The better and most complete perpetual calendar
2022 is a leap year.
The Gregorian calendar we use now is the Gregorian calendar that has been used since 1582. The Gregorian calendar displays 12 months with varying numbers of days, 28, 30 and 31 days. Every year that is evenly divisible by 4 is a leap year, except for years that are evenly divisible by 100, and cross-century years that are evenly divisible by 400 are leap years. The so-called "there is no leap year in a hundred years, and there are leap years in four hundred years." For example, 1700, 1800, and 1900 are not leap years, but 2000 is.
According to the Gregorian calendar, there are 365 days in a year. January, March, May, July, August, October and December each year are big months with 31 days each; April, June, September and November each year are small months with 30 days; February in leap years has 29 days. February in ordinary years has 28 days.
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What is a perpetual calendar used for?
It means that it can automatically identify the big month (31 days), the small month (30 days), and February (28 days) in a year, and then it can automatically identify leap years every 4 years (a leap year will be after 3 ordinary years) . February in ordinary years has 28 days, and February in leap years has 29 days. (Leap) function watch every 4 years. Such a magical intelligent operation is not completed by electronic programs but entirely by mechanical operation, which is even more magical.
For a mechanical watch with a perpetual calendar function, if the watch keeps running normally without stopping, it will not need to be adjusted for at least 100 years? - Of course, the average watch owner will not live that long?
One of the oldest perpetual calendar watches in history, Patek Philippe’s 3940. The date and moon phase are indicated at 6 o’clock, the day of the week is indicated at 9 o’clock (with a 24-hour indicator at the same time), and the month and leap year are indicated at 3 o’clock.
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The history of perpetual calendars?
In 1762, one of the oldest perpetual calendar pocket watches in history was created by British clockmaker Thomas Mudge.
In 1864, Patek Philippe’s perpetual calendar pocket watch came out.
In 1884, Vacheron Constantin produced one of the brand’s perpetual calendar pocket watches.
In 1889, Patek Philippe applied for a patent for perpetual calendar technology. This was the last important technology that affected the watch industry during the lifetime of Adrian Philippe, one of the founders of Patek Philippe (he invented the keyless winding chain in 1844). ).
In 1925, the first perpetual calendar watch in history came out. It is also one of Patek Philippe’s perpetual calendar watches (No. 97975). Since then, the perpetual calendar function has been the most important complication of Patek Philippe watches.
In 1941, Patek Philippe’s first mass-produced perpetual calendar watch, the 1526, was launched.
In 1955, Audemars Piguet’s first mass-produced perpetual calendar watch came out.
In 1984, Vacheron Constantin launched one of its mass-produced ultra-thin perpetual calendar watches.
In 1985, the Patek Philippe 3940, which influenced the design of modern perpetual calendar watches, was launched, equipped with the famous Caliber 324SQ automatic perpetual calendar movement. Patek Philippe 3940 is one of the oldest perpetual calendar watches in history. It was not replaced until the advent of 5140 in 2006. Philip Stern, the third generation owner of Patek Philippe, prefers the perpetual calendar as a watch complication. The watch he has worn the longest is the 3940. It has been worn for more than 30 years and is an "indispensable part of Mr. Philip Stern's life." .
In 1985, the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar (also with a chronograph function) came out. It was one of IWC’s mass-produced perpetual calendar watches and one of the first in history to have a year display window. Perpetual calendar watch. At the same time, because the price was relatively “friendly”, IWC’s Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar became the best-selling perpetual calendar watch for a period of time.
After 2000, like the perpetual calendar and the flywheel, many brands began to develop and produce perpetual calendar watches that only a few brands could produce.
In 1762, one of the oldest perpetual calendar pocket watches in history was created by British clockmaker Thomas Mudge
In 1925, the first perpetual calendar watch in history was launched. It is also one of Patek Philippe's perpetual calendar watches (No. 97975)
In 1985, the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar (also with a chronograph function) came out. This is one of the IWC watches. It is the first mass-produced perpetual calendar watch in history, and it is also the first perpetual calendar watch with a year display window in history (this picture shows a split-seconds perpetual calendar, but the early IWC perpetual calendar watch was a perpetual calendar with a chronograph function. 7750 movement based on the perpetual calendar module)
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What’s fun about the perpetual calendar?
As mentioned above, the magical timing function brought about by magical mechanical skills. For those who love watches, especially those technical men and perpetual calendar fans, the last day of February every year is their own holiday? - Look at the February date and jump directly from February 28th to March 1st (general calendar watches include The calendar must be manually adjusted every month including February, and the 30-day small month must also be manually adjusted, because the date disk has a 31-day indication), and the leap year every four years is a big holiday! ?-Looking at the date on the 28th, it jumps to the 29th, which is only in February in leap years, and then looking at the 29th late at night on the 29th, it jumps directly to March 1st! Is this hobby very simple and silly? ?
The perpetual calendar has complex functions and precise mechanical operation. Most perpetual calendar watches are difficult to adjust after stopping. Therefore, most people who have a perpetual calendar watch will prepare a watch turner. When the watch is not worn, the watch turner can be used to wind the watch. This can ensure the normal operation of the perpetual calendar watch and avoid troublesome adjustment of the time. Of course, mechanical watches will have errors, and every once in a while, the watch must be set to time to adjust the error. In this way, your perpetual calendar watch can really run accurately for "ten thousand years". Wear it at any time, and your watch will accurately display today's time, date, week, month, moon phase and other time information for you.
People who like perpetual calendars should also distinguish between "full calendar", "annual calendar" and perpetual calendar. Although the time information displayed on the dial is almost the same, they are greatly different from the perpetual calendar. Differences, especially the full calendar. The full calendar only displays the date, week, and month, but it cannot automatically distinguish between large and small months, February and leap years, so it must be manually adjusted at least 5 times a year (February, April, June, September, and November). The perpetual calendar lacks automatic recognition of February and leap years, so it needs to be manually adjusted once a year (February). The perpetual calendar does not require manual adjustment within a hundred years. Branded annual calendars are sometimes less than half the price of perpetual calendars.
The calendar circle of the simplest calendar is always 31 days. No matter what month you are in, it jumps from the 31st to the 1st of the next month by default. Therefore, February 28 days in ordinary years, 30 days in small months, and February 29 days in leap years must be manually adjusted to March 1. The perpetual calendar watch realizes intelligent automatic jump through complex mechanical operation
The perpetual calendar time information is clear at a glance.
Beautiful Lange perpetual calendar movement
The perpetual calendar function is very complex. Decomposition of the Audemars Piguet 5134 automatic perpetual calendar movement
Those who are obsessed with technology can carefully study the decomposition diagram of the perpetual calendar movement by Frederique Constant to understand the main functional modules of the perpetual calendar function ( Click on the image to enlarge it)
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What is the market price of a perpetual calendar?
Perpetual calendar watches are complicated, and generally mid-level and below-intermediate brands cannot make perpetual calendar watches. Perpetual calendar watches from several brands basically start at 500,000 yuan (Audemars Piguet has a steel model priced at 494,000 yuan, which is even lower).
Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet have the most conventional perpetual calendar watches. Lange and Breguet do not have many conventional perpetual calendar watches, but they have many ultra-complex perpetual calendar watches with other complex functions. Blancpain, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and IWC all have conventional perpetual calendar watches, and the prices are very good, starting at 157,000 yuan. The lower gold price is the Jaeger-LeCoultre series perpetual calendar, priced at 245,000 yuan. Blancpain’s classic series red gold perpetual calendar is also priced at 318,000 yuan. There are many models of IWC Perpetual Calendar. The new Spitfire Large Pilot Perpetual Calendar Watch bronze model is currently in production at a lower price. The price is 223,000 yuan (there used to be IWC Perpetual Calendar watches under 200,000 yuan, which have been discontinued). The most common is the Portuguese series gold model perpetual calendar. The lowest price among them is 283,000 yuan, which is about 40,000 yuan more expensive than Jaeger-LeCoultre’s gold perpetual calendar. Perpetual calendar watches with higher cost performance are available from two mid-to-high-end brands, Frederique Constant and Montblanc. Montblanc originally had a perpetual calendar that was about the same price as Frederique Constant, a little over 90,000 yuan. Now that this model has been discontinued, the lower-priced Montblanc Perpetual Calendar is the Heritage Series Perpetual Calendar, priced at 123,000 yuan for the steel model and 205,500 yuan for the gold model. So among all the mid-to-high-end watches now, the one with the lowest price per perpetual calendar is Frederique Constant’s steel perpetual calendar watch, priced at 89,500 yuan.
Patek Philippe 5320G 631,600 yuan
Vacheron Constantin Heritage Series Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin 610,000 yuan
Vacheron Constantin’s Four-Sea Red Gold Model costs RMB 720,000
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar China Edition costs RMB 611,000
Lang LANGEMATIK Perpetual Calendar Red Gold Model 85,000 Euros
A different Lange Perpetual Calendar RICHARD LANGE PERPETUAL CALENDAR “Terraluna”
Treasure Breguet Classique Classic Series 3797 Flywheel Perpetual Calendar Watch
Blancpain Classic Series Perpetual Calendar Watch, 318,000 yuan
Jaeger-LeCoultre Series Red gold model 245,000 yuan
IWC Portuguese series perpetual calendar watch "150th Anniversary" special edition 297,000 yuan
IWC Spitfire Fighter Large Pilot Perpetual Calendar Bronze Model 223,000 Yuan
Montblanc Heritage Series Perpetual Calendar Gold Model 205,500 Yuan. Steel model 123,000 yuan
Frederique Constant steel model perpetual calendar, 89,500 yuan, lower price Swiss perpetual calendar watch
Kang The price of Stern's gold-plated perpetual calendar is similar to that of the steel model
In fact, the price of Frederique Constant's steel perpetual calendar with flywheel does not exceed 200,000 yuan, 197,500 yuan, which is also extremely high. Value for money
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More perpetual calendar watches
As mentioned above, after 2000, many brands began to have their own perpetual calendar watches. Cousins ??have a lot more choices.
Glashütte Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Watch
Parmigiani Fleurier TORIC QUANTI?ME PERP?TUEL R?TROGRADE Perpetual Calendar Watch
Girard-Perregaux 1966 Perpetual Calendar Watch
Girard-Perregaux Laurel Perpetual Calendar Watch
Piaget Gouverneur Perpetual Calendar Watch
Hublot Big Bang Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Watch-King Gold Ceramic Model
Harry Winston Ocean Series Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar Watch
Graff Perpetual Calendar Watch
Chopard L.U.C Lunar One Perpetual Calendar Watch
With the same movement, another interesting perpetual calendar watch from Chopard: L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit of 'La Santa Muerte' Watches
H. Moser & Cie. Minimalist Perpetual Calendar Watch
Hermès Perpetual Calendar Watch
Ulysse Nardin Classic Ludwig Perpetual Calendar Watch Edition
Jaquet Droz Grand Feu Enamel Dial Perpetual Calendar Watch
This article The recommended perpetual calendars, except for a few complex models, are basically entry-level perpetual calendar watches or main single-perpetual calendar function watches of the mentioned brands. Some of their wonderful and complicated super-complex function perpetual calendars are not included, and at the same time they fail to include more Perpetual calendar watches, including some creative and unique independent perpetual calendar watches. We’ll discuss that later.
After reading this article, how much do you know about perpetual calendar watches?
Welcome to send your reply in the comment area and tell us your favorite three perpetual calendars!
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