A perpetual calendar automatically accounts for months of different lengths and leap years. Set it once, and it won't need adjustment until 2100 (when the leap year is skipped). This is watchmaking's most practical grand complication.
What Makes It Special
The mechanism must "know" the current month, whether the year is a leap year, and the day of the week. This requires a complex gear train with a four-year cam for leap year tracking. Hundreds of additional parts beyond a simple date watch.
Entry Perpetual Calendars
Frederique Constant Perpetual Calendar
$8,495
Most affordable Swiss perpetual calendar from a reputable brand. In-house FC-775 caliber. Remarkable value for this complication level.
Montblanc Heritage Perpetual Calendar
$12,000 - $15,000
Richemont quality at accessible (for perpetual) pricing. Clean dial layout, 42mm case. Entry to serious haute horlogerie.
Mid-Range Excellence
IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar
$25,000 - $35,000
Classic 44mm case with seven-day power reserve. The Portugieser is IWC's flagship—perpetual calendar version is pinnacle of the line.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual
$22,000 - $28,000
JLC's finishing excellence in 39mm thin case. The Watchmaker's Watchmaker at their best. Exceptional value for movement quality.
Ultimate Perpetual Calendars
A. Lange & Söhne Langematik Perpetual
$80,000+
German perfection with outsize date, moonphase, and zero-reset mechanism. Hand-finished to standards few match. The connoisseur's choice.
Patek Philippe 5327
$85,000+
The benchmark perpetual calendar. Sector dial, officer's case. Patek's perpetual movements set the standard others reference.
Our Recommendations
- Best Value: Frederique Constant — perpetual under $10K
- Best Overall: JLC Master Ultra Thin — JLC quality, reasonable pricing
- Best Investment: Patek Philippe — holds value best
- Best Finishing: A. Lange & Söhne — German hand-finishing excellence