Welcome to this Watch LIVE. Hi, I'm Lydia Winters. And I'm Boo Boo. And as I said, we're going deep on perpetual calendars and annual calendars. You. Did say that. I did be and. Now you're delivering. I am. I'm not delivering. Take that, everyone delivering sometimes. I was busy all day and you prepared this whole episode.
And I'm very excited because I will say that perpetual calendars are something that I find fascinating, but because I've never had a specific one that I was interested in, I've never actually gone to any depth with them at all to understand them. Well, this. So now you're going to teach. Me well, but this is also why I
became interested. Secret diary of a watch girl on Instagram Emily she was talking with Justin Hest, said that her grail watch was an IWC 3755 Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar and then someone that he knew reached out said there was one in Amsterdam. They went down together for her to buy it. This is her grail watch. It is such a cool white ceramic and gold watch. It has a crown controlled perpetual calendar which is super cool. Is actually invented by Kurt
Kloss who worked at IWC. That sounds. Super cool. It's Iwc's first movement featuring a moon phase, year, month, date, day, hours, minutes, seconds and a chronograph. That's a lot. Which I was like, that's actually really cool to have a perpetual calendar with a chronograph. It's not big at all. It's like a, it's a 39 millimeter. Like not a huge case, really. Yeah, very nice.
But this is what so Emily's Germany is what got me really excited about basically perpetual calendars in general. Annual Calendars. Annual. Calendars. Because I've also just, I think it's kind of that like it's the next frontier for me is like more complications. I want a moon phase, you know, it's like very. Yeah, yeah. I owned an annual calendar once and I I did. I liked the functionality but the watch was a little weird on me. OK, it was an Omega Deville
annual calendar. I forget exactly the model. This was 10 / 10. Years ago, I didn't even realize it was a annual calendar. Like, I didn't know that. Yeah, that was an. But I guess it was before I cared. I was like, that watch does watch stuff. Yeah. Yeah. And you didn't really like the look of it on me. And it just, it didn't last long. I it was, it was more of an experiment. I I got that one and then I let
it go fairly quickly. OK, so perpetual calendar complications dates back to the mid 1700s as a pocket watch. So that's when it started. But then they were integrated into wristwatches in 1925 by Patek Philippe.
And this was like a really big, like, adapting that from a pocket watch to a wristwatch was a very significant milestone in horology because it really showcased the complexity and precision of perpetual calendars and a especially to all of a sudden make them wearable in a size that can fit on your wrist. Yeah. And then today, even today, perpetual calendars watches are still considered a pinnacle of
watchmaking. Yeah. They're capable of automatically adjusting for different month lengths and leap years, which is really wild. They require adjustments only once every century. That's pretty cool. That's really, really, really cool. Yeah. So for for that means at least anyone I've ever heard of, you only have to adjust it once. Mm, hmm. Ever. Yeah, probably not even that, because you're probably not getting it as a baby. It's just. I'm just saying.
Pure little baby. You're going to have to change it multiple times. So, oh, wait, actually. But it's not 100 years from the time you get it. No, OK. I I I just wasn't thinking. Anyway, that's how that works. It's. So, yeah, obviously like advantages of this are they're extremely precise, minimal manual adjustments, which is very cool. And then the disadvantages are like it's very expensive and it's extremely complex mechanisms. Do not drop your perpetual
calendar. Probably not a cheap fix. No, I would assume not. So then this part is what surprised me because perpetual calendars and annual calendars. I knew a bit of the like. The perpetual part is that it keeps going. But an annual calendar? If someone had asked me before I researched this, which came first, the chicken or the egg? The perpetual calendar or the annual calendar? What one would you say? Annual calendar. It's a simpler movement. No, perpetual calendar was first.
I mean, I kind of figured that as you asked the question. Well, yeah, 'cause I the. Only reason you'd ask this is if it's the surprising one, but I I went along with your your your your. Ruse. OK, but it's surprising because annual calendar watches are not only a more recent innovation, but the first one was introduced by Patek in 1996. What? So from 1925 to 1996, they were like, there's only one way this can happen, and it's where you can never change.
It so prior to that they had perpetual calendars and then regular watches with a date and then but they it's like they realize like wait a second. Yeah, well. We can get most of what you get out of a perpetual calendar for much less work, which means we can charge much less money. It's designed as a simpler and more affordable alternative to the perpetual calendars. But it's so interesting to me that it it was so long in between because I was like, oh, OK, surely annual surely, because.
It's more simple. You develop that first, but it turns out no. Yes, and so with an annual calendar they can distinguish between months with 30 and 31 days, but require manual adjustments once a year at the end of good old February, the month that makes no sense. Well, it makes sense in the great. Yeah, OK. It makes sense somehow. OK. And then after Patek Philippe had success with this, because people were like, wait, what? I can have all of the functionality, I just have to.
Change it. Once a year. That's 100 times more. But yeah, but still, it's a lot less than other watches. I'm changing all the time 'cause I'm wearing too many. Well, OK, but that's. Yeah, that's not. Yeah, that's its own. Problem own problem. I think a regular watch you would change like 7 * a year right? Because it's any month that's less than 31 days +2 you you you'd have to reset it for the two times that the hour. Changes, yeah. Depends on where you live.
Yeah. If you live in Phoenix, AZ then you don't change for daylight savings. OK, annual calendar watches, an advantage is that less frequent adjustments more affordable than perpetual calendars. So I mean, it's, well, it's not less frequent adjustments overall, but it's still less. Frequent adjustments than a regular calendar. A regular watch with a date.
Exactly. And then the disadvantages are that it still requires annual adjustments and it's less complex, but that's also that's the price difference. It's also like kind of interesting because with an annual calendar, so for the 2:00-ish years that I own that annual calendar, it kind of made like Leap Day. Is that what it's called? It's called Leap Day, I think. Yeah, right. Yeah, it made that more special. It's like Kermit Day on the Oris because.
When I had that annual calendar, that's the first time I bought a watch Winder because I'm like, well, this is a watch that belongs on a Winder, so that it, it, it'll just always know the date, you know, other watches. I didn't bother with winders and I still don't. But if you have an annual or perpetual calendar and they're automatic, then a Winder could be really nice. Yeah, that's true.
So an annual calendar, it's ideal for someone who wants a sophisticated watch, but still minimal maintenance. And I think they're very nice. And then a perpetual calendar, it's really that like watch enthusiasts and collector who appreciate the intricate or logical complication because it really is like super cool. I'm not really sure actually. I like them both. I think that a lot of times perpetual calendars in my mind have been more bulky.
But then when I saw this IWC Da Vinci, that secret diary of a watch girl has, I was like, wait, that's not that big. And some of the older like obviously the ones I want are like a PS Yeah. Yeah, yeah. You know. Just casually, but they're so beautiful and I think it's really cool. OK, well, I the The thing is, it's because, so from a functional standpoint, there's not a huge difference for you, right? Like I I'm just talking about.
Between the two between because I was like for me though as like my in my current. Watch between the two. Functionally, they're not that difference for you, for for for you. But if you're still interested in the perpetual calendar, then what that does mean is what you're saying is you're interested in some of the technicalities of movements and what can be achieved. Well, I mean, yeah, because if I think about my current collection, I have date. Yeah, I have. AGMT No. No, not anymore.
I have a chronograph and I have a day date. The Seiko 5 is the day date, but to have the date, day month a moon phase would be cool. Like that's a really useful everyday watch. Like it's very cool to me because sometimes I am like, what month is it, What day is it, what year is it? So I've heard various things about the durability of the average.
I don't know what the average for perpetual calendar is, but like that, you know, obviously there are many more parts, yeah, which is many more failure points. And so probably most perpetual calendars are not worn daily, but probably the makers of them want them to be able to be worn. Daily. You know, like I, I, I assume that would be a goal is that they could endure the regular rigors of life. It may not be your adventure watch, but like a daily wear it around town, go to the office
type of watch. That would be a cool daily watch to. Yeah, it would be calendar. As your daily. It would be pretty cool, Yeah. Yeah, I mean. Depends on the watch, of course. I just think with either of them, they're really cool because you see like a level of sophistication in the watch making and also just a lot of craftsmanship because in order to, you know, like it's a lot of different things combined into
one. That's why I find the IWC Da Vinci one that it's also a chronograph to be so cool because you have all of these hands everywhere basically. But it's also, when you look at it, you can see what everything is. So the chronic, the sub, the subdials actually have, you know, some of the hands are in gold and then some are in blue, like a blue. Black. Specifically for that one with the chronograph. And so it's really cool that you can use one subdial and it's doing multiple things.
So you don't have listed here leap year, Is that not on the move on on the face of the movement? It's 'cause they're not on every. Not. Every perpetual calendar I've seen shows the leap year. But but many do. I don't think they all have to. No, I wouldn't. You kind of need to know like for when you said it, but you don't need to see it. No. If I buy a perpetual calendar, I'm having someone else said it obviously, and then it can run for 100.
Years. Well, so then if you get a perpetual calendar, which now that this bug is in your. It is. No, it definitely feels. It feels. It feels. Like. It yeah, I do feel a bit like I'm I'm I I definitely was doing a deep dive of my friend a dose of time to. Trade towards.
No, but I was looking at a dose of time at Jacqueline and she has a lot of old Patek perpetual calendars, some old AP ones and I was just like I they're so beautiful because it's just, it's just very cool, especially from someone who pretty much daily wears like a three hand watch, like that's pretty, you know, like occasionally I have the date, but not that often. So I find it really cool suddenly. Interested in this? Yeah, in a way.
So I've talked about really. Seems like it's way up your alley when I say it like that. It sounded, yeah. Yeah. Well, no, it didn't sound gross until you then called it gross. Now it definitely. Sounds gross. Anyway, moving on. The thing is, I do enjoy complexity in many different ways, and I enjoy technical achievement and technical complexity. Yeah. So therefore. Does all make sense. However, I also enjoy like really clean, clear, easy to read displays and I really value that.
And it takes a really great designer to make a perpetual calendar that you can glance at and glean the information that you want fairly quickly. But that's why I like some of the vintage ones. I feel like they're decluttered in a way and I think it's really nice, especially how. Long. Royal Oak, that. It'll take Olivia to get a provincial calendar. OK. But then the question back to you is, would you pick you would pick perpetual over annual?
It depends on the watch. So the thing about that Omega Deville, our vision, that's what I call what's called the Omega Deville, our vision annual calendar. And one of the cool things about that watch was on the sides of the case, it was sapphire. So you can see the movement from the side. I thought that was. Pretty cool. That was pretty. Cool, but the design of the dial made it look I think dated
already. Like now when I look at those watches they they look like they were from 10 years ago. Anyway, the thing about an annual calendar is it can just look like a watch with a date because you don't have to see the month in order to set it and not all annual calendars tell you the month. So that one specifically, it just had the day. Well, here's the thing for me is if if you can't see it and I paid extra for no, I'm like, if I'm paying extra for it, I want to see.
Wait, so that's why I didn't know that yours was an annual calendar? Because you didn't even know what an annual calendar. Was but yeah, here's here's what I really want one of these like, you know, old royal oats. Well, yeah, I know that like an old 80s sorry, not Royal Oak AP perpetual calendar moon phase. I think they're just so clean and cool. The moon phase looks awesome, has the Big Dipper, which is super cool right there.
I love the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, but also they're very thin and I find I just think that's so cool, huh? What's the size of the watch? This one is 36mm, so perfect for me. Yeah. So I'm I, I, I. Think anyone have one for sale I we have a. An immediate buyer? No, I am definitely not an immediate buyer, but I feel that this may be, you know, moving towards something in the next 3 watches in. The next three watches, I thought you were going to say three years.
No, no, no. And you're like, then I should have known it's more like 3 months. No, it will probably be longer than that, but it's also I'm very excited about it and I'm I'm super excited about secret diary of a watch girls and I have definitely been looking up. There's a lot of cool Da Vinci's. Hers is ceramic, so it's like ultra special. There were like 40 of them made, but the gold 1, the gold Da Vinci perpetual calendars are more readily available and
they're also beautiful too. So it's happening I guess. You'll have to see. Let us know what you think. Would you go perpetual, annual, or neither? Or just calendar.