Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar

A perpetual calendar is like a small computer on your wrist. Think of it this way: Imagine a watch that keeps track of not only the time, but also the date, the day of the week, and the month, tells you whether it’s a leap year or not, and what the current phase of the moon is. Oh, and one more thing — imagine it does all of this mechanically, using springs and gears, and that you only have to adjust it once every century or so. Crazy, right? Patek Philippe has been making such watches since the Second World War, and continues to make some of the most superlative quantieme perpetuele models on the market. This particular example, a Reference 5040J from the 2010s, combines the desirable complication with a timeless tonneau-shaped case and a sought-after ‘Breguet’ dial. A particularly fetching configuration for a perpetual calendar, it’s also incredibly well proportioned and appropriate for both men and women. Housed in a 39mm yellow gold tonneau case with a signed crown, a sapphire crys