6 of the best perpetual calendar watches

Russell Sheldrake

We cover all forms of watchmaking here at Time+Tide, and what is often considered a pinnacle of the profession is the perpetual calendar. Almost exclusively reserved for the highest end of the industry, these complex calendars take years to perfect and have a long history reaching back to the 1700s. While many of these watches may be outside of our budgets, that doesn’t mean we can’t admire them longingly, and understand what makes them so special. Many of the QPs (or “quantième perpétuel”) watches on this list come from the most historic brands still in operation, however, there are a couple of modern takes, that show there is still innovation left in this ancient corner of the watch world.

History of the perpetual calendar

We could do a whole long-form article on the history of the perpetual calendar – and in fact we have. For more detail, I greatly encourage you to go and read Borna’s fine work, but here’s an abridged version… The perpetual calendar was introduced by English horologist Thomas Mudge in 1762. It would take another 163 years before it would end up on the wrist, thanks to the Patek Philippe ref. 97975. From there, it would be a slow pick up given how complex the mechanism was, but for decades, Patek would prove to be the master of the perpetual calendar, putting into production versions with chronographs and ultra-thin examples, making the complication a cornerstone of the brand.

It would take decades for the complication to see any real development or change with the minds of Kurt Klaus and Dr. Ludwig Oechslin being two of the big names in modern perpetual calendar development. One of those two we will be talking about more further down. Today, this creation of high horology makes up the top offerings from many brands, with their ability to keep the correct date until the year 2100 as standard, as they account for leap years. All that remains is to discover some of the most compelling pieces we see on the market today.

Ochs und Junior Perpetual Calendar

Above, I mentioned the name Dr. Ludwig Oechslin. After working on a refinement of the perpetual calendar system that would be used by Ulysse Nardin, he would establish his own brand named Ochs und Junior. This brand stands out for its minimalist interpretations of classical time displays and its take on the perpetual calendar is no different. Gone is the classical sub-dial layout, instead we have a series of moving dots and dials with single lines to show the date, month, leap year, and power reserve, without a single numeral or letter in sight. A small feature of this watch, which can often be missed, is the control dot found between one and two, showing when it is safe or not to adjust the date of the watch – an incredibly intuitive solution to a problem that has plagued simple time and date watches for years. This watch also represents the lowest price on this list, but it also offers, like all Ochs und Junior watches, amazing levels of customisation. Price: starting at CHF 21,743 (~US$25,300)

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar

Perpetual calendars can be relatively large, with everything going on inside the movement, it’s a huge challenge to produce one that is compact and slim. However, the watchmakers’ watchmaker, Jaeger-LeCoultre, managed to do just this, and elegantly incorporate the Calibre 868 movement into the Master Ultra Thin case line. The traditional 39mm case is the perfect size for most wrists, and the case thickness of 9.2mm means this is one of the more subtle, heavy-hitting complication pieces. Currently available in stainless steel, rose gold, and rose gold with a diamond bezel, this is a staple of the JLC catalogue, and I hope it remains that way for a long time. Price: US$28,500 in stainless steel

I can’t write about JLC perpetuals without giving an honourable mention to the newly release Duomètre Heliotourbillon Perpetual. Introduced at Watches and Wonders this year, it was a standout piece from the brand’s lineup this year for me. But because it has so much else going on besides the perpetual calendar, I wanted to give the main slot here to the Ultra Thin, as I’m sure the Duomètre will feature in other buying guides we produce this year.

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Hijri Perpetual Calendar

In 2021, Guido Terreni took the job of CEO at Parmigiani, and there have been heaps of praises piled on the brand ever since. And while the more simple versions of the Tonda PF line have taken plenty of the attention for their clean design and modern aesthetic, the cultural calendars deserve just as much praise. Here the Hijri Perpetual Calendar tracks the Tabular Islamic calendar which is made up of 30-year cycles, with each year consisting of 12 months that are either 29 or 30 days long. Of the 30-year cycle, there are 19 common years that have 354 days and 11 abundant years of 355 days. This requires bespoke gearing in order to convert a standard perpetual calendar system to accommodate these timings, but as they have also done for the Xiali calendar, this just exemplifies Parmigiani’s intent on exploring cultures not always represented in the watchmaking space. Price: CHF 62,500 (~US$72,800)

MB&F LM Perpetual EVO Titanium

MB&F has become somewhat of a byword for creativity in high horology, whether its reinventing the chronograph, or making a fully rotatable watch inspired by futuristic architecture, the LM Perpetual EVO shows what MB&F can do when it tries to tackle this classical complication. With a movement conceived by Stephen McDonnell, one of the world’s leading movement designers, this highly intricate perpetual calendar demonstrates the excellence that can be produced from the independent space today. Price: CHF 182,000 (~US$212,000)

IWC Eternal Calendar

Perhaps one of the most talked about releases of this year’s Watches and Wonders, the Eternal Calendar from IWC caught all of our imaginations. While we have always thought it an incredible feat of microengineering to keep track of leap years up to the year 2100, the fact that it is possible to stay accurate until the year 3999 is mind-blowing. And on top of this, the moonphase has the ability to stay accurate for 45 million years. It takes the words of Professor Brian Cox to wrap your head around something like that. but to someone who hasn’t studied science since school, it feels fairly magical to me. Price: US$155,000

Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar

The Traditionnelle Twin Beat has been out since 2019, yet it still stands out in my mind as one of the more astounding examples of originality in modern watchmaking. With its smoked crystal, unique layout, and the ability to switch between high and low frequencies, this is similar to the JLC Duomètre that I gave an honourable mention to earlier, where the perpetual calendar almost plays second fiddle. Having taken home the Innovation prize at the GPHG in 2019, it’s clear that this watch marks a point of difference from all other perpetual calendars, and it is remarkable to me that this is a product of a Holy Trinity brand, one that is supposed to be rooted in its tradition. Instead, it is leading from the front with releases such as this. And I am not the only one waiting with bated breath to see what comes next. Price: US$199,000

Time+Tide Timeless Pick: Patek Philippe ref. 3940

Is the 3940 the most classical example of a perpetual calendar from Patek? No. Is it the more technologically advanced? No. Did it shape the way I look at and judge all perpetual calendars since I first learnt about it? Absolutely. This serially produced, ultra-thin perpetual calendar is from a period known as neo-vintage, and comes with some of the modern-day necessities such as sapphire crystals and adequate shock protection, while still retaining the vintage charm and design codes.

If you want to admire the wonderfully finished micro-rotor cal. 240 Q, I suggest finding one of the later series that came with an exhibition caseback, however, I much prefer these first series models. The dial has a far better balance to my eye, and the sharp cuts to the sunken sub-dials look far better than the gradual slopes adopted by the versions that followed. I could write all day about this watch. In fact I did in a previous role when working at A Collected Man, and if you want to learn more I encourage you to go and read my guide there. In short, I will say that this is the watch that made me fall in love with perpetual calendars, and I hope it can do the same for others.