5 most impressive perpetual calendar watches for a leap year: haute horology from Bulgari, A. Lange & Söhne, IWC, Glashütte Original and H. Moser & Cie on February 29, 2024
Ultra-complicated timepieces can sometimes seem to have functions that are at best frivolous, and at worst redundant thanks to modern technology.
However, for those who are passionate about watches and understand the intricacies of fine watchmaking, complicated movements and mechanisms are about much more than practicality. Not only are they often beautiful to look at, they also represent the refinement and craftsmanship that comes with slowness – something of a lost art in the modern day, when most rely on the clock on their phones.
Certain functions are practical too, though. Alarms, minute repeaters or even tourbillons can come in handy throughout the day. However, the perpetual calendar is an entirely different story. It is only useful once every four years – on February 29. And yet the leap year function remains one of the most advanced complications in the watchmaking world.
Today, on February 29, we look at several perpetual calendar timepieces that offer unique expressions of counting the days – four years at a time.
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1. Bulgari
Combining a range of complex watchmaking know-how, Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar Haute Horlogerie might just be the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar watch.
The contemporary octagonal silhouette of the piece in platinum is extra impactful thanks to its elegant profile. At 5.80mm thick, the watch not only features the indication of the day, date, month and leap year, but also does so all with a retrograde mechanism. The calendar indicators and time are symmetrically laid out across the blue lacquered dial.
2. A. Lange & Söhne
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3. H. Moser & Cie
Going from an asymmetrical dial to a wholly symmetrical and very minimal dial, Moser’s Endeavour Perpetual Calendar is next on our list. The watch features a perpetual calendar fully integrated into the time-telling movement, with a single sub-dial at 6 o’clock. A small hand at the centre of the dial represents the month, and the date skips straight from February 28 to March 1 every year – except in a leap year. The simplicity of the layout gives way to the watchmaker’s signature gradient fumé dial.
4. Glashütte Original
The Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar offers a complex yet uncluttered dial with pops of blue from its timekeeping hands, moon phase and leap year indicator on its varnished silver dial. The leap year indicator, month, signature panorama date, moon phase and day are laid out clockwise across the dial starting from the 12 o’clock position. The perpetual calendar displays do not distract from the lean hands that indicate the hours, minutes and seconds.
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5. IWC
A classic design through and through, IWC’s Portofino Perpetual Calendar features the three sub-dial design typical to the complication. Blue hands on the sub-dials indicate date, month and day, respectively, at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. A moon phase indication appears from underneath the month indices at the bottom of the dial. The year is indicated as one to four, with the leap year represented as the digit “4” in an aperture inside the day sub-dial.
- Some horology enthusiasts would argue that ultra-complicated timepieces are frivolous – particularly the perpetual calendar function, which is only useful for leap years
- Regardless of your stance, the craftsmanship and design of these watches is sure to impress – including Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo, possibly the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar watch