The Perpetual Calendar, explained by our talking complication
Oh hello there! I am an H. Moser & Cie. Perpetual Calendar, the undisputed king of watch complications. My watchmaker and I are here to tell you about what makes me so unique. Is it my large date display? Is it my minimalist good looks? Is it my regal and remarkably easy-to-use crown? Well, why don’t you press play and find out for yourself?
The Perpetual Calendar, explained by our watchmaker
Hello, I am a watchmaker at H. Moser & Cie. You’ve already heard from our talking Perpetual Calendar. Now I’m going to tell you a little bit about this sophisticated complication, from a watchmaker’s perspective.
The Perpetual Calendar offers a lifetime of convenience – literally. Its intricate mechanism automatically accounts for the varying lengths of the months throughout the year, and even adjusts for leap years, so the watch remains accurate for decades. Once set, a perpetual calendar won’t require a manual adjustment until the year 2100! Traditional perpetual calendars often consist of complex arrays of gears, levers, and springs that interact in precise sequences. These mechanisms are designed to move the calendar forward by either 30, 31, 28, or 29 days based on the month, and will even correctly account for the 29 days of February during a leap year.
At H. Moser & Cie., we extend our minimalist design approach to the perpetual calendar complication. In contrast to conventional designs, H. Moser & Cie.’s perpetual calendars focus on simplifying the display while maintaining the underlying complex functionality. Our design usually shows only the date and twelve subtle month indices, indicated by a small hand in the centre of the dial. The leap year indication is cleverly moved to the movement side, visible only when the watch is turned over. This design choice results in a clean and uncluttered dial.
Additionally, H. Moser & Cie. perpetual calendars are engineered to be safely adjusted forward or backward at any time of the day without damaging the movement, which is a unique feature not always found in other perpetual calendar mechanisms. This combination of refined aesthetic and innovative engineering reflects H. Moser & Cie.’s commitment to both form and function. (Oh, and did I mention that our perpetual calendar has won the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève?)
The Streamliner, Endeavour, Pioneer and Heritage collections all include models that feature a perpetual calendar complication in a range of unique and sophisticated styles.
We hope you’re enjoying the ‘We let our watches do the talking’ series. Stay tuned to find out more about our carefully-crafted complications.
