Quantième Perpétuel
Technical specifications
Functions
- Hours
- Minutes
- Perpetual Calendar
- Leap Year
- Power Reserve
Movement
- Self Winding/Automatic
- Manufactured
- Swiss Made
Case
- Round
- Red Gold
- Polished
- 10.80mm
- 42.00mm
Glass
- Sapphire
Buckle
- Pin Buckle
- Red Gold
Strap
- Louisiana Alligator
Year
- 2013
Official description
During the 18th century the astronomical watches gradually gave way to the manufacturing of watches showing the date and, usually, the moon phases. These primitive calendar watches were all of the simple calendar type that is to say that at the end of each month of less than 31 days, the days hand had to be put forward manually. Adding to the movement the complicated mechanism of a perpetual calendar, in which, every four years, the 29th of February would be automatically recorded, had long been the dream of every watchmaker.
The Quantième Perpétuel (perpetual calendar) displays the exact date by automatically taking into account the variable length of the months and leap-year cycle. It also displays the day, month and often the moon phases. To accomplish this watchmaking feat, the movement must have a mechanical “memory” of 1461 days or four years. The mechanism is usually based on a differential gear system from the hour wheel and includes several hundred components, cogs, gears, levers and rockers. Despite their name, perpetual calendars will have to be corrected by one day on 1 March 2100, not through any fault of the mechanism but due to the Gregorian calendar, which rules that this year, as three centennial years out of four, will not be a leap year.
