Never Reset; 8 Cheapest Perpetual Calendar Watches

I shall start by saying that this isn’t an easy guide to compile. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Why? Because perpetual calendars don’t come cheap.

So, if you happen to have an unshakable penchant for expensive things and a perpetual calendar is next on your list, you’re in trouble. Long-suffering wives can’t know about this guide. It’s strictly between you and me. You’re only browsing, anyway (clears throat).

The trouble is, what would you say when she finds a watch like this stashed in the back of your wardrobe? “What, this old thing? I’ve had it for yonks, darling”. Agreed, it’s a tactic that works better for a watch than it does trying to conceal a new sports car.

But for the majority of us, guilty pleasures as small as a watch can soon become harder to hide the better your other half becomes at using her special impulse buy-antenna. Perhaps the only way to go is a trade-off. You get a new watch, and she can order a new handbag.

Still, like everything, there are more affordable alternatives to even the most expensive lifestyle products. And that’s kind of what a perpetual calendar is. A lifestyle product. It’s no longer an essential tool.

But you can certainly imagine how groundbreaking and indispensable a tool like this was when it arrived, right? This thing could keep you punctual. Could keep you organised. It told the rest of the world you could afford expensive, sophisticated things.  

Not much has changed since then, even by today’s standards. These watches still convey a sense of wealth, good taste, and a degree of horological expertise. But just know this: there are reasonably priced perpetual watches available if you’re serious about owning one and you know where to look.

The History of the Perpetual Calendar Watch

Before we delve into what a perpetual calendar is, it’s essential to examine the calendar itself. Before the Gregorian calendar that we use today, we followed what was known as the Julian calendar (pre-1582).

It was divided into 365 days (each with 24 hours) and 12 months (each with 30 or 31 days), with February comprising just 28 days. There was a problem, however. It didn’t align with the solar year (the time it takes for the Earth to complete one full revolution).

The solar year comprises 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 16 seconds. Therefore, Pope Gregory XIII added an extra day to February every four years, which led to the creation of the Gregorian calendar.

Oh, also – to balance the math out – this extra day is left out every 100 years but then added back every 400 years – confusing, I know!  

Hopefully, now you’re getting an idea of how complicated a watch like the perpetual calendar is, as this intricately engineered instrument accounts for all of this for you. The guy behind this revolutionary concept was Thomas Mudge.

He created the first perpetual calendar in pocket watch form in 1762, which was later acquired by the horological giant Patek Philippe, who obtained a patent for it in 1889.

The first Patek Philippe perpetual calendar pocket watch arrived soon after, followed by the first perpetual calendar watch in 1925. The brand also developed the first retrograde perpetual calendar 12 years later and the first series dedicated to the complication a further four years after that.

That same year, it launched a chronograph version. The brand also achieved another milestone in 1962 with the introduction of the first automatic-powered perpetual calendar.

Indeed, Patek Philippe was leaps and bounds ahead of its competition when it came to specialising in this complication. It smashed out several firsts that out-performed many other manufacturers of its time by a country mile!

What Is a Perpetual Calendar?

If you’re serious about owning an affordable perpetual calendar but unsure how it works, keep reading. I promise to keep it brief and to the point.

The Perpetual calendar watch is one of the most sophisticated timepieces out there. For a start, it has a mechanical memory that spans 1,461 days. The watch displays the days of the week, months of the year, and date without requiring manual adjustment.

It takes into account leap years and accounts for the days of the month, regardless of whether they’re 28, 30, or 31 days long. This highly complex mechanism won’t need adjusting as long as you keep it running, whether by a manual wound movement or a self-winding one (or even a quartz movement).

Because there are many different types of perpetual calendar watches on the market, their movements may vary in terms of how they operate. Most are engineered to track the time and date accurately to the year 2100.

These horological works of art comprise a date wheel, a day wheel, a date change lever, and a day-of-the-week lever, as well as month wheels and racks that ensure all parts work in harmony together. Additionally, those watches featuring a moon phase indicator will feature yet another disk.

The ticking machine inside the perpetual calendar, no larger than your big toenail, comprises hundreds of tiny parts all working synergistically together, their performance of which can be admired for a fleeting moment through an exhibition caseback in most designs.

The Difference Between a Perpetual Calendar and an Annual Calendar Watch

If you already own an annual calendar, you’ll know that it works similarly to a perpetual calendar by displaying the day, date, and month alongside the main minutes, hours, and seconds of the day.

However, an annual calendar watch requires adjustment once a year, typically at the end of February, depending on whether it features a 28- or 29-day cycle.

An annual calendar works via 12 teeth to account for the months and five teeth that are longer in size to account for those months with 30 days. These cause the mechanism to rotate an additional time during these months, to skip past the 31st day when not needed.

The perpetual calendar, as mentioned earlier, does all the hard work for you, requiring no adjustments until the year 2100; however, it does come with a higher price tag.

Why Do You Need a Perpetual Calendar Watch?

Despite the market for smartwatches becoming increasingly oversaturated, the allure and appeal of a watch like the perpetual calendar seem to be as prominent as ever.

Of course, you can access the day, date, leap year, and current time with the swipe of a screen on your mobile phone (or other digital device), but perpetual calendar watches look incredibly sophisticated, offering many practical applications in day-to-day life.

This complication is incredibly useful, as it saves you from all the unnecessary hassle of making adjustments like you would with an annual calendar. This is especially true if you own a watch that doesn’t already have the quick-set feature, which allows you to adjust the date without interfering with the hands.

For example, if you accidentally set the date one day too far on an annual calendar watch, you’d have to correct your mistake by winding your crown through an entire cycle until you reach the correct date again.

This can be a hassle if you’re in a hurry. A perpetual calendar takes care of this for you. Moreover, there are numerous designs and manufacturers to explore when shopping for one. Let’s take a look at some affordable perpetual calendar watches…

Some Affordable Perpetual Calendar Watches

Due to the extensive work involved in crafting a perpetual calendar watch, these beautiful instruments often command a higher price tag than most other complications.

Although no perpetual calendar watch can really be classified as “affordable”, we can at least look at some “relatively affordable” ones. Here they are, in no particular order.

IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IW344203

Considering perpetual calendars by IWC can reach the $60k mark (and let’s not even mention the $180k ultra-precise Eternal Calendar, accurate to 45 million years!), the reference IW344203, for around the $30k mark, is a reasonably priced offering. For the materials, features and design that you get for its price, you can’t overlook this option.

The Portugieser is one of IWC Schaffhausen’s oldest collections, so it makes sense for the brand to cement something as classic as the perpetual calendar into a cornerstone collection like this.

If you prefer a more understated approach, this design is modest yet incorporates Kurt Klaus’ work on the perpetual calendar from the 1980s.

It recognises the different lengths of the months and leap years, presenting the information concisely and with clarity against a silver-plated dial. The 42mm model features the date at 3 o’clock, the month at 6 o’clock, and the days of the week at 9 o’clock.

This is all thanks to the IWC-manufactured 82650, which offers a 60-hour power reserve. Meanwhile, the gold-plated hands add a nice luxurious touch to this design, as does the classic black alligator leather strap.

Frederique Constant Manufacture Perpetual Calendar

If you’re starting your quest to find an affordable but solidly built perpetual calendar, you need to take a look at the Frederique Constant Manufacture ref. FC-776SAL3H6, priced at just under $10,000.

It’s the no-brainer option for those looking to enjoy the qualities of the sophisticated calendar complication alongside compact case proportions.

The Manufacture Perpetual Calendar is a special watch because it’s powered by Frederique Constant’s 34th in-house movement – the Calibre 776. It boasts a three-day power reserve and showcases its performance via a soft silvery sunray salmon dial.

As one of the most affordable perpetual calendar watches on the market today, this model even offers a glimpse into the performance of the movement via an exhibition caseback.

It’s not the most highly finished movement. Still, the basic perlage and circular Côtes de Genève decoration bring together the traditional elements of a Swiss-made movement, complete with a 72-hour power reserve for occasions where you may want to alternate it with another watch.

H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Black Edition

Here’s the thing with the H. Moser & Cie Endeavor watch. It makes something so incredibly complex look as simple as possible with a contemporary, minimalist display.

Those less familiar with this complication could easily underestimate the movement working away inside its 40.8mm titanium case. But don’t be fooled…

This lightweight H. Moser & Cie Endeavour watch features a dial colour that’s closer to anthracite than black. Elegant leaf-shaped hands help perpetuate the flowing curvature of the case and the smooth finish of the rose gold details.

Suffice to say, the brand transforms this highly complex wristwatch, giving it an entirely new platform to showcase its qualities.

Even better value for money, the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar is powered by an in-house manual-winding movement, which displays a date window at 3 o’clock, a small seconds counter at 9 o’clock, and a power reserve indicator on the west side of the dial.

A closer look at the dial reveals a much smaller arrow hand, which is the tell-tale sign of something much more complex happening in the background. The arrow hand points to the month in the same way as you would typically read the hours. So clever and so worth its sub-$30k price tag.

Glashutte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar

If you like Frederique Constant’s style of watch, the Glashutte Original Senator Excellence ref 1-36-02-01-02-71, priced at $23,800, may appeal to you for several apparent reasons. It features beautifully sculpted blue hands, needle-fine hour markers, and a legible railroad minute scale encircling the dial.

A moon phase display is located at 8 o’clock, represented in beautiful blue and silver tones, while on the opposite side of the display, you can access the month and a double-window date.

The Glashutte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar watch features classic Roman numeral hour markers at 12 and 6 o’clock and is powered by the Calibre 36-02 – a Glashutte Original manufactory in-house movement, complete with an impressive 100-hour power reserve.

Keeping track of the passing days of the month is made effortless thanks to the design of this perpetual calendar watch. The fact that Glashutte Original equips it with a robust stainless steel bracelet is another bonus since it can add a much-needed dressy finish to a suit or professional attire.

Breitling B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar

If you’re a fan of pilot watches, you’ll already be acquainted with the iconic Breitling Navitimer watch – the professional pilot’s wrist-worn computer from the 1940s and 1950s.

As is true with any revolutionary watch complication, the slide rule bezel has stood the test of time, and in this design, it combines the ability to calculate fuel consumption and average descent speeds with the ability to account for all days of the year, all for under $35,000.

The calendrical functions of the Breitling Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar are presented on an ice-blue canvas in a sunray effect.

The slide rule bezel is presented in a contrasting black hue, while the silver-coloured hour markers and hands have received a good dose of Super-LumiNova, allowing you to utilise the watch, even in light-limiting conditions.

The piston-style push pieces that control the chronograph functions, however, are what give this perpetual calendar a truly unique edge over anything else on the market.

Combined with that slide rule, this model, complete with a classic black alligator leather band, remains entirely unmatched thanks to its precision and subtly retro aesthetic.  

Tissot Tradition Perpetual Calendar

You can’t mention the name Tissot without thinking of its many affordable wristwatches. If you’re working on a strict budget, then the Tissot Tradition has to be your gateway into affordably luxury watch collecting, whether you’re looking for a perpetual calendar or not.

This is the perfect beginner’s timepiece, combining a robust 42mm stainless steel case, a clean white dial, and a quartz movement – yes, I said quartz! Only a few countries still stock this absolute steal, so your best bet is to find a preowned model in mint condition for around $500 or less.

To the left of the dial, you can track the months in a retrograde-style aperture. The same goes for the days of the week on the opposite side.

Meanwhile, the date is presented in a reversed arc, leaving a slender, faceted minutes hands to stretch right out to the edge of the dial, where an Arabic numeral sits at 12 o’clock.

Models from Tissot’s Tradition collection are all inspired by the brand’s earlier 1950s timepieces, which makes this perpetual calendar and its accompanying brown leather band a completely classic companion to pair with casual attire at the weekend or something more sophisticated by night.

Some of the most attractive details of this affordable perpetual calendar watch include a subtle guilloche decoration on the dial surface and a gently curved case with sculpted lugs.

Citizen Chronograph with Perpetual Calendar: BL5403-03X

The Citizen Perpetual Calendar reference BL5403-03X is not the simplest looking of watches. In fact, it could be too cluttered for some.

However, you can’t deny that Citizen makes some of the most functional and affordable tools on the market, and the brand is synonymous with accuracy, thanks to its solar-powered Eco-Drive technology.

The watch is designed by Citizen experts with one theory in mind – to obtain maximum information at a quick glance. A 100-meter water resistance makes this watch suitable for most outdoor activities, while the brown dial features splashes of red to aid legibility.

This watch is not just a perpetual calendar. It’s also a chronograph with a 1/20th of a second function and an alarm with a power reserve indicator displayed under its mineral glass.

Other features include a gold-coloured stainless steel case with a fluted bezel and an enduring brown leather strap featuring white contrast stitching along the edges. As one of the most affordable options on the list, it will cost you no more than $700.

Habring² Chrono Felix Perpetual

There must be a link between salmon-coloured dial watches and affordable perpetual calendars because this is another option that won’t break the bank.

The Habring² Chrono Felix Perpetual is a tribute to some of the horological world’s most remarkable feats, including the work of Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet.

The Austrian watchmaker has already achieved significant success with its Perpetual-Doppel, launched to commemorate the brand’s 15th anniversary, featuring a rattrapante movement.

The appeal of the Chrono Felix Perpetual watch, however, is the fact that it can house the complex calendrical features of the perpetual in compact dimensions of just 38.5mm.

Aside from a double-sealed crown to protect the movement, Harbing equips the watch with an exhibition caseback, allowing you to enjoy the engine in action. Even more enticing, the Habring² Chrono Felix Perpetual is a juxtaposition of two important elements.

One, the Dubois-Depraz-developed perpetual calendar module, and two, Habring’s hand-wound, mono-pusher chronograph movement, with components entirely sourced within Austria.

Conclusion

One would certainly hope that as your affluence grows, so too does your interest in more expensive watches and, thus, your thirst for horological knowledge. But things don’t always happen in the order you want them to. The heart wants what it wants.

If you’ve found yourself toying with the idea of a perpetual calendar but the price is holding you back, you at least have some of the most realistic and achievable options in this list to consider.

These high-end goodies of the watch world can become outrageously out of reach if you don’t hone in on your expectations a little. It’s the nature of the perpetual calendar’s complex design.

The intricate mechanisms inside these watches are nothing short of astounding, and many true horologists would argue that they are worth every penny.

But once you’ve bitten the bug, it becomes hard to ignore the urge to explore the perpetual calendar in different ways, shapes and…prices. My advice would be to set a budget of no more than $30k.

In doing so, you can enjoy all the wonder and allure of this complication along with a reputable brand name, but without overstretching yourself financially. If you find that the perpetual calendar is everything you need in a watch, there’s certainly a much higher level of craftsmanship to explore later down the line.