IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month

Along with the famous Ingenieur, IWC’s Da Vinci line of watches was not just a groundbreaker. Almost 25 years ago, when the world was almost conquered by the dirt-cheap and highly accurate quartz watches, IWC’s master watchmaker Kurt Klaus somehow managed to create an automatic movement with a perpetual calendar complication that gave the whole industry a second chance.

The new iteration of the model, the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph was presented at SIHH 2009. I highly doubt that it will become a sea change for the industry but it is nevertheless one of the most interesting watches revealed in the last couple of years. Powered by an in-house caliber 89800 built of 474 parts, the watch features a highly sophisticated perpetual calendar. Once properly set, the watch will need its first and, theoretically, the last adjustment by one day on 1 March, 2100.

What’s most interesting about the calendar is that it displays both date and month in digital format. Instead of the usual “JUL”, “FEB” and “OCT” abbreviations it will display “07″, “02″ and “10″ in its right window located between the 2 o’clock and the 3 o’clock in perfect symmetry with the date window placed on the left side of the dial. As Mr. Ariel Adams from aBlogtoRead.com notices in his short article at Luxist.com, the display will be really convenient for us, Europeans since the May 4, 2009 date is displayed in a usual at this time of the Pond “4/05/09″ format. Americans will have to either get used to it or buy a watch with a more usual data presentation format. Like, say, Jules Audemars 30th Anniversary Perpetual Calendar by Audemars Piguet or a more recent Glashütte Original Senator Navigator Perpetual Calendar pilot’s watch.

Although I’m not a great fan of tonneau-shaped watches, this one looks absolutely gorgeous even though its 44 x 52.8 x 16.3 mm case will take practically all real estate on a normal wrist.

The will be available soon in a gold and platinum version with the latter limited to only 500 units and probably priced around $70,000.

Photos: IWC

IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph watch’s specification :

Price range: $40,000 for the gold and $70,000 for the platinum
Movement: Caliber 89800, double-pawl automatic, 474 parts
Complications: Perpetual calendar, flyback chronograph
Power reserve: 68 hours
Case material: Rose gold or platinum, transparent caseback with sapphire crystal
Case dimensions: 44 x 52.8 mm
Case height: 16.3 mm
Dial: Silvered with a vertical tapestry pattern
Water resistance: 3 Bar
Strap: Brown alligator leather with a folding clasp
Crystal: Sapphire