Tomorrow is International Perpetual Calendar Appreciation Day, that quadrennial event observed by mechanical watch enthusiasts around the world who own perpetual calendars.
Okay, like Hallmark, I kinda made that holiday up. But you can certainly understand the shiver of excitement that runs through the owner of a perpetual every four years on February 29, when they see the calendar successfully accomplish its unique mission, which is to automatically compensate for the varying lengths of the months, including leap years.
In an age when auto-correction is fully ingrained into our daily lives, it’s worth pointing out that clockmakers were producing this self-correcting complication back in the 18th century. It wasn’t until the 1920s that the extremely complex perpetual calendar movement — which requires hundreds of parts to faithfully count all 1,461 days in a four-year cycle — was miniaturized and placed in a wristwatch.
Nearly a century later, the perpetual calendar remains one of the most coveted wristwatch complications around, and maintains a constant presence in the collection of any brand that aligns itself with haute horlogerie.
IN-HOUSE PERPETUAL
Cartier put its own inimitable spin on this classic complication in 2010 when it introduced caliber 9422 MC, the first automatic-winding perpetual calendar produced entirely in-house by the legendary Parisian maison. More recently, the movement was introduced in the Rotonde de Cartier Perpetual Calendar, which is the model I put through its paces for a week on the wrist.
As you would expect from Cartier, the look of the dial is clean and inviting thanks, in large part, to the visual depth that’s created by the silvered, openworked grid you see resting atop a base of intricate guilloché. On the flipside and visible through the caseback, the exceptional quality of the finish that decorates the automatic movement is also in keeping with the firm’s impeccably high standards.
What surprised me, however, was the unconventional nature of the calendar indications.
Unlike most traditional perpetuals that use subdials for the calendar, Cartier chose a more adventurous tack. To produce an appealing – and highly legible – display, the maison employs a hammer-shaped retrograde hand to indicate the day, as well as a matching hand at the center that indicates the date. Perched at 12 o’clock, the lone subdial doubles as both the month display and leap year counter. This rare arrangement certainly stands out among a multitude of indistinguishable perpetual designs.
Another key attribute I discovered about the Rotonde de Cartier Perpetual Calendar is the way it rested so comfortably on my wrist. The diameter of the white gold case may be 40.5 mm, but it feels even smaller. That’s because the case subtly tapers inward beneath the bezel to minimize the contact point with the skin. Perpetuals are generally thicker due to their complexity, which is why some feel as though you’re wearing a hockey puck instead of a watch. Thankfully, the same can’t be said about the Rotonde, which is incredibly well balanced for a case that stands more than 10mm high.
With the Rotonde de Cartier Perpetual Calendar, Cartier has created a gorgeous timepiece that encapsulates the many strengths of its entire Fine Watchmaking Collection: imaginative engineering graced with refined craftsmanship and lasting style.