The Best Calendar Watches of 2024

Talking about calendar watches is a vast topic, which can range from fairly simple mechanisms to some of the most complex movements watchmakers have invented. Indeed, this category ranges from the classic triple calendar (mechanically, an evolution of the date complication with no self-adjustment of the length of the months) to the finest version, the secular perpetual calendar, watches that can automatically adapt to the smallest oddities of our Gregorian calendar. Looking at this category, we have to say that 2024 didn’t disappoint and brought us some incredible watches – one of them even won the prestigious GPHG. So here is our selection of the best calendar watches of 2024, from an eccentric planetarium to a secular perpetual calendar.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar John Mayer

There are multiple reasons why we’ve selected this John Mayer x Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in this list of the best calendar watches. The first is quite obvious when you look at the watch; it looks stunning, specifically with this modern take on the classic Tuscan dial perpetual calendar, with a “Crystal Sky” textured that feels like crystallised metal. The rest of the watch is classic RO QP, with a 41mm diameter white gold case and the display we’ve come to expect from this model, with its signature week display at the periphery of the dial. The main reason why we’ve listed this model here is more sentimental, as this watch will be the last of the series to be powered by the self-winding perpetual calendar calibre 5134, launched in 2015 and based on the calibre 2120 – launched in 1967 and at the heart of the Royal Oak Jumbo 5402ST of 1972 and all subsequent Jumbos. But with the launch of the 16202ST Jumbo with a new movement (calibre 7121), it would feel legitimate to replace the base of the perpetual calendar models, too. So here’s the swan song of the calibre 5134.

For more details about the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar John Mayer, consult our hands-on article here.

CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric

Possibly the master of astronomical watches, Dutch watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw made a name for himself with his planetarium complication, including the smallest mechanical planetarium ever made, incorporating the motion of 6 planets around the sun. In 2024, under the guidance of the new owner of the brand Pim Koeslag, CVDK is back to its roots with this Grand Planetarium Eccentric. And it is a marvel of mechanical ingenuity. Hand-calculated by Mister van der Klaauw and transposed in 3D CAD design by Koeslag, the CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric now incorporates all planets of the Solar system, including Uranus and Neptune with their extremely slow orbits. The planetarium occupies most of the dial but also the planets are not rotating in a classic circular motion but instead follow eccentric paths, closely mirroring reality as accurately as possible. All in all, we’re talking about a total of 3,338 teeth for the whole system. And in addition, the CVDK Grand Planetarium Eccentric also displays the time (obviously), calendar indications and zodiac signs. Power comes from a movement developed with UhrTeil AG (founded by Andreas Strehler).

For more details about the Christiaan van der Klaauw Grand Planetarium Eccentric, consult our hands-on article here.

IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar

One of the most talked-about models of the year, IWC presented its definitive vision of a calendar watch, the Portugieser Eternal Calendar. IWC’s first secular perpetual calendar, which won’t need adjusting until 3999, it also includes a moon phase indicator that will remain accurate for 45 million years (a world record). What makes this watch so special is not only its secular calendar function but its mechanical simplicity. As a secular calendar, the Portugieser Eternal Calendar takes into account even the so-called centurial years – years ending in 00 that can be divided by 400 are leap years (1600, 2000, 2400, 2800), while centurial years like 2100, 2200 and 2300, which can be divided by 100, are not. A very rare complication, it’s here managed by a 400-year gear designed to skip three leap years over four centuries and comprising only 8 components – typical of IWC’s clever calendar watches as designed by Kurt Klaus. This ingenious system has been awarded the Aiguille d’Or at the GPHG 2024.

For more details about the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar, consult our in-depth article with video here.

Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon Annual Calendar

While Laurent Ferrier already had a classic annual calendar watch in its collection, the brand presented this year a slightly more complex but oh-so-elegant new version with the addition of a moonphase display – making it, if you will, a full annual calendar. This Classic Moon Annual Calendar is everything you’d expect from the brand; smooth, elegant, traditional and superbly finished. With this new model, the brand adds a layer of complexity with the annual calendar complication (which only requires one correction a year, at the transition between February and March) and, new for this year, a moon complication made from aventurine glass, Super-LumiNova and translucent petrol blue enamel. Inside beats a hand-wound movement with classic Swiss lever escapement, yet with refined decoration. And the steel model you see here is surely handsome, but the gold model with opaline dial strikes even harder.

For more details about the Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon Annual Calendar, consult our hands-on article here.

Patek Philippe In-Line Perpetual Calendar Salmon 5236P

First presented in 2021 with a blue dial, the Patek Philippe In-Line Perpetual Calendar 5236P made quite an impact with its compact yet highly practical display of the calendar indication on a single line, with 4 non-underlapping discs – with clear day, date and month aligned. The same straight-line calendar display is back this year in an even more appealing version mixing a platinum case – still superbly designed and elegant – with a salmon-toned dial. Patek at its best, mechanically and visually. This 5236P is surprisingly modern yet traditional, greatly executed and discreetly complex. Under the sapphire back is the modern calibre 31-260, a micro-rotor movement with beautiful individual finger bridges.

For more details about the Patek Philippe In-Line Perpetual Calendar, consult our hands-on article here.