Time to Flex the Perpetual Calendar this Leap Year

The calendar watch releases we’ve seen from world-renowned manufacturers over recent years certainly mark a significant leap forward in perpetual calendars (excuse the pun!). If you’re looking for a watch that takes the hassle out of keeping track of the days in February, you might consider adding one of these superb perpetual watches to your collection this February.

Watch complications are defined as any timepiece that goes beyond telling basic time. There are straightforward complications like a simple date function and much more complex timepieces like the perpetual calendar. If it’s time to invest in the latter, take a look at this curated list of exquisite perpetual calendar watches in time for leap year 2024, and never worry about setting the date again, unless you’re expecting to outlive us all!

What Is a Perpetual Calendar and Why Do I Need One?

Perpetual calendars present the time, day, date, year, leap year function and sometimes a moon phase indicator, all on one concise and legible dial. The highly complex complication will automatically adjust the day, date and month but will also account for leap years – so long as it keeps moving! When comparing an annual calendar and a perpetual calendar watch – both look very similar in terms of layout. In addition to this classic layout, it may show the current position of the leap year. To create such a complex mechanical engine, perpetual calendar watches often require more than 200 individual parts. They are intricate works of art requiring serious attention to detail and can take several months to make. Given this, you can appreciate why perpetual calendar watches are so collectable.

Given that perpetual calendar watches are some of the most enduringly captivating timepieces to own, now is the perfect time to pick one up ahead of the leap year and observe it while it carries out its whimsical work on the wrist.

How Does a Perpetual Calendar Watch Work?

The perpetual calendar watch has a memory that lasts 1461 days (four years). Its wheel which rotates once every four years, drives the calendar indications, making them move in relation to the month’s precise length. Most watches have separate mechanisms for their indications, which are synchronized by a long lever. It works a little like a programme, with a wheel that guides by way of its ridges and dents, dictating whether a month has 28, 29, 30 or 31 days in its cycle. Most models today won’t need adjusting until the year 2100.

So, now you know a little about how a perpetual calendar works and why enthusiasts love it so much, you might want to leap into buying one this February. If you do, we have plenty of timepieces here at Jura Watches to choose from. Here are a few of our favourite perpetual calendar watches.

IWC Big Pilots Perpetual Calendar Watch IW503608

IWC Schaffhausen is a master at designing perpetual calendars. You can obtain this complication in the brand’s Portugieser and Portofino designs too. But this Big Pilot’s Perpetual Calendar watch has so much presence on the wrist, it’s hard to resist. Its impactful design is afforded by a remarkably large case. Suffice it to say, the Big Pilot’s watch is… well… built for big wrists! This model also comes in a blue dial variant, but the green version will demand attention wherever it goes. This perpetual calendar watch by IWC Schaffhausen displays a perpetual moon phase at 12 o’clock, a date and power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock, a month indicator at 6 o’clock, a year aperture at 7 o’clock, and a small seconds and day ring combined at 9 o’clock – all dressed against racing green tones.

Breitling Super Chronomat B01 Chronograph Four Year Calendar Watch U19320161C1U1

When you hear Breitling being mentioned, you might automatically think of its expertly crafted chronograph watches, but you’re about to be surprised. The Maison does a fine example of a perpetual calendar watch, all wrapped up in this stunning steel and rose gold bi-colour outfit. You can enjoy the Super Chronomat B01 Four Year Calendar on a Rouleaux-inspired rubber band too, and with a black dial. I particularly love this entrancing blue dial colour, however, and the way the blue ceramic bezel manages to create the impression of a much more spacious display. Being a branch of the Chronomat tree, it sports the iconic rider tabs on the bezel, along with the large crown, and this bi-colour Rouleaux bracelet for a sophisticated finish. What’s more, you can utilize the watch for its chronograph features, as well as its ability to accurately track leap years.

Frederique Constant Highlife Perpetual Calendar Watch FC-775N4NH6B

Frederique Constant does perpetual calendar watches very well. If you’re thinking about treating yourself to a new luxury watch this leap year, consider the Highlife Perpetual Calendar model, with its sporty tonneau-shaped stainless steel case. It’s the perfect way to combine the much-loved “sports luxe” look with a functional and practical wrist-worn calendar. The Frederique Constant Highlife watch will keep track of the leap year for you so that you don’t have to think about adjusting it. Plus, it comes with a rather attractive moon phase indicator to track the positioning of the moon exactly how it is seen in the night sky each evening. Frederique Constant watches are always very reasonably priced, especially when you take into consideration that the watch is powered by a Manufacture movement.

Baume et Mercier Clifton Watch M0A10656

Did you not know Baume et Mercier does its own perpetual calendar watches? You do now! The brand combines a stunning anthracite, smoky-charcoal grey dial colour with a beautiful blue alligator leather band in this Clifton watch design. This perpetual calendar is sure to give you that high-end, up-market feel with its luxurious 18ct rose gold case and its sumptuous feuille hands and stick markers to match. At the top of the dial, you can track the months of the year, balanced by a moonphase indicator at 6 o’clock. To the eastern axis, you get a legible date indicator, while the 9 o’clock location is where the days are displayed. If you look a little closer at the dial, you’ll see the leap year indicator, discreetly nestled inside the date ring at 12 o’clock, affording a very clear and concise perpetual calendar display.

Citizen Eco Drive Perpetual Chrono A-T Watch CB5896-03X

For a more affordable option this leap year, you could consider a perpetual calendar from Citizen. The Eco Drive Chrono A-T watch is very reasonably priced for its multitude of functions. The dial features a chocolate brown central section set against a black external border depicting the world cities. Towards the middle of the dial, you get to track a 12 and 24-hour scale, a 1-second chronograph that measures up to 60 minutes, and a power reserve indicator. No doubt, this perpetual calendar is a more complex take on the complication, but with so many additional features, you can’t help but appreciate its value-for-money proposition.

Seiko Astron Watch Sunray Dark Night GPS Solar SSH119J1

The Seiko Astron SSH119 packs a whole load of features into its 43.1mm titanium construction. The movement inside its 100-meter water-resistant case is a solar-powered GPS movement, which grants you a power save function, a dual time function, a time transfer function, a power reserve indicator, and an overcharge prevention function. Together, these features join indicators that display the day at 3 o’clock and a leap function at 9 o’clock, all set across a deep midnight blue backdrop. What makes this Seiko Astron perpetual calendar watch even more appealing is its sporty nature. The model comes dressed on a matching lightweight titanium bracelet, fortified by a super hard coating and multiple luminous elements on the dial for timekeeping at night.

That was our round-up of the best perpetual calendar watches to get your hands on before leap year 2024, If you’d like more information on any of the watches we’ve featured in this guide, you can call and speak to a member of our sales team at Jura Watches on 01335 453453. Alternatively, you can enquire about purchasing a watch by emailing us at help@jurawatches.co.uk.