10 watches that will last forever

via Men's Journal

The perpetual calendar is one of the most innovative and romantic complications in all of horology. Because 2016 is a leap year, all but the most complicated calendar watches are going to require that extra step of work come the end of February — making the perpetual calendar (also called a QP, an abbreviation of the French term quantième perpétuel) the holy grail of timekeeping.

From the small window in the dial displaying the day of the month to the day of the week, a QP seamlessly counts everything from seconds to leap-year cycles, plus it only needs to be adjusted once a century. Yes, we said once a century.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual

Purity is what this watch is all about. JLC's stainless steel black dial perpetual packs the calendar function in an ultra-thin modular, the self-winding caliber 868 that measures just 4.72mm thick. It's packaged in a 39mm case. It boasts three registers plus a moonphase display at 12 o'clock, and two additional notables: a year window at 7 o'clock and an aperture just above the axis point towards12 o'clock that turns red as evening falls — an indication the wearer should not adjust the watch then, for risk of damaging the gears. [$20,400; jaeger-lecoultre.com]

Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Tourbillon QP

As rare as high complication watches get, this unique Traditionnelle boasts a tourbillon and perpetual calendar in platinum and with an atypical gray dial. Set within its 44mm case is Vacheron's calibre 2253 movement, which, in addition to the QP function, includes the times of sunrise and sunset (which may be set to the wearer's hometown), and equation of time. In addition, it has an exceptional power reserve of 14 days (or 336 hours). This piece is numbered in an edition of 10. [$482,000; vacheron-constantin.com]

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar

Powered by a new automatic calibre 5134 movement, the watch now comes in four versions, two in stainless steel, and two in rose gold with either a navy blue or silvered Grande Tapisserie dial. Thanks to an enlarged 41mm case size, the dial display — day, date, astronomical moon, month, and leap year — is more legible. Also of note: The 52 weeks of the year are displayed on an outer chapter ring via a third center-mounted hand. [$60,900; audemarspiguet.com]