Perpetual Calendar Watches · Page 22

A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon: A Machine With Heart And Soul – Reprise

The A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon lives up to its name. It has a date, a chronograph, a perpetual calendar, and a tourbillon. But it has more: this watch has character. Assigning human traits to a cold machine is a – romantic – fool’s errand, but it’s also irresistible in the presence of a masterpiece. A. Lange & Söhne’s warmest watch is more than a machine with a heartbeat. It has soul.

FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Piaget goes PC, Norqain goes wild with NHL, and FC is living the highlife

Another Friday, another Wind Down, another recap of some highlight releases you may have missed this week. Let’s get into them. Piaget presents a perpetual calendar Polo Perpetual calendar complication makes its debut in modern Polo line Features dark iridescent green dial, interchangeable straps, and a slender 8.65mm thickness Priced approximately 4.5x more than the … ContinuedThe post FRIDAY WIND DOWN: Piaget goes PC, Norqain goes wild with NHL, and FC is living the highlife appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

IWC’s New Portofino Calendar Watches are an Incredibly Chic Value Proposition

Wei and Jeremiah take a first look at calendar watches from IWC’s new Portofino collection that feel right at home on the wrist and are available at completely attractive price points. The 40mm Portofino Perpetual Calendar is probably one of the most legible perpetual calendars on the market today and also one of the most […]

Hands On: Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin

Having redesigned the Polo to suit contemporary tastes in 2016, Piaget now debuts most complicated watch in its sports watch line, the Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. With a steel case just 8.65 mm high, it’s dressed in the very current shade of dark green. Though the complication isn’t new for Piaget or even luxury-sports watches more broadly, the perpetual calendar takes the Polo into new territory as an upscale, complicated watch. The model was introduced in 1979 as a chunky watch with a geometric design rendered entirely in yellow gold, reflecting the popular style of the era. Today’s Polo bears little resemblance to its historical namesake and instead opts for a design in tune with today’s preference for sports watches in that aren’t round. Initial thoughts The new perpetual calendar is essentially the same proposition as its simpler brethren in the Polo line – a design and complication similar to more established luxury-sports watches, but at a more affordable price. So it has a patterned dial, cushion-shaped case, matching steel bracelet, and a retail price of US$58,500. That’s a reasonable ask considering its intrinsic features like finishing and complication.  On the other hand, the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5740/1G or recently launched Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin ref. 26586TI cost well into the six figures – but they are also more sophisticated mechanically and executed with much more refinement. In short,...

Introducing: Piaget Updates Their Classic Polo With An Ultra-Thin Perpetual Calendar

Piaget knows thin, and knows style. Can they put it together in a QP?

Piaget Goes Ultra-Thin for New Polo Perpetual Calendar

The trend toward ultra-thin highly complicated watches has reached a fever pitch in recent years, and there’s no sign of that trend slowing anytime soon. Piaget has been at the forefront of ultra-thin watches for many decades, most recently claiming the world’s thinnest mechanical watch with their Altiplano Ultimate Concept in 2020 (which was subsequently broken by Bulgari, and then Richard Mille). This year, they’re returning to the ultra-thin game with a new Polo Perpetual Calendar that measures a mere 8.56mm in thickness. This marks the first appearance of the perpetual calendar complication within the current generation of the Polo, and it should come as no surprise that it works rather well.  The Piaget Polo was redesigned in 2016 with a more refined presentation of their sports watch language. The round case features a slightly squared, TV shaped dial opening creating just enough tension to set it apart in a crowd. This was a notable departure from earlier Polo designs, which have never been shy about embracing their era. The newest Polo design feels timeless to my eye, but history will be the judge there. The design has shown flexibility, with the openworked Skeleton Automatic, and even on the very high end housing the brand’s ornate minute repeater in this Polo Emperador. The Polo Perpetual Calendar is the most complex Polo to date, and effectively uses the 42mm case to showcase their take on the QP. The information is presented in a clear and easy to unde...

Introducing the Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin

New and reviewed: Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-thin

Ahead of Watches & Wonders 2023, Piaget announces the new Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin as an addition to the iconic Polo lineup.

Introducing: Audemars Piguet's Most Complicated Watch Ever: The New Code 11.59 Universelle RD#4

A total of 23 complications – including a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, grand and petite sonnerie, flyback chronograph, and tourbillon – show AP's prowess as a true watchmaker of ultra-complicated watches.

Audemars Piguet Introduces the Code 11.59 Minute Repeater Supersonnerie Smoked Sapphire Dial

Besides the Universelle grand complication, Audemars Piguet has another ace up its sleeve when it comes to its line of round watches. Originally launched a blue enamel dial, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Minute Repeater Supersonnerie gains sharper aesthetics with a smoked sapphire dial and a pink gold case. Initial thoughts A big part of the appeal of a repeater is the mystifying mass of racks and levers that drive the chiming mechanism and are most often hidden under the dial. Unveiling their secret is sometimes best done with the direct approach of not having a solid dial. A clear sapphire dials is arguably perfect it for a repeater, because the complication is usually constructed on the movement’s dial side. Unlike other frontal complications such as perpetual calendars, chiming complications are highly interactive – the racks are set in motion during the chiming sequence in a mechanical dance, all while the chimes sound, a performance that elevates the appeal of the complication. And for the Code 11.59 specifically, the tinted sapphire dial works especially well. Matched with high-contrast pink gold, it is an ideal complement for the case design as it blends an otherwise classical complication with contemporary livery that matches the modern styling of the case. As a result, the new repeater is one of the most appealing watches in the Code 11.59 range, with an intrinsic appeal that few of its brethren possesess. Contemporary package While retaining the same...

Hands On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Ref. 26586TI

Audemars Piguet’s recent launches are mostly variations on a theme, but done well and strongly appealing, as exemplified by the Royal Oak “Jumbo” with a grained dial. The Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin 41 mm is exactly that. Based on the thinnest-perpetual-calendar-ever #RD2 of 2018, the model was first presented in the two-metal combo of titanium and platinum a year later. But now it returns entirely in titanium, an arguably superior presentation that more low key thanks to an all-brushed finish and strikingly lightweight. The clever cal. 5133 inside allows for a case just 6.2 mm high Initial thoughts The new perpetual calendar is probably the best of AP’s new releases. It combines a clever, original movement with the iconic case design, packaged in a compact, lightweight, and mostly discreet manner. While this perpetual calendar is no longer the thinnest in the world – it was trumped by Bulgari last year – it is still remarkably thin. At 6.2 mm high, the case is almost a quarter slimmer than that of the Royal Oak “Jumbo” ref. 16202. As a result, this feels like a wafer on the wrist, a feeling accentuated by the lightness resulting from the all-titanium case and bracelet. Because it is entirely titanium, this does away with the mirror-polished components that were platinum in the preceding model. This results in a more traditional Royal Oak finish that is slightly more restrained and certainly more elegant. The other element new to th...

Audemars Piguet Introduces the Code 11.59 Universelle

Undoubtedly the flagship of its recent new launches, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Universelle is the brand’s most complicated wristwatch in recent years – or perhaps ever. A project that began in 2016, the uber-complication rooted in history: it is a tribute to L’Universelle, the grand complication pocket watch from 1899 made by AP for German watchmaker Union. But the watch simultaneously pushes the brand’s modern-day watchmaking to the limit, particularly in terms of miniaturising highly complex mechanisms. The Universelle is available in two guises, the open dial above and the solid dial pictured further up Officially one of the brand’s Research and Development timepieces – the model is also known as the RD#4 – the Universelle is an exercise in combining into a single wristwatch all the traditional mechanisms that constitute a grand complication, and then some – perpetual calendar, rattrapante chronograph with flyback, tourbillon, and grande et petite sonnerie with minute repeater. L’Universelle on display in the Audemars Piguet Museum Initial thoughts An assuming name that means little to anyone who doesn’t understand the historical inspiration, Universelle is a horological behemoth that captures AP’s industrial and mechanical capability. Though it has a highly modern design, the Universelle harks back to a bygone era of high watchmaking that prized highly complicated watches incorporating as many features as feasible into a (barely) wearable...

AP Social Club Day 2: 40 functions, 23 complications, ONE WATCH?!

New RD#4: Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Universelle boasts 40 functions and 23 complications in one watch. Royal Oak Concept debuts in 43mm size with split-seconds chronograph GMT. New Royal Oak Perpetual Colander Ultra-Thin has a smoky-blue dial exclusive to the model As if yesterday’s announcements had not already satiated our appetite for new Audemars Piguet pieces, … ContinuedThe post AP Social Club Day 2: 40 functions, 23 complications, ONE WATCH?! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

From Here to Eternity: The Secular Perpetual Calendar

Calendar and Moonphase Award 2022: De Bethune DB25 Perpetual Calendar 40mm

Why the jump hour display of the Louis Vuitton Spin Time shook the watch world

Watches. They broadly tell the time, but the way in which they do so is where things get interesting. You have your minimalists, which strip things down to the barest of elements: an hour and minute hand. Once you begin to add complications, like a second hand, a chronograph function, day/date apertures, perpetual calendars, and … ContinuedThe post Why the jump hour display of the Louis Vuitton Spin Time shook the watch world appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Sports Chic Award 2022: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Blue Ceramic

De Bethune DB25s QP: Near Perfect Is Now Perfect!

When De Bethune released the new DB25s Perpetual Calendar at Geneva Watch Days 2022, the main talking point was just how much the model had shrunk from its previous iterations to become a more perfect proportion. And like any good diet consultation, it was the result of careful and deliberate attention paid to the watch as a whole and how components worked with each other.

Behind The Lens: Patek Philippe Advanced Research Reference 5550P Perpetual Calendar – Reprise

The Patek Philippe Advanced Research Reference 5550P is a truly lovely perpetual calendar with some interesting technical twists.

HANDS-ON: The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is a salmon-dialled beauty

While Vacheron Constantin’s contribution to the watch world has mostly been focused on the Overseas and the newly re-introduced 222, the Geneva-based maker has quietly refreshed a highly complicated model. First released in platinum in 2016, and then pink gold a year later, it’s been five years since we saw the last update to the … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is a salmon-dialled beauty appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hands On: IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar

IWC has a suite of instantly recognisable models synonymous with the brand, namely the Pilot’s Watches and of course, the Portugieser. But one collection does get as much recognition as its peers, despite being almost 40 years old. Named after the famous seaside city in Italy, the Portofino was introduced in 1984 (though the inaugural model didn’t yet have the Portofino name at the time) as an oversized pocket watch-style wristwatch, something of a clarion call to persist with mechanical watchmaking after the Quartz Crisis. Now the brand has revived one of the classics from the line with the Portofino Perpetual Calendar. At 40 mm in diameter, it’s the most compact of IWC’s perpetual calendars and is equipped with an in-house movement from the 82000 family. Initial thoughts The perpetual calendar is a sought-after complication for its utility but also its aesthetics, especially when it includes a moon phase, which adds a touch of romanticism to the design. IWC’s latest take on the complication is straightforward, practical, and priced reasonably enough. In fact, it’s essentially a visually-simplified version of the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42, which uses the same movement but inside a larger case. While not revolutionary in technical terms, the Portofino Perpetual Calendar is a solid performer with a concise design. It retains all the features that made the 1990s original appealing but adds a few contemporary touches in both design and the in-house base m...

HANDS-ON: The new IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar IW344601 and IW344602

Most people associate IWC with pilot’s watches, which makes total sense due to their rich aviation history and classics like the Mark and Big Pilot series. But with their Portugieser and Portofino collections, IWC prove they still know how to appeal to dressier sensibilities. The latest duo of Portofino watches, the IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The new IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar IW344601 and IW344602 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Christie’s Hong Kong Auction

Having looked at some of the most fascinating pocket watches and clocks on offer at Christie’s Important Watches auction that happens soon in Hong Kong, we now turn to attention to the genre that many collectors are now pursuing, independent watchmaking. As expected, amongst the offerings going on the block are works from the big names like F.P. Journe, Richard Mille, and H. Moser & Cie. But beyond the usual suspects, the sale also encompasses hidden gems, like the highly complicated tourbillon perpetual calendar by Gerald Genta presented as a Cartier Pasha. The Important Watches auction (lots 2306-2523), including watches from The Triazza Collection, begins at 1 pm on November 27 – the catalogue is available here. It’s followed by the second session (lots 2201-2282) offering watches from The Champion Collection at 7 pm – see the full catalogue here. The fully-engraved Gerald Genta movement inside the Cartier Pasha Lot 2382: Cartier Pasha Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Considered one of the most successful watch designers of the 20th century – though his most influential designs were for Audemars Piguet and the Patek Philippe rather than his own – Gerald Genta was also responsible for some of the most complicated watches of the 1980s and 1990s when his namesake brand was at its peak. In fact, the Genta brand was so proficient at making highly complex watches that Cartier tapped Gerald Genta as a movement supplier for its top-of-the-line complications in the 19...

Patek Philippe Introduces the Jewelled Ref. 5271 with Sapphires or Rubies

Patek Philippe has introduced two variants of its classic paired complication: the Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5271/11P and Ref. 5271/12P are set with blue sapphires and rubies respectively, with each having a graduated finish dial in a matching colour. Both new references retain the look and feel of the ref. 5270 but certainly pack a punch with their flamboyant jewelled cases. The first serially-produced gem-set variants of the reference in 11 years, the new pair joins the existing diamond-set ref. 5271P as the bling versions of Patek Philippe’s archetypal complication. Initial thoughts Much of the excitement over new releases from Patek Philippe tend to be centred on its sports watches nowadays but that’s not all that the brand has been doing. At Watches & Wonders in March, the brand launched a new version of the longstanding ref. 5270 that featured a smoked green dial that was widely applauded (no doubt in part due to the current popularity of the colour). But the recent launches left me wondering, what else can Patek Philippe do to up its game beyond its mastery of complications? Well, now we have an answer. In terms of the design, the new ref. 5271s retain the classic layout and distinctive feel of the perpetual calendar chronographs that the brand is known for, but with a few adjustments to the dial that give it a more contemporary feel. And then the coloured gemstones transform a watch that is ordinarily sedate into something over the top. While gem-se...