The Best Annual And Perpetual Calendar Watches Of 2022

Instead of looking at a TV screen, a gigantic clock or some type of countdown timer to usher in the new year, some mechanical watch fans might have gazed down at their watch to watch the indications jump from 2022 to 2023. Hardcore watch enthusiasts and collectors might have even strapped on an annual or perpetual calendar to see how all the indications interact simultaneously at that precise moment. These watches are among the most complex and alluring in the industry and can come in many shapes. So, now that it’s January 1st and we’ve officially kicked off the new year, we take a quick look back at some of last year’s most impressive calendar watches!

Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Travel Time 5326G

Revered for its very classical approach to watchmaking, the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Travel Time 5326G is a contemporary breath of fresh air from the Maison. But make no mistake, it’s still very much a Patek Philippe, so the finishing is beyond good. However, the cradle-like construction of the case, the Clous de Paris decoration on the edge of the caseband, and the coarsely textured dials are not features we typically associate with Patek. And yet, they combine exceptionally well! And mechanically pairing the practicality of both the annual calendar display and travel time functions makes for one amazing watch. It’s worn on a beige Nubuck-finished calfskin strap and retails for EUR 68,800.

For more information, please visit Patek.com.

Quick Facts – 41mm x 11.47mm – white gold case with Clous de Paris decorated container – sapphire crystal front and back – 30m water-resistant – textured charcoal grey dial with black gradient rim – gold applied numerals with beige luminescent coating – calibre 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H, in-house – automatic winding with micro-rotor – 409 components – 4Hz frequency – 38h-48h power reserve – hours, minutes, small seconds, annual calendar, second time zone, moon phase, day/night indications – beige calfskin leather strap with gold fold-over clasp – EUR 65,000

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Blue Ceramic

Provocative for sure, but the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar 41mm Blue Ceramic is Audemars Piguet at its very best. It combines the classical codes of the legendary Royal Oak, complex mechanical watchmaking and modern high-tech materials into one of the most enticing watches of the year. A bit of a gimmicky watch to some, but it looks and feels absolutely amazing in real life. This ultra-blue watch shows you not only the time but also the date, day of the week, number of the week, month, leap year and the moon phase, all packed into a 41mm full blue ceramic case and bracelet. Priced at CHF 129,000, this expensive beast will be produced in limited quantities.

For more information, please visit AudemarsPiguet.com.

Quick Facts – 41mm x 9.5mm – full blue ceramic case and bracelet – sapphire crystal front and back – 20m water-resistant – blue dial with Grande Tapisserie pattern – blue sub-dials for the perpetual calendar indications – white gold markers and hands – calibre 5134, ultra-thin automatic with QP module – 374 components – 19,800vph – 40h power reserve – hours, minutes, day, date, week, month, moon phase and leap year indicators – CHF 129,000

Glashütte Original Panomaticcalendar

Calendar indications have always played an important role at Glashütte Original, and this year the brand launched the very original and elegant PanoMaticCalendar. It combines the typical off-centred display for the time, a classical moon phase display and the signature Panoramadate function with a cleverly integrated indication for the month. Displayed in an arched sapphire window between 3 and 6 o’clock, all 12 months of the year can be seen as black markers travelling underneath it indicate the current month. The newly developed movement, calibre 92-02, can be viewed from the back, with its off-centred rotor and high-end finishings. It retails for EUR 27,900 on an alligator leather strap with a pin buckle or EUR 30,200 with a folding clasp.

For more information, please visit Galshuette-Original.com.

Quick Facts – 42mm x 12.4mm – 18k rose gold case – sapphire crystal front and back – silver opaline dial with applied numerals and indices – off-centred sub-dials for hours, minutes and small seconds – red gold hands – calibre 92-09, in-house automatic – 53 jewels – 28,800vph – 100h power reserve – hours, minutes, small seconds, moon phase, Panorama Date and retrograde month – brown alligator leather strap with pin buckle or folding clasp – EUR 27,900 (pin buckle) or EUR 30,200 (folding clasp)

De Bethune DB25 Perpetual Calendar 40mm

The De Bethune DB25 Perpetual Calendar 40mm is one of our absolute highlight watches of the year. It looks just amazing in its new, more compact size and two-tone blue and silver colour combination. The display is exquisite, with clear indications for the time, date, day of the week and month. To top it all off, the spherical moon phase is finished in typical De Bethune style, with a palladium and titanium sphere that’s accurate to one lunar day every 122 years. Around the back, you have an unobscured view of calibre DB2324V2, packed with De Bethune patents and innovations. It’s limited to a production run of only 15 pieces per year and retails for CHF 125,000 before taxes.

For more information, please visit DeBethune.ch.

Quick Facts – 40mm x 11.3mm – grade 5 titanium case, polished – integrated hollow lugs – sapphire crystal front and back – 30m water-resistant – silver and blue dial with guilloché decoration – curved and polished hands – central hours and minutes, date, day of the week, month, moon phase and leap year indication – calibre DB2324V2, in-house – automatic winding – 423 components – titanium & white gold balance wheel – De Bethune balance spring – silicon escape wheel – titanium & white gold rotor – 28,800vph – 120h power reserve – alligator leather strap – limited to 15 pieces per year – CHF 125,000

Habring² Felix Chrono Perpetual Calendar

The last watch on the list rolls several things we love at MONOCHROME into a single, very handsome watch: the Habring² Felix Chrono Perpetual Calendar. This pairs a beautiful salmon dial with a classically proportioned 38.5mm wide steel case and a well-balanced perpetual calendar display. We’ve always had a soft spot for Richard Habring’s work, and this one is just a beauty, even though we haven’t seen it live yet. The display is powered by an in-house produced base movement, a heavily reworked version of the Valjoux 7750, and a Dubois-Depraz QP module on top. This drives the hours, minutes, chronograph seconds and minutes, date, day of the week, month, leap year and moon phase indications. Part of the permanent collection, it retails for EUR 23,500.

For more information, please visit Habring2.com.

Quick Facts – 38.5mm x 13mm – stainless steel case, brushed and polished – stepped bezel – sapphire crystal front and back – galvanised brushed salmon dial – Breguet-style numerals and leaf-shaped hands – calibre A11CP – in-house hand-wound monopusher chronograph with Dubois-Depraz QP module on top – 21 jewels – 28,800vph – 48h power reserve – hours, minutes, chronograph with central seconds and 30-minute counter – perpetual calendar with date, day, month, leap year and moon phase – brown matte leather strap with pin buckle – EUR 23,500