Credits: Article and images by Chris Malburg @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/03/10/perpetual-calendars-what-they-do-and-what-most-dont-do/
—————————————————————————————————–
Bovet
For some time now I’ve had a soft spot for Bovet and Pascal Raffy, the man behind the manufacture (see Accidents Happen: Inside The Horological Emergency Room At Bovet).
Admittedly, these pieces reach the upper end of the price spectrum – even for perpetual calendars. Two of my favorites from Bovet include the following.
Bovet Récital 22 Grand Récital
At a cost of more than $450,000, this is a serious collector’s piece. It demonstrates the merging of horological art and astronomical science. Truly, a beautiful piece.
And complicated. It has the traditional correctors used to adjust each display individually. However, it has something else that’s both unique and incredibly convenient. The Bovet engineers developed a pushpiece located between the upper lugs that simultaneously adjusts all the timepiece’s functions. So if the watch has been stopped for four days, just press this pushpiece four times and the perpetual calendar and tellurium functions adjust simultaneously.
Bovet Récital 21 Perpetual Calendar with retrograde date
The Bovet Récital 21 Perpetual Calendar with retrograde date is one of the simpler models in the Recital collection. Adding interest is the sloped case – what Raffy calls the writing desk slope case.
Like all Bovet movements, the one powering this watch is hand-decorated to the most exacting standards. The blue dial showcases Bovet’s artisanal virtuosity. The designers chose a blue circular brushed finish on the central subdial for hours and minutes and the cutaway for seconds.
Since first introduced in 2015, this dial treatment has been a standout both in color and depth. Note also how the seconds subdial and hand sweeps under the central dial. It’s a clever design feature, one not often seen.
De Bethune DB25 Perpetual Calendar
The DB25 is De Bethune’s designated calendar collection. The pieces in this collection all employ the same base caliber but different case metals and dials.
The DB25 Perpetual Calendar provides the classic perpetual calendar information: day, date, month, and leap year designator. For the DB25, De Bethune used a leap year indication aperture nestled at 12 o’clock in the moon phase subdial.
The hands are also curved, an oft-seen De Bethune design feature. It adds another dimension of artistry to the piece.
Within this collection, my favorite is reference DB25QPAWS8 with white gold case and anthracite dial. It shows an understated, yet extraordinarily elegant combination of colors and function.
Greubel Forsey QP à Équation
One of the most innovative perpetual calendars of recent years is the Greubel Forsey QP à Équation.
As well as offering an equation of time indication, its calendar displays are read linearly day-date-month and all functions can be set easily both forwards and backwards so no messing around with individual pushers.
Conclusion
The perpetual calendar is an engineering achievement. Wearing one makes a statement about the owner’s horological knowledge, taste, and respect for the craft.
Perpetual calendars are informative, but they also provide a benchmark for where the business of watchmaking has evolved since the first Thomas Mudge perpetual calendar pocket watch in 1762. Then in 1925 when Patek Philippe developed the first perpetual calendar wristwatch. And today, where we see the same information conveyed in increasingly sophisticated styles and applications.
Quick Facts Jaeger-Le Coultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Enamel reference 13035E1
Case: 39 x 10.44 mm, white gold
Dial: blue enamel over guilloche, applied hour markers
Movement: automatic Caliber 868A/2, 46-hour power reserve, 28,800 vph/4 Hz frequency
Functions: hours, minutes, hacking seconds; perpetual calendar with month, day, date, four-digit year, moon phases in both hemispheres
Limitation: 100 pieces
Price: $53,000 / €55,000
* This article was first published on April 4, 2020 at Perpetual Calendars: What They Do And What Most Of Them Don’t Do.
You may also enjoy:
Annual Calendars Are Goldilocks Complications: Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold, Just Right
5 Fantastic Perpetual Calendars Perfect For February 29, 2020
Credits: Article and images by Chris Malburg @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/03/10/perpetual-calendars-what-they-do-and-what-most-dont-do/