Perpetual Calendar Preferences: A Collector's Guide to the Best Complications

Key Points from the Discussion

• The Ulysse Nardin Perpetual Calendar stands out for its unique ability to be set both forwards and backwards via the crown, a significant advancement in user-friendliness compared to many other perpetual calendars that require specialized tools or manufacturer intervention for adjustments.
• Some perpetual calendars, like certain JLC and IWC models, incorporate apertures for the year, decade, century, and millennium, offering a comprehensive time display, though century and millennium changes often require manual adjustment by a watchmaker.
• The Andersen Geneve Secular Perpetual Calendar is noted for its audacious and ingenious design, displaying correct calendar information for 400 years via a dial on the watch's reverse side.
• The Patek Philippe Ref. 3940 is frequently cited as a classic and aesthetically pleasing perpetual calendar, particularly when considering models without additional complications.
• The H. Moser & Cie. Perpetual Calendar is highly regarded for its clean dial and superior legibility, often preferred by collectors who prioritize ease of reading the date and other calendar information.
• The JLC Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar Ref. 1308470 is praised for its synchronized one-button setting mechanism, simplifying moon phase adjustments, and its inclusion of a year display within a 39mm case, often considered an accessible entry into perpetual calendars.
• The Ulysse Nardin's movement, designed by Ludwig Oechslin, is celebrated for its 'genius in simplicity' philosophy, allowing for intuitive setting without the common pitfalls of other perpetual calendars.
• The instantaneous digital date change and the innovative lever built discreetly into the lug for setting are highlighted as key features of certain perpetual calendars, enhancing user experience by eliminating the need for pusher adjusters.