The year 2024 turns out to be exactly the same format as 1996. Even though they are 28 years apart, both are leap years and start on a Monday, and if you are in the United States, the Presidential Election will also occur on the same date – November 5th. It is also an Olympics year, although the dates don’t quite match, but we can overlook that.
So, if you are in possession of an unused 1996 calendar, you could literally pin it up in your office or kitchen and recycle it this year. Or, if you are more the investor type, you could put it up on E-bay and make some extra cash.
Fans of 1990s nostalgia have been hunting 1996 calendars down on sites like E-bay, raising the prices to over $100 per calendar. There is currently a 1996 Rolex calendar on sale for 149.99 Euros, a Michael Jackson calendar for 69.90 Euros, and a Tom Jones edition for 19.90 Euros! Alternatively, you could buy a selection of 2024 calendars and save them for 2052, which will also be a leap year with January 1st on a Monday.
With the invention of the smartphone and desktop calendars, printed calendars have become increasingly rare, but each year Rolex sends us one with beautiful scenes of Swiss landscapes. We all enjoy discovering the different photographs as the months change and we use it predominantly for recording upcoming holiday dates, so it has special importance in the WorldTempus office!
It isn’t only printed calendars that appeal to us, however, the horological versions are among our favourite watch complications. And even if glancing at a smartphone will deliver the date with a simple tap, it will never compare to the pleasure of looking down at the dial of a perpetual calendar, some of which will even tell you when it is a leap year (which your phone’s home screen will not do, well at least not with one tap). So, without further ado, here are three contenders to illustrate the point!
The Sporty – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin is the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch with a movement height of just 2.89 mm and an overall case height of 6.3 mm. It was first presented in 2018 as the RD#2, which was the second of the Manufacture’s concept watch series, and is now part of the Royal Oak collection. The model presented here comes in titanium and platinum and features a stunning blue dial.
The Elegant – Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin
This ultra-thin perpetual calendar by Vacheron Constantin comes in an elegant 36.5 mm pink gold case adorned with diamonds on the bezel and lugs. Its dial is crafted from a shimmering mother-of-pearl that highlights the day, date, month, leap year, and a moon phase. But what is most important, is what is on the inside – Vacheron Constantin’s in-house Calibre 1120QP, which is not only small in diameter but also only 4.05 mm in height, making this timepiece truly smart!
The Classic – Breguet Classique Perpetual Calendar
The Breguet Classique Perpetual Calendar is the kind of timepiece that you would look at in search of the date and then completely forget why you were looking at your watch at all! Its harmonious display of calendar information is complemented by a guilloché finishing, man-in-the-moon and cloud moonphase, beautiful numerals, blued hands, and the list goes on. Perhaps with this one, you would actually be faster looking at your phone!
