What types of watches with date and day of the week displays (calendar watches) are there?

Q: What types of watches have date and day displays?

The most common is the simplest type, with only a date display. More complex types include the date + day-date display, as well as annual and perpetual calendars that automatically adjust at the end of the month.

A: A wide variety of options, from date-only to automatic end-of-month adjustment.

Some wristwatches that tell time have calendar functions, such as the date and day of the week. The most common type is the date-only type, which can be found in automatic and quartz watches. Generally, hand-wound watches do not have a date display, but some with a mainspring running time of two days or more may have one.

The so-called day-date model displays not only the date but also the day of the week. Rolex's Oyster Perpetual Day-Date is a famous example, but they are also often found in the 10 yen price range.

The complicated one is the so-called annual calendar. This is based on a day-date with a date display and automatically adjusts the calendar except at the end of February. This new calendar developed by Patek Philippe means that most calendar adjustments are unnecessary unless the watch stops. Currently, not only Patek Philippe but also Omega and others use it.

We recommend only annual calendars. Perpetual calendars are for advanced users.

Even more complicated is the perpetual calendar, which automatically adjusts the calendar at the end of February until the year 2100. This is a very sophisticated calendar mechanism, but if it stops, it is difficult to adjust, and if it does break, repair costs are high. IWC's perpetual calendar solves this problem. All calendars can be fast-forwarded simply by turning the crown, so you can adjust the calendar with peace of mind even if the watch stops.

For normal use, we recommend only an annual calendar. If you have the budget and are confident in your watch skills, go for a perpetual calendar. However, if you are buying a watch with an annual calendar or more, we also recommend buying a winder to wind the automatic mainspring.