2021 selection-our favorite annual perpetual calendar watch
Elegant, modern, ultra-thin, technical or classic…but all of these will make your life easier when adjusting the date!
As we get closer to the end of 2021, we continue our series of buying guides to check out the best watches of the year in each category. The best chronographs we have seen, the best independent watchmaking, the best traveler’s watches and more. Today, we take a closer look at one of our favorite complications, the perpetual calendar. As a must-have for high-end watchmakers and one of the most classic haute horological complications, this year we released some particularly attractive perpetual calendar cheap watches.
Patek Philippe INLINE PERPETUAL CALENDAR 5236P
Patek Philippe knows a thing or two about the perpetual calendar… For decades, this complex function has been greatly embodied in the brand’s series. The latest addition is the display about it, the so-called In-Line perpetual calendar. The brand pays tribute to the long-established model with the model 5236P, and displays the calendar in an extremely easy-to-read slim window below the 12 o’clock position, showing the day of the week, the date (on two discs) and the month. Mechanically, this is not simple, it requires a new movement based on Ref. 5235 calendar adjuster. And the design… the clean, sharp platinum case is combined with the modern linear brushed gradient blue dial, using a minimalist approach. The perfect interpretation of contemporary elegance.
41.3 mm X 11.07 mm-950 platinum case-blue-black gradient dial, vertical polishing-caliber 31-260 PS QL, indoor, automatic, 38H, 48 hours power reserve, online QP with day, date and month, leap year Cycle and day/night display, moon phase display-shiny navy blue alligator leather strap
IWC BIG PILOT’S WATCH PERPETUAL CALENDAR TOP GUN
Another perpetual calendar, another completely different appearance. Big and bold, almost provocative, and made of innovative materials… This watch is certainly meaningless to some enthusiasts, but this irrationality is why it is on our list. Although Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar is a classic of the brand, this new version adds some special features. In fact, Kurt Klaus’s extra-large display and ultra-clear display movement are now housed in IWC’s innovative Ceratanium, a material that combines the lightness and structural integrity of titanium with the hardness and scratch resistance of ceramics. . And now, it is not only used in watch cases, but also in bracelets for the first time. And this all-black theme fits the overall spirit of this IW503604.
46.2 mm X 15.4 mm-Ceratanium case (titanium alloy with matt black ceramic treatment)-Matte black dial-Caliber 52615, indoor, automatic, 7-day power reserve, QP and date, week, month, year on 4 Digits, permanent moon phases in the northern and southern hemispheres – Ceratanium bracelet
Glashütte Original SENATOR EXCELLENCE PERPETUAL CALENDAR SALMON
Glashütte Original Glashütte Original Senator Perpetual Calendar has been in the brand collection for 22 years. It has a variety of shapes and colors, but always has the same original display. This new version relies on the evolution of “excellence”, which means a powerful and ultra-precise automatic basic movement that has been executed in different ways-from almost sporty to classic golden elegance. This year, the brand paid tribute to its enduring QP, launching a rather eye-catching version that combines a stainless steel case with a striking salmon-colored dial with blue application elements and instructions. This comparison is of course far from the standards of the German Academy of Design, but the result is not only attractive, but also proves that Glashütte’s team can see farther than usual. Visually refreshing, mechanically impeccable.
42 mm X 12.8 mm-stainless steel case-galvanized rose ivory dial with blue steel accent-caliber 36-02, indoor, automatic, 100H power reserve, QP and panoramic date, week, month, leap year day, moon phase- Blue Louisiana Alligator Leather Strap
A. LANGE & SÖHNE LANGE 1 Perpetual Calendar
Technically speaking, this is not the first time the perpetual calendar has been seen on the iconic Lange 1 watch of A. Lange & Söhne. But until recently, this calendar mechanism was always paired with a tourbillon regulator, becoming the most complicated watch in the Lange 1 range. The situation has changed in 2021, the arrival of Lange 1 only focuses on the calendar display. The beauty of this watch is that although QP requires multiple indications, ALS has managed to keep Lange 1’s off-center (and iconic) display alive. Everything has been carefully adjusted, and the calendar indications are cleverly placed on or around the dial. Inside is an automatic movement derived from Daymatic, making it a practical QP. If the classic version-pink gold case, gray dial-is attractive, then the limited edition white gold with pure pink gold dial, as shown in the picture, is simply delightful…
41.9 mm X 12.1 mm-18K white gold case, solid 18K rose gold dial (18K rose gold and gray dials are also available)-Lange caliber L021.3, indoor, automatic, 50-hour power reserve, QP, date and day of the week , Month and leap year, moon phase display with integrated day/night indicator – dark brown alligator leather strap.Review cheap watch