Posts Tagged ‘Perpetual Calendar’
2050 IWC ‘Romana’ Perpetual Calendar, Platinum
At its release in ’94, this ref. 2050 was the thinnest perpetual calendar calibre ever at just 3.1mm. It remains to this day a technical marvel, yet it’s all but entirely forgotten. The 2050 was a flag placed in the ground for Schaffhausen in what was a very active battle for the thinnest complicated calibres,…
Read MorePiece Unique ‘Ovitz’ Patek Philippe 3940R
Prepare for some weapons-grade Patek Philippe nerdery. If you’re familiar with the 3940 on an intimate level, this will immediately feel a bit strange. There are Breguet numerals. The hands and dial are luminous. The certificate of origin shows a production date of 2014, which surely can’t be right for a 3940? This is level…
Read More‘Doré’ Dial Patek Philippe 3940J
What is the most desirable 3940? Having recently extolled the virtues of the quintessential modern Patek Philippe QP, the natural question to follow is, well, which? Are you a white metal or gold type of person? Does the more proportional and minimalist balance of a first series dial appeal more, or do you like some…
Read MoreH40 Roger Dubuis Hommage Perpetual Calendar
Arguably, this is how you go about being inspired by the classics properly. It’s not uncommon for new enthusiasts to learn of Roger Dubuis, see the Lamborghini-inspired Excalibur which looks like Megatron after contracting a virus, and write off the brand entirely. But modern RD is a far cry from what existed before Richemont acquisition…
Read MoreOpenwork 25668BA Audemars Piguet Quantième Perpétuel
We all know the three neo-vintage QPs that brought watchmaking back from the dead, but the pair of openwork or skeletonized references from AP and VC have always stood a bit apart, out of the spotlight. They’re not just less often seen, they’re divisive. Perhaps they skirt too close to the edge or horological pornography…
Read More3057 Breguet Classique Perpetual Calendar
The dial says Breguet, but really this QP is a Daniel Roth, the first creative project he undertook after working for JLC and AP. And this ref. 3057 is indicative of truth that is not logical but seems to hold: the very start of a creative career is often where the most magic occurs. Einstein…
Read More25686BA Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Quantième Perpétuel
Some watches command premiums for reasons I find quite tricky to describe. The number of digits in Daniel Roth’s new price list under LVMH, for example, seems to have been defined by a roulette wheel. This is a strategy, I assume, borrowed from Biver. But others command a premium because they deserve to. Roger Smiths…
Read More43032 Vacheron Constantin Skeleton Quantième Perpétuel
In Lord of The Rings, the nine rings given to mortal men created Wraiths, Mordor’s most loyal servants. They roamed the lands ushering in Sauron’s reign, ending other ruler’s power. But in horology, the neo-vintage era had five emissaries to usher in the apocalypse of Japan’s quartz domination. Yes, there are five. Most discuss only…
Read More740.056 A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon
I’m old enough in watch years to just remember a time when old Swiss men on the internet would call Lange ‘not as serious’ a brand as Patek Philippe. The comparison is useless, the two manufactures approach watchmaking with such distinct philosophies. But, if there were any remaining doubt, surely this ref. 740.056 puts it…
Read MoreSalmon Dial 25661BC Audemars Piguet Quantième Perpétual
Some watches just seem to burrow into your soul. This is the epitome of that paradigm. It’s a ref. 25661 in white gold with what AP call a rosé dial, salmon to us plebeians. Just 32 examples of 25661 were made in white gold, they’re hard enough to find as is. But with this dial,…
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