years was a leap year, regardless. This however gave us too many leap years, shifting us forwards in seasons rather than compensating. This is why we now use the Gregorian calendar (introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII), which adds the ‘divisible by 400’ rule. So this means that the year 2000, 2400 and 2800 are leap years; the centurial years between are not. perpetual calendars therefore need to be adjusted to compensate. A secular perpetual calendar however, does not.

Furlan Marri Secular Perpetual Calendar, Only Watch 2023

The most recent example of a Secular perpetual calendar is the Furlan Marri Piece Unique, created for Only Watch 2023 (soon to be Only Watch 2024, pending their finances). They achieved the concept using the integrated Maltese Cross method on a wheel that counts 100 years. It’s an inspired take, and one that only needed five new parts added onto the ‘base’ perpetual calendar.

Given Furlan Marri’s usual place as an uber- accessible watch brand and the resurgence of calendar watches in general, this likely won’t be the last time we see Secular perpetual calendars in the near future.

There’s been a lot of news related to superhero films today, not all of it good. After an extended will they, won’t they fire him, Marvel has finally dropped Jonathen Majors after his trial. For once it’s the DC Extended Universe coming in with the positive news as the launch of the new Aquaman film approaches, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In celebration of the launch, IWC have released a new timepiece in collaboration with the film, the Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month.

Prototypes for the watch can be seen in the film on the wrists of the villains Black Manta and Dr Stephen Shin (No, not Dr Stephen Strange, he wears a JLC). It’s interesting to see a watchmaker team up with the villains of a film considering we’re used to seeing collaborations like Omega and James Bond. But the dark designs with glowing red or blue accents suit the aesthetics of the super villains particularly well.

The IWC x Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month that is available to buy is a little different, featuring a greater range of complications and utility as opposed to the film watches’ focus on aesthetics – similar to Hamilton’s timers from Tenet and the real-world limited editions. Although just like the film, there are versions of the watch with red or blue accent colours. Honestly, there is a lot going on with this watch so let’s get into the specifics starting with the case.

In terms of size, the watch is pretty large. It measures 49mm in diameter and is made from Ceratanium, IWC’s propriety material that combines structural properties of titanium and the scratch resistance of ceramic. Ironically for a watch dedicated to a sub-aquatic world with a dive watch style, it only has 100m water resistance.

Aesthetically, it’s very bold and technical with wide pushers and an internal rotating bezel featuring a dive timer. Interestingly it’s a case where the internal bezel is entirely stylistic because it’s operated via the normal means of the uni-directional external bezel as opposed to a secondary crown.

You’ll likely have noticed in the name of the watch the phrase “Digital Date-Month”, it’s worth clearing up that this watch is not actually digital or electronic in anyway. The term Digital Date-Month is simply referring to the fact that the date and month functions are both given in numeric form on discs that rotate through static windows. As opposed to a hand rotating to point at the relevant markers in analogue fashion.

As a perpetual calendar, the date and month indicators won’t need correcting for close to 100 years while accounting for leap years and the quirks of Gregorian calendar – for which there is also an indicator positioned on the small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. But wait, a perpetual calendar doesn’t typically require a small seconds subdial so what’s going on? Well, completely omitted from the watch’s name is the fact that it’s also a chronograph. There’s a chronograph seconds hand mounted centrally and a chronograph minutes and hours subdial at 12 o’clock. All of the hands, numerals and markings on the watch are either red or blue depending on the edition.

Powering the IWC x Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month is the IWC-Manufacture Calibre 89802, an automatic movement with a 68-hour power reserve. That’s an impressive power reserve for a perpetual calendar chronograph. It’s visible through the exhibition, although the movement itself has a relatively pared back appearance with fairly understated finishing that helps maintain the quasi-industrial appearance of the villain gear.

Both versions are limited to 25 pieces. As for price, it’s £51,600, not unexpected for a perpetual calendar, but still not insubstantial. The watches are exclusively available from select IWC boutiques.

As for a final opinion on the launch, the IWC x Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month is far more interesting than its simple black and red or black and blue colourways suggest. It’s technologically advanced, robust and features a unique display in IWC’s range. Honestly, these watches are much more interesting than any film the DCEU has put out in the last few years.

More details at IWC.

Now that we’ve established what various calendar watches actually are (unless of course you’ve skipped all the text to get to the pictures of pretty watches), it’s time to look at some recent examples of how complete, annual and perpetual calendars have been executed.  It’s worth noting that, thanks to the sheer complicated nature of most calendars, it’s generally only the big brands that can really tackle them, be they established giants of the watch world or esoteric high-end independents.

That in turn means that there are some seriously beautiful watches involved. And a couple of disclaimers. Firstly, I won’t be including one-offs, so no Furlan Marri Secular Perpetual Calendar; that was for Only Watch. Hopefully they release it to the mainstream, but only time will tell. Secondly, it has to have day, date and month at the very least. Moon phase not necessary, but appreciated. Now, with that all out the way, let’s get on with looking at the best calendar watches of 2023.

The Citizen Group have opened their first flagship store in New York, a multi-brand location where you can purchase watches from Accutron, Alpina, Bulova, Citizen, and Frederique Constant. It’s a landmark moment that’s being celebrated by the launch of new watches from Alpina and Frederique Constant. Frederique Constant’s offering is the Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Limited Edition.

It’s been an exciting year for Frederique Constant because they’ve really focussed on their high-end horological timepieces in honour of their 35^th anniversary. In November they released the rose gold edition of the Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture which they’ve followed up on with this new limited-edition version in steel. Steel, to me, has always been the natural material of the Highlife as it emphasises its cool integrated bracelet, sports watch aesthetics. The case itself measures 41mm in diameter and is water resistant to 100m.

While it’s nice to see the case in steel, unsurprisingly that the most significant feature of the tourbillon perpetual calendar model is the dial. It has a matte blue colouration with the signature Highlife globe pattern embossed into it. Although you would only recognise that the globe pattern is present if you’re familiar with the regular Highlife because it’s heavily obscured by the tourbillon at 6 o’clock and the perpetual calendar indicators.

Those indicators are months and leap year at 12 o’clock, date at 3, small seconds at 6 o’clock on top of the exposed tourbillon and days of the week at 9. They’re powered by the FC-975 manufacture calibre, which is visible through the sapphire exhibition caseback. It has automatic winding with a 38-hour power reserve, which seems low on the surface but you have to remember that it’s both a tourbillon and perpetual calendar, both of which are power intensive complications.

Only 88 Frederique Constant Highlife Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Manufacture Limited Editions are being produced. And presumably they’ll be available from the new New York flagship boutique they’ve been launched in celebration of. In terms of price it’s £23,995, making it one of the most expensive pieces in the Highlife collection which normally sits in the £1,500-£3,000 bracket. But then, that’s to be expected for an haute horological edition.

More details at Frederique Constant.

Do you know what the first ceramic watch was? Richard Mille, Hublot perhaps? Surely Rado? The self-proclaimed Master of Materials loves the stuff on every watch it does. But no, it’s a watchmaker that, while it certainly has expertise in materials, it’s better known for its heritage designs. I’m of course talking about those incredibly German Swiss watchmakers over in Schaffhausen, IWC. And it probably wasn’t a collection you might expect – as you’ll discover as we delve into world of the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Lake Tahoe for a thorough review.

Ceramic is incredibly scratch resistant and hard-wearing. It makes sense that it would be in something designed to be tough, to survive a serious impact. Something like a pilot watch or sports watch – words which encompass about half of what IWC does between the Pilot’s and Ingenieur. Instead, the first ceramic watch ever built was a Da Vinci.

While less high-profile than its other collections, the Da Vinci line has historically riffed on its namesake inventor as testing ground for crazy horological ideas. In 1969, it was the first collection to feature the Swiss quartz would-be Seiko killer, the Beta 21, inside the reference 3501. In 1985, it welcomed IWC’s first mechanical perpetual calendar (designed by the inimitable Kurt Klaus) and a year later the world’s first ceramic timepiece.

IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Ref. 3755 in black and white ceramic (1986)

Now, quick technical aside. I mentioned Rado in the introduction and the 1962 Diastar was billed as the world’s first scratch-proof watch, made from ceramic. Sort of. Its make-up was actually tungsten carbide, a metal-ceramic mix used for machining. It’s a lot easier to work with than zirconium oxide ceramic, the purest form of the material used in the Da Vinci. Now you know.

The Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar in black ceramic set off a series of ultra-hard, kiln-fired innovations for IWC, including a white edition just a year later – a colour of ceramic that has kicked off a bit of a ceramic renaissance for the brand recently.

IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition

When the bright white and forest green ceramic Top Gun pilot’s watches launched last year, there was plenty of discussion in the office about which we preferred. I loved the white version, dubbed the Lake Tahoe after the body of water near the Top Gun base. Most of the others seemed to opt for the green, the slightly safer option. Well, I don’t want to say I told you so, so I’ll just write it here and hope my colleagues don’t read it because the white version was by far the bigger hit.

In fact, I’ve spotted the Lake Tahoe’s magnesium white case in the halls of Geneva’s Palexpo (outside of the year it was launched, of course) and the beaches of Marbella. One of my colleagues even spotted it on a brewery tour of New York. You can barely find them in an IWC boutique and pre-owned they’re going for a solid percentage above retail. Apparently, its big, bold and unapologetic look struck a chord. Now it’s back and equipped with a perpetual calendar, bringing IWC watchmaking full circle back to that 1986 white ceramic Da Vinci model, in the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Lake Tahoe.

Image credit: Instagram

Side note: this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this watch. Well before its actual launch, there were rumblings of a shiny new watch on Lewis Hamilton’s wrist. It was hard to miss as it was downright massive, enough that IWC must have known word would get out. In fact, they probably hoped for it. Apparently IWC’s design ethos is: does Lewis like it? Now I’ve got it on my own, slightly less famous wrist, it turns out it’s a solid approach.

A Big Pilot part of IWC’s collection aimed at the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor programme – better known as Top Gun (yes, the very same) – the new Lake Tahoe Perpetual Calendar is a big chunk of white ceramic. In essence, it’s a recolour of the previous, sandy, Mojave version but while that kept things toned-down, that’s not the case here.

The high contrast look covers everything, from the indexes and numerals to the calendar functions. Those functions, just so you know, are date and power reserve at 3 o’clock (date on the outer ring, reserve on the inner), month at 6 o’clock, day and minutes at 9 o’clock and dual hemisphere moon phase at 12 o’clock. The year is nestled out of the way at 7:30.

It’s a lot of information, about as much as can be displayed on a watch face, even when it’s a piece as big as this – a hefty 46.5mm across. But between the size and the high contrast colourway, it’s as legible as can be. And yes, it feels just as big on the wrist as the specs suggest, with its oversized, fluted, cockpit-ready crown.

Honestly, while Lewis can pull it off, I cannot. I want to, I adore the eye-catching white and black, the sheer impact of the watch, but it’s just not comfortable for someone whose go-to is 38mm. Still, given IWCs do tend to err large, for most collectors used to the watchmaker, you’ll get on with it nicely.

Onto the movement and it’s a serious heavyweight. I’ve already run down the functions, which goes some way to explaining the amount of watchmaking that goes into a perpetual calendar, one that won’t need setting for 577.5 year – aside from the usual chronometric drift inherent in mechanical movements. It’s a real successor to Kurt Klaus’s groundbreaking 80s calibre.

I do have a slight issue with the inclusion of a perpetual calendar in a pilot’s watch, especially a military one. They’re meant to show only vital information and be easy to read at a glance. The only complication that regularly crops up is a chronograph and even that’s idiosyncratic in what’s generally a field watch for the cockpit. I understand why brands do throw the kitchen sink into their pilot’s watches (there’s a market for them), but I guess I’m just a bit too much of a purist to be entirely comfortable with it.

Personal gripes aside, the real issue with a perpetual calendar is having to set it again when the watch runs down, but with IWC’s calibre 52615 that’s less of an issue. The phenomenal movement has a full seven-day power reserve and quick, efficient winding with IWC’s signature Pellaton winding system. In short, you only need to wear it once a week to stop it winding down.

Obviously, all this means the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Lake Tahoe has a serious price tag: £34,900 to be precise. Though honestly, given the sheer size and high complication here, that’s not as bad as I was expecting. Thanks to the power reserve and winding system of the movement, it’s one of the most practical perpetual calendars out there (albeit one that probably doesn’t belong on a pilot’s watch), while the bright white, Lake Tahoe ceramic is as stunning as it was when we first saw it last year.

You could say that between its Da Vinci flavoured heritage and combination of aviation, ceramic and high watchmaking aspects, the Big Pilot’s Lake Tahoe Perpetual Calendar is the ultimate sum of IWC’s parts. I mean, I wouldn’t, but you could.

The A. Lange & Söhne catalogue is deceptively large so when news emerged of a new Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar in platinum, I half thought one had already been launched this year. A quick research revealed that I was mixing up the 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar and Lange 1 Time Zone Platinum in my head. Although, if you were to mix those two watches together you would indeed get the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar Platinum.

Structurally, the new piece has the same design as the original Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar from 2021, which means it has a 41.9mm diameter case with a gorgeously sweeping round shape and relatively subtle, but not insubstantial, lugs and crown. Of course, there is a prominent difference in that the new edition is made from platinum, one of the most prestigious precious metals, renowned for its purity and density, both of which make it easier to maintain than gold equivalents.

The second major update to the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar Platinum is the black dial. The original models were anthracite or salmon and compared with those the black makes for a strong, bold statement. It’s dark and sleek, especially with the contrasting finishes of the grained subdials. The black colour also emphasises the rich colour of the moonphase located towards the bottom left of the display. As for the other functions on display, you have the main hours and minutes off-set to the right, in the top left is a big date window above a retrograde days of the week indicator. At the very bottom is the leap year indicator alongside the indicator for the peripheral months ring.

Powering these myriad complications is the Calibre L021.3, an automatic movement with a 50-hour power reserve. There are 621 parts in this movement, which is easy to believe looking through the exhibition caseback where you can see the immaculate finishing. The golden rotor is intricately engraved and the Glashütte stripes on the plate look fantastic. It really feels like the back of the watch is far more ostentatious than the front, which is in keeping with A. Lange & Söhne’s Saxon sensibilities.

Like the vast majority of A. Lange & Söhne Perpetual Calendars, if not all of them, the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar Platinum is a boutique exclusive and price on request. In my opinion, this is the nicest version of the watch they’ve produced so far, although I wouldn’t be surprised to see some white or silver dial variants in future as we’ve already seen on models like the Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar.

Baume et Mercier aren’t exactly strangers to the Perpetual Calendar, having a couple in their collections already, but still, they’re not the first brand that comes to mind when you think of haute horology either. Now they’ve expanded their calendar collection with a new limited edition, the Riviera Baumatic 10742 Perpetual Calendar.

As part of the Riviera collection, this is part of Baume et Mercier’s integrated bracelet sports watch line. That means it has a 40mm diameter in steel with a combination of polished and satin brushed finishing and a broad dodecagonal bezel. It has incredibly strong seventies influences with that industrial Genta-esque aesthetic seen on watches like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, what makes this watch stand out from other Rivieras is the dial, which is where we find the perpetual calendar display. It consists of four subdials nested around the central hours, minutes and seconds hands. Those subdials are month and leap year indicators at 12 o’clock, date at 3, moonphase at 6 and days of the week at 9.

The Riviera Baumatic 10742 Perpetual Calendar has a gilded dial in a yellow gold tone with vertically brushed finishing. I kind of feel like it would look a little better if it was a salmon rose gold rather than the pale yellow they’ve gone for. But then again, maybe salmon would make it look a little too classic instead of the current vibrant sporty edge it has. So on balance I’m a fan.

Beneath the surface is the Baumatic calibre, an automatic movement with a 5-day power reserve and equipped in this instance with a Dubois-Dépraz perpetual calendar module. The exhibition caseback reveals its golden rotor and perlage finishing, which is a type of circular graining that to be honest I haven’t seen used on many watches this year. It feels like it’s fallen out of favour, replaced by Côtes de Genève – it’s quite nice to see it used here.

The Baume et Mercier Riviera Baumatic 10742 Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition is priced at £16,990 and is limited to just 50 pieces. That’s obviously vastly more expensive than your average Riviera but it’s important to keep it in context, for a perpetual calendar it’s an absolute bargain. It’s also not as pricy as their other perpetual calendars despite being much cooler, although that probably has more to do with the steel case.