Complicated timepieces have always fascinated watch literati with their exquisite movements and technical advancements. The perpetual calendar mechanism has a long history in traditional watchmaking reaching back to the 18th century when Thomas Mudge created the earliest known example in 1762. It would be almost another 100 years before the complication came in to its own and by the mid-19th century watch brands like Patek Philippe and Breguet were experimenting with the perpetual calendar mechanisms. Patek Philippe became the first manufacturer to add the complication to a wristwatch. Unlike traditional triple calendar timepieces, the perpetual calendar is a marvel of wheels and gears that accounts for the varying days of different months from 28 days in February to 31 days in others. When kept running this unique complication will correct for the addition day in the 4th year of the cycle, February 29th.

The present watch comes from Vacheron Constantin’s “Complication” line introduced in 1993. The heavy hunter case watch weighs an impressive 237 grams and has a modern clean design. The silvered dial features four subsidiary dials for day, date, moon phases with lunar calendar and month with leap year indication. It is easily readable and the maker added date correctors to the case so that the watch is readily corrected should one forget to wind the watch. In lovely overall condition, this is a rare opportunity to own an exquisite perpetual calendar pocket watch. It has been said Vacheron Constantin only made these watch available by order and therefore production numbers are considered to be very limited.