Every four years February gets one day longer thanks to the idiosyncrasies of the Gregorian and Roman calendars. Fortunately watchmakers long ago calculated the correct gearing to construct pocket watches replica that, if kept wound, would compensate for leap years. Perpetual calendars made their way to the wrist in the 1920s and have been a collector favorite ever since. Take a look at some perpetual calendar timepieces keeping time on their first leaps this year.
AUDEMARS PIGUET
Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
Debuting at SIHH 2016, the 41mm case is now in yellow gold. The self-winding watch’s new caliber 5134 is fully visible through the glare resistant sapphire crystal caseback. Caliber 5134 is based on its predecessor, caliber 2120, however it has been enlarged to perfectly fit the updated 41mm case size.
GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL
Senator Perpetual Calendar
The blue dial of the watch is framed by a polished stainless steel case and fitted with a finely wrought dark blue alligator leather strap with fold-over clasp in stainless steel. White gold hands display the hours, minutes and seconds. The in-house caliber 100-02 powers the 42mm steel-cased watch.
HUBLOT
Big Bang Perpetual Calendar King Gold
The in-house HUB1270 movement, much of it visible underneath the clear sapphire dial, powers this 45mm watch. It displays a full perpetual calendar with chronograph and offers a 72-hour power reserve. The technical case is made with King Gold ceramic and black PVD titanium with a King Gold Insert.
CARTIER Rotonde de Cartier Perpetual Calendar An in-house manufacture mechanical movement (caliber 9422 MC) powers this column-wheel chronograph and perpetual calendar. The 40.5mm pink gold case surrounds an easy-to-read dial complete with black transferred Roman and Arabic numerals and blued-steel sword-shaped and hammer-shaped hands. JAEGER-LECOULTRE
Master Ultra Thin Perpetual
The self-winding caliber 868 perpetual calendar powers the new (2016) model with its black dial. Functions: moon-phase display, days, months and year. All the information is regulated by only one corrector. The 39mm steel watch comes with a black leather strap.