Count Down to the New Year with These 6 Exceptional Perpetual Calendar Watches

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As the clock ticks down to midnight, marking the beginning of 2025, why not celebrate with a cutting-edge timepiece? Here are six exceptional perpetual calendar watches released after 2021.

Count Down to the New Year with These 6 Exceptional Perpetual Calendar Watches (2021-2024)

The perpetual calendar watch is a testament to human ingenuity and precision. We have covered the topic on our listicles before. Here are previous publications in the following years:

It seems that both Robin and Peter are perhaps obsessed with perpetual calendars. Hold that thought! Now with 2025 on the horizon, we once again curate a selection of the most remarkable perpetual calendar timepieces. And once again, this article is presented by Peter. This time, selecting only on watches released from 2021-2024. From iconic brands to cutting-edge designs, discover the crème de la crème of watchmaking.

Patek Philippe Ref. 5236P-001 Perpetual Calendar (2021)

Patek Philippe rules the roost, with this exceptional perpetual calendar. The blue dial with the black gradation to the periphery has a harmonious contrast against the silvery shimmer of platinum case. The vertical satin finish adds a complementary textural element to the visual spectacle that is the dial. But none of this beauty steals the thunder from the in-line calendar display. Right in the center, just above the mid-point of the dial is the world’s first in-line display of the day of the week, date and month. Patek has found a way to declutter the dial, to make a very intuitive perpetual calendar display.

    While the single-line calendar display may not seem like a big deal, it kind of is from a technical perspective. The in-line mechanism alone require 118 additional parts in comparison with a conventional perpetual calendar display, including several bridges and wheels with jewel bearings that reduce energy consumption, especially of the two date disks. To keep all the indications on one plane without any overlap, a display system composed of two co-planar double ball bearings was developed, for which a patent application has been filed. The synchrony of the two date disks is optimized with an “anti-double-jump” feature for the units disk to prevent disk bounce in the event of a jolt or when a date correction is being performed (second patent application). The transition from the 31st day to the 1st day of the next month is the subject of the third patent application for a mechanism that immobilises the units disk.

    Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-thin (2023)

    The first Piaget Polo to receive a perpetual calendar. This comes in the form of a perpetual calendar module bolted over the ultra thin 1200P ultra thin movement to give rise to the new caliber 1255P. The signature Polo case is pleasing to the eye. And we particularly love the green dial with its thinly ruled  gadroon pattern of horizontal lines which are punctuated by the sub-dials and the indices. The gadroons have been a Piaget Poloi signature since 1979. Each of the sub-dials are set in their own polished frame, as are the indices.

    The dimensions are absolutely well chosen, and the 42mm case with its 8.65mm thick wears nicely and comfortably on the wrist. The watch looks very nice and luxurious. And despite the need to show the entire calendar indicators on the dial, legibility is not compromised.

    Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton (2022)

    Hailing from 2022, the VC Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton is a magnificent exemplar of the art of the perpetual. This release is now rendered in a pink gold case, like the original reference that won the GPHG prize, but with a sapphire dial with blue accent elements.

    The Overseas case is rather interesting to sport a complication. After all, it is designed to be a sporty watch. But in this case, it does go along perfectly. The travel oriented intentions for the line is ably supported by the perpetual calendar, which might be a useful tool for the itinerant globe trotter. The watch is self winding, thin enough to slip unnoticed under the cuff of a shirt, and presents the owner with full calendar information. And in a magnificently finished package. Will be a joy to watch the year tick over.

    IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar (2024)

    IWC took a giant leap with their Portugieser Eternal Calendar this year. Not only is the perpetual calendar but at the heart of the Eternal Calendar is the Secular Calendar, a more complicated version of the Perpetual Calendar which takes into account and keeps the entire cycle of leap years for a whole 400 years, instead of the usual 100 years. And then there is the world premiere of the most accurate moonphase display ever – a mind boggling error of just 1 day every 45 million years!

    And that gorgeous dial! Some have critiqued that the legibility is not great, but I found this to be not true. The box sapphire lets in plenty of light, and the sapphire glass sub-dials with printed indications are clear and legible. I have always loved, perhaps partial to the swallow hands of the Portugieser. The watch is presented in the traditional, and always aesthetically pleasing Portugieser case, which completes the picture of elegance, grace while packing a technical heart.

    Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual (2024)

    This is a tour de force year for Jaeger-LeCoultre. The revival of the Duometre lineup is a welcome return after many years that the maison spent in high horology draught. And though a revived piece, the Heliotourbillon Perpetual features a new and exciting three axis tourbillon movement in a newly re-designed case.

    For a perpetual calendar watch with a good portion of the dial real estate being dedicated to the magnificent tourbillon, the face is still very legible. The dial shows a good balance of radial and aperture displays to convey a host of information concisely. Flip the watch over, and the spectacle continues. Finishing is very good, with attention to detail. From the sunrayed Geneva stripes that radiate seamlessly across the gaps, their edges are hand-bevelled and polished. To the screw heads visible on the surface are either heat-blued or mirror polished, and the wheels which are circular brushed while the main plate is decorated with perlage. Though lacking in inward angles, the movement features numerous outward angles are present.

    An excellent flagship for the maison.

    A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual (2021)

    This was a watch which Günter Blümlein told me was impossible to make. A perpetual calendar display shown on the asymmetric dial of the Lange 1. Well, not absolutely true. The first time Lange challenged themselves and made it possible is with the Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon 2012. Though not quite. The dial is flipped, and the asymmetry has the hour and minutes on the right side like the Daymatic, instead of the left side in the regular Lange 1s. This was, and still is the only Lange tourbillon which is not displayed through an aperture on the dial, but only to be admired from the case back. A kind of perverse snobbism which I am totally supporting!

    And even so, my pick to close the article for today (certainly not the least!) is the non-tourbillon version released in 2021. Two versions were released then. A gorgeous salmon dial (ahem, Lange insists we call it pink gold dial, which is as German as can be, as it is a descriptive label. The dial is solid pink gold) in a white gold case, which is a limited edition of 150 pieces and a regular edition for the permanent collection in a pink gold case and grey dial.

    I wrote this in the original review and still stand by it:

    “This is a truly magnificent watch. The aesthetics are spell binding. Captivating. The play of the colours of white gold and the pink gold dial is sublime. The thought process behind putting the perpetual calendar module around the dial, so that the aesthetics of the Lange 1 (Daymatic) can be preserved cannot be over emphasized. And the execution…is near perfect.”

    Concluding thoughts

    Ring in 2025 with one of these exceptional perpetual calendar watches, showcasing the latest innovations in watchmaking. Though this is not a spectacle as worthy as a leap year turn over, the joy of watching your watch turn over from 31 December 2024 to 1 January 2025 will still be a nice treat!

    Happy New Year!


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