Elite Traveler Summer 2019

STYLE MEN’S WATCHES

by Roberta Naas

Today, we take for granted that a quick glance at our phone tells us the date, but in the past, ingenious watchmakers had to devise mechanical marvels to keep track of the calendar. The most complicated of those watches, perpetual calendars, even account for leap years thanks to hundreds of cams and levers. These watches have their roots in mid-18th-century London, where watchmaker Thomas Mudge invented a detached lever escapement, which he used in his first-ever perpetual calendar in 1762. The perpetual calendar displays the time, day of the week, date, month, leap year and— in most instances —moon phases, and automatically adjusts the date every month, including February. Most do not need a manual adjustment until the year 2100, when the leap year that should occur will be skipped in order to have real time and the Gregorian calendar align again. Some models also include a retrograde date complication, meaning that at midnight on the last day of the month, the hand automatically flies back to “1” to start the trek again. The less complicated annual calendar watch displays the time, day of the week, date, month and year, and automatically adjusts itself every month except February, when the date must be changed manually. It was developed by Patek Philippe in 1996, and these watches have grown quite popular as they are more user friendly and easier to set than a perpetual calendar. CALENDAR WATCHES

A LANGE & SÖHNE LANGEMATIK PERPETUAL HONEYGOLD

Germany’s A Lange & Söhne is known for its complicated watches. Of particular note is the Langematik Perpetual Calendar, launched in 2001. At that time, it was the first self-winding watch that combined a perpetual calendar and an outsized date display. The Sax-o-Mat movement is also equipped with a patented Zero-Reset mechanism that simplifies accurate time setting to the second: When the crown is pulled out, it stops the balance and advances the second hand to zero. The newest version has a white dial and is crafted in the firm's proprietary HoneyGold, which has only been used for specially selected limited editions and one-of-a-kind pieces, ensuring its exclusivity. A sapphire-crystal caseback enables viewing of the 478-part movement with hand-engraved 21K gold rotor and Lange-style three-quarter plate. The escapement and balance cock are manually hand finished and flawlessly engraved. $85,000 in HoneyGold, A Lange & Söhne in New York, +1 646 828 3150, alange-soehne.com

BOVET 1822 RÉCITAL 21 PERPETUAL CALENDAR

MONTBLANC HERITAGE PERPETUAL CALENDAR Inspired by the rich watchmaking history of its Minerva workshops in Villeret, Switzerland, this year Montblanc unveiled a host of Heritage watches that recall Minerva’s 20th-century watches. This new Heritage Perpetual Calendar watch boasts a vintage sectional dial and an early Montblanc logo. It houses the new self-winding, 378-part Caliber MB 29.22 movement that was three years in the making. This movement has a built-in safety feature that prevents the user from setting the watch between 8pm and midnight, which could damage the caliber (as this is when the wheels that turn the calendar indications are in motion). It is equipped with a second time-zone indication and 24-hour indication, making it perfect for travel. $26,240 in 18K rose gold, Montblanc in New York, +1 212 223 8888, montblanc.com

With an unusual writing-desk-sloped case, Récital 21 is a vision in intrigue and technical prowess. This 44.4mm watch combines perpetual calendar functions with a three-dimensional, constantly moving tourbillon escapement and a retrograde date indication that outlines the circular blue dial. The dial is brushed by hand, surface treated, hand painted with eight layers of lacquer, and polished by hand to bring out its luster. The watch is designed to display its information in an easy-to-read manner, with hour and minute hands on the center dial and days and months vertically displayed via apertures. A small circular aperture at 3 o’clock shows the leap year. The patented double-coaxial second mechanism displays the second hand above the tourbillon, and the five days of power reserve are indicated on the back. $77,800 in 18K rose gold, Cellini Jewelers in New York, +1 212 888 0505, bovet.com