The perpetual calendar, or quantième perpétuel, presents some of the finest, most complicated and most respected watchmaking ever conceived. It gives the wearer the profound ability to tell the time accurately over the course of a century so long as the movement is wound and has sufficient power reserve left in its barrels. It is as trivial as it is an obsolete complication, yet we continue to lust over these micro-mechanisms as though they're literal works of art. Which they entirely are.
Some may look at the perpetual calendar as being a super fine and delicate piece of watchmaking, and while it definitely is, you can be sure that there are robust examples out there that are ready to take on the rigours and knocks of day to day wear.
Here are 8 fantastic perpetual calendar examples that you can wear every single day.
Patek Philippe 5740/1G Nautilus Perpetual Calendar
Brand: Patek Philippe
Model: Nautilus Perpetual Calendar
Reference: 5740/1G-001
Case: 40mm x 8.42mm
Case Material: White Gold
Water Resistance: 30m
Calibre: 240 Q
Calibre Provenance: Manufacture
Frequency: 3 Hz
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Price: USD152,010
Arguably one of the best modern interpretations of the wearable perpetual calendar, the Patek Philippe 5740/1G Nautilus Perpetual Calendar perfectly combines a fairly robust exterior with super fine watchmaking. It's as about as low-key a high-end perpetual calendar timepiece you'll find, but blurs the line between something so upper echelon it's unwearable and a watch you can genuinely wear every single day.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
Brand: Audemars Piguet
Model: Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
Reference: 26574ST.OO.1220ST.03
Case: 41mm x 9.50mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Water Resistance: 20m
Calibre: 5134
Calibre Provenance: Manufacture
Frequency: 2.75 Hz
Power Reserve: 40 hours
Price: CHF95,200
In any of its multiple variations, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar carries a significant amount of prestige and persona. Its proportions nigh on perfection, it's beautifully balanced dial is as legible as it is lustful, and when you look at the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in totality, not much else can come close to it as being a very serious contender for that illustrious title of a one-watch collection timepiece.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar
Brand: Jaeger-LeCoultre
Model: Polaris Perpetual Calendar
Reference: Q9088180
Case: 42mm x 11.97mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Water Resistance: 100m
Calibre: Calibre 868
Calibre Provenance: Manufacture
Frequency: 4 Hz
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Price: AUD58,500
Heralded as the star of 2022, the year it was released, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar continues to hold its own as a more than capable perpetual calendar piece that you can wear day in, day out. Its many attributes include perhaps the most important: a genuinely interesting perpetual calendar from one of the most esteemed modern watchmaking maisons. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar is an exercise of brilliance and restraint, paired with durability for a robust and soundly done timepiece.
IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Ceratanium
Brand: IWC
Model: Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Ceratanium
Reference: IW503604
Case: 46.20mm x 15.40mm
Case Material: Ceratanium®
Water Resistance: 60m
Calibre: 52616
Calibre Provenance: Manufacture (Base 52010)
Frequency: 4 Hz
Power Reserve: 168 hours
Price: AUD78,000
From IWC is the Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Ceratanium. I struggled to choose from the many variations of the Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar, with the Top Gun Ceratanium edging out the Rodeo Drive Limited Edition model, but only by just. The IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Ceratanium is big, bold and full of interesting details, making it a highlight of the atelier and a clear stand out on this list.
H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Perpetual Calendar
Brand: H. Moser & Cie
Model: Streamliner Perpetual Calendar
Reference: 6812-1201
Case: 42.30mm x 11mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Water Resistance: 120m
Calibre: HMC 812
Calibre Provenance: Manufacture (Base HMC 343)
Frequency: 2.5 Hz
Power Reserve: 168 hours
Price: CHF49,900
A wildcard of sorts is the H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Perpetual Calendar. With a polarising but widely accepted visceral design, the H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Perpetual Calendar is a stylised rendition of a perpetual calendar in its simplistic form. No sub-dials or dial markers leaves little to the imagination, where the H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Perpetual Calendar can hold the title as being the ultimate IYKYK perpetual calendar.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar
Brand: Vacheron Constantin Overseas
Model: Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin
Reference: 4300V/220G-B945
Case: 41.50mm x 8.10mm
Case Material: White Gold
Water Resistance: 50m
Calibre: 1120 QP/1
Calibre Provenance: Manufacture (Base 1120)
Frequency: 3 Hz
Power Reserve: 40 hours
Price: £98,500
How could I not feature the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar alongside Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet's equivalents. Also available in a variety of metals and dial colours, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar is an exceptional piece that perfectly balances proportions, symmetry, finishing and genuine technical brilliance.
Panerai PAM715 Luminor Perpetual Calendar Platinumtech
Brand: Panerai
Model: Luminor Perpetual Calendar Platinumtech™
Reference: PAM00715
Case: 44mm
Case Material: Platinumtech™
Water Resistance: 50m
Calibre: P.4100
Calibre Provenance: Manufacture (Based P.4000)
Frequency: 4 Hz
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Price: AUD109,700
This list's heavyweight, literally, is the Panerai PAM715 Luminor Perpetual Calendar Platinumtech. With a somewhat polarising look, the Panerai PAM715 Luminor Perpetual Calendar Platinumtech is a wonderful proposition from a maison that does some very interesting things with a platform that is as iconic as it is recognisable. Great to see Panerai continuously pushing the boundaries.
Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin
Brand: Piaget Polo
Model: Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin
Reference: G0A48005
Case: 42mm x 8.65mm
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Water Resistance: 30m
Calibre: 1255P
Calibre Provenance: Manufacture
Frequency: 3 Hz
Power Reserve: 42 hours
Price: AUD95,000
Last but certainly not least is the Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. With the KISS method in full effect, the Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin is about as legible a perpetual as you would want while marching to the beat of its own unique drum.
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