mac
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Understanding the allure of perpetual calendars
I am hoping for insight. I find my interest in perpetual calendars runs hot and cold. While I find the complexity and engineering alluring, I question the practical aspect of living with one that would not be a daily wearer. I wonder if the setting process is either frustrating or if the movements themselves are more fragile than say an annual calendar. When I speak of being fragile, I think in both terms of setting the watch, such as not going backwards, as well as wearing on the wrist. My only experience has been with a FPJ Calendrier (annual) which was one my favorites. While it worked flawlessly, I always viewed it as being a fragile watch that I needed to be especially careful with. As a result, I ultimately sold it and I have been reluctant to pursue a perpetual calendar.
As such, I was hoping to hear some thoughts about having a perpetual calendar to know if my concerns are overstated. In general, has your appreciation of the complication increased or waned since owning one? Have you found it an easy watch to have in your collection, especially if it is only worn only once or twice a week? Can you also share any thoughts regarding how fragile and reliable the movements are, and if they influenced the brands you considered? Thank you
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Understanding the allure of perpetual calendars
I am hoping for insight. I find my interest in perpetual calendars runs hot and cold. While I find the complexity and engineering alluring, I question the practical aspect of living with one that would not be a daily wearer. I wonder if the setting proces...
IWC Port pert calender
i had similar concerns....go for one with long power reserve. the above with 7 day power reserve is perfect, i wear the week once a week and leave it till next, never had to wind the watch much, function perfectly. into my 5th year of ownership, no issues...
a day without my GO Nav. Perpetual
is like a day without sunshine. For me the perpetual is the ultimate complication because it's pure and elegant - it's not a useless complication, it's incredibly practical. I have a couple of identical daily wearers, never had any issues and I'm always e...
Despoute what the name "Horogasm" might suggest :-)
The dude has a point. I think all Perps (but not many) should come with long pwer reserves given the many indicators. In fact, if Lange's 31 day capability coulld be added to a Perp, that would be ideal for,e...
You can have some Robust Perpetual Calendars...
That you can also set very easily, with the crown... All the Ulysse Nardin Perpetual Calendars are like this. You can set them backward and forward without fear to break the movement. Best, Nicolas
could not agree more
the UN perps definetly are the easiest to handle and work with the setting is just relaxed that you don't realy consider the off-wrist time you can just strap it an set it and vua la your ready to go
It depends on the perpetual calendar
I have both a Patek 3970 and a Patek 5970, which are both well know manually wound perpetual calendar chronographs. I don't wear them every day, and I don't keep them on a watch winder, but when I do wear them, it take less than a minute to set them. The ...
i've only ever owned a UN Perpetual so perhaps i've been spoilt
they are so easy to set that you take it for granted, but i can imagine that others are more delicate. if in doubt by a UN. best Graham
Glad you asked, mac. My sense is . . .
. . . the overlap between complexity and practicality is most capably represented by perpetual calendars. The only experience more magical than watching a perpetual transition from February 28th to March 1st is the transition to the 29th during a leap yea...
Do your GOs all have different base calibers?
If so, do you have a favorite either because of design or ease of use? Also with 4 calendars, do you leave some unwound, while others running? I believe you posted before about unwanted wear & tear by using a winder. I assume the more features and higher ...
All are cal 39s . . .
. . . and while I've never owned a cal 100 perpetual, my experience with the cal 39 is mostly positive. Two had the 'sticking date' issue endemic to the cal 39, both of which were resolved under warranty. My Senator perpetual survived a two foot drop to a...
Thank you for the added detail
That is a very interesting shot of the GO. Thank you for sharing it as well as your experience with winders.
While I fully understand your concern, the solution is simple ....
... as already indicated, it is just a question of buying the "right" perpetual. There are a few easy-to-use, solid perpetuals out there, which are also easily legible. I like the GO perpetuals because of their good and legible layout. Their downside is t...
Can you provide some examples of more rugged designs?
Or in the reverse what models you find more delicate and why? Thank you
What features makes a perpetual rugged?
Thank you for the responses so far. What features or designs elements do you associated with more resilient and reliable movements? Is it fair to say the Lange & GO are in the more robust crowd with their teutonic heritage, while FPJ is more a delicate wi...
Some notes about ruggedness of perpetuals ....
Generally, the question of ruggedness is not an issue for the calender mechanism as such. In fact, a perpetual calender is not a very complicated mechanism, and also does not imply a lot of energy that would cause increased wear of parts. To illustrate th...
Many thanks
Marcus, that was a wonderfully lucid essay on perpetual calendars. Thanks for furthering my education! Tom
Thank you for the informative post
Your post was both informative and helpful. Thank you
To me the perpetual calendar is the watch at its functional best. As the owner of
several (well, actually five with the sixth on the way: UN Perp GMT +/-, IWC Portugiese, JLC Master Perp, Andersen Secular Calendar and Parmigiani Toric Perp.) I see no problem wearing any of the watches. With the exception of the UN, yes, the only risk i...