To merely label this moment as exciting would be an understatement. Perpetual calendars stand among the most captivating complications for watches – perhaps even mind-blowing upon first encounter. They possess the ability to mechanically program various calendar cycles, determining which days to skip and which to acknowledge. Today, as February 29 graces us with its presence, we commemorate the culmination of the longest cycle within a perpetual calendar – the four-year leap year cycle.

As watch enthusiasts approach this exciting event, it’s natural to seek out videos showcasing perpetual calendar watches in action, articles on the history of the complication, or even the pursuit of owning a perpetual calendar wristwatch! And that’s the focus of this story: to curate and present the best examples to our readers, but with a unique approach.

Whether it’s the pioneers or the innovators, their stories and watches have become ingrained in horological lore. Therefore, our focus shifts to the exciting world of recently released perpetual calendar watches. We’ve specifically narrowed our search to those launched since the last leap year, four years ago. We’ve selected five modern and innovative examples with beautiful designs and executions, both in dial and movement. These timepieces offer the potential to become future classics, and you can own one today. Here’s our list!

The unusual yet classical: Patek Philippe In-Line Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5236P

The Ref. 5236 draws inspiration from a historical Patek Philippe example, the Ref. 725/4 pocket watch, which also presented the date, day, and month at 12 o’clock, aligned horizontally – hence the “in-line” moniker. However, it wasn’t simply a miniaturized version of the pocket watch movement because the original mechanism was too large for a wristwatch. Miniaturization alone would result in an unreadable display.

The quiet innovator: A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar

While lauded for its elegant appearance, the L1 Perpetual Calendar’s true brilliance lies in its movement. In a departure from traditional perpetual calendars that utilize a 48-tooth wheel, the Lange 1 employs a large peripheral ring surrounding the movement. This ring, coupled with a separate leap year mechanism, eliminates the need for the 48-tooth wheel, offering a space-saving and elegant alternative to the conventional mechanism present in almost all perpetual calendar watches. Oh, and every indicator jumps instantaneously – a bonus you won’t find in many other perpetual calendars.

The world’s thinnest: Bulgari Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar

Indeed, the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, launched in 2021 – a great year for perpetual calendars – set the world record for thickness, with a movement that’s only 2.75 mm tall, bringing the entire watch to a mere 5.8 mm in height including the case. Notably, it surpassed the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak RD#2 Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, which debuted in 2019 and held the world record for 2 years with a movement that’s 2.89 mm tall and a watch that’s 6.3 mm thick in its entirety. One of the reasons for this achievement is that Bulgari used a micro-rotor, while the AP RD#2 opted for a regular large rotor because the base movement is adapted from the Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 920 – which performed admirably for a movement that’s several decades old.

The user-friendly masterpiece: Audemars Piguet Universelle RD#4 Ultra-Complication

The fourth highlight is the Audemars Piguet Universelle RD#4 Ultra-Complication. This awe-inspiring watch boasts 23 functions and over 1,000 components within its movement, including a remarkable 17 safety mechanisms that safeguard against user error. This focus on user-friendliness elevates the RD#4 to one of the most approachable grand complications ever conceived.

Finally, the RD#4’s perpetual calendar prioritizes practicality. The date, for instance, can be adjusted both forwards and backwards, eliminating the inconvenience of waiting for the watch to stop when accidentally setting the date too far ahead.

The ultimate in accuracy: Furlan Marri Secular Perpetual Calendar

This watch is the result of a three-way collaboration. It brings together the expertise of Furlan Marri with the legendary Dominique Renaud, co-founder of complication specialist Renaud & Papi, and Julien Tixier, a rising independent watchmaker known for his prototyping skills.

The watch’s true brilliance lies in its ability to incorporate the 400-year cycle with remarkable simplicity. Unlike typical perpetual calendars utilizing modules with around 200 components, this secular calendar module boasts a mere 25 parts, marking a major breakthrough in calendar complication design. This achievement is attributed to several ingenious technical choices.

Instead of the traditional grand lever, the Furlan Marri watch employs a space-saving peripheral rocker. Additionally, they have “reinvented” the 48-tooth wheel, replacing it with a simplified version that differentiates only between 30 and 31-day months. This new wheel, in conjunction with the peripheral rocker, ensures accurate date jumps regardless of the month’s length.