Till the End of Time: The Best Calendar Watches

Created by Patek Philippe in 1925, the perpetual calendar complication ensured that one would never be inconvenienced by having to reset a watch to account for months with 31 days—or a pesky leap year. Today, one of the most romantic concepts in horology is still ticking—while other timepieces (those with monthly calendars) require winding and adjusting, these watches do not. Instead, they keep track of seconds, minutes, hours, days and years for at least a century. All you really need to appreciate them is time

GREUBEL FORSEY PLATINUM GMT
In horology, a GMT watch refers to a dual time-zone indicator set to Greenwich Mean Time. But this GMT goes well beyond the conventional display by incorporating a globe that completes one rotation every 24 hours. It also features a 72-hour power reserve, small seconds and day/night indicators in a 43.5-mm wide platinum case ($630,000)

VACHERON CONSTANTIN PATRIMONY TRADITIONNELLE CALIBRE 2755
The dial of this grande complication will tell you the time, date and day as well as the month, but its real value derives from its flawless annual calculation. The 602-part movement offers a tourbillon, perpetual calendar and minute repeater in a platinum case ($760,000)













MONTBLANC MEISTERSTUCK HERITAGE PERPETUAL CALENDAR
While grande complications typically command the same sticker price as a new BMW, the Meisterstück Heritage Perpetual Calendar astounds with a relatively modest cost ($12,800) and a clean, handsome face. The 39-mm timepiece also features a lunation dial











JAEGER-LECOULTRE MASTER ULTRA THIN PERPETUAL
An ultra-thin perpetual calendar is a Holy Grail for some collectors, combining one of the six elite complications of mechanical watchmaking with the finesse of a super slim silhouette (39 mm across and just 4.72 mm thick). Consider this the ideal size for a fine—and highly functional—dress watch ($31,600)












PIAGET EMPERADOR COUSSIN PERPETUAL CALENDAR
The reigning king of ultra-thin watches, Piaget applies its creativity in mechanical watchmaking with the Emperador Coussin Perpetual Calendar. Set in 18-carat white gold, its functions include time, date, month, day of the week, a second time zone and a day/night indicator ($87,000)