ANDERSEN Genève “Perpetual Secular Calendar” 20th Anniversary Project
After having manufactured the first ever wristwatch with Jewish Calendar – The Hebraïka, ANDERSEN Genève created in 1996 the “Perpetual Secular Calendar”. It was the first 100% perpetual calendar Horological Wristwatch Calendar programmed for 400 years – or even 800. This watch has been adorned by watch collectors worldwide.
To celebrate its 20th Anniversary ANDERSEN Genève adds one more complication and presents the ANDERSEN Genève – “Perpetual Secular Calendar” 20th Anniversary Project. Only 20 “bespoke” watches will be manufactured.
Introduced in 1996, the ANDERSEN Genève’s “Perpetual Secular Calendar” was the first, hundred percent, perpetual calendar wristwatch.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary (1996-2016) of this iconic watch ANDERSEN Genève adds one more complication to the “Perpetual Secular Calendar”: The seven days of the week will be displayed on the dial.
The seven-day week is represented by the sun, the moon and five planets. The complication is made readable with seven small apertures to indicate the current day. Between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, the Roman Empire gradually replaced the eight-day Roman nundinal cycle with the seven-day week.
The names of the days are derived from the sun, the moon and the names of classical planets in Hellenistic astrology. They are named after contemporary deities, a system introduced in the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity. It starts with the Sun, and then the Moon, Mars (Ares), Mercury (Hermes), Jupiter (Zeus), Venus (Aphrodite) and Saturn (Cronos).
The Latin names of planets were simple translations of the Greek names, which in turn were translations of the Babylonian names, which go back to the Sumerians. The 1st day in Latin is named after the Sun (Solis dies), but Christians also consider the Lord’s Day (Dominicus dies), as in Greek.
On the front dial, the date is displayed at three o’clock. The aperture shows the current date in the middle and also lets appear the previous and the following dates as a symbol of continuity. The day of the week is indicated by a dot behind the sun, the moon, or one of the five planets. They are in white gold hand-engraved by a master engraver; the “ANDERSEN Genève” logo too.
The “Perpetuel Secular Calender” 20th Anniversary carries ANDERSEN Genève’s DNA adorned by watch collectors: a very sober and classy watch case in platinum with aesthetic simplicity. The front dial is made of exclusive “BlueGold” that ANDERSEN Genève has been mastering for decades. It is a 21ct gold with iron elements in it. Once heated the gold gets an exclusive blue colour that reflects light in a very special way. No two dials get out of the oven with the same colour making every dial unique.
The hand guilloché “Diamond” motive empowers light reflexion too, it is an extremely difficult texture to handcraft. Under certain angle, it lets appear an “8” or “∞” motive on the dial that empowers the philosophy of this timepiece that is manufactured to tell days, date, month and time correctly for centuries.
On the back of the watch, under a sapphire glass, the “Perpetuel Secular Calender” indication will be displayed with three counters and blued hands indicating Months, Years and Leap Years. The module developed and assembled by ANDERSEN has been continually optimised since ANDERSEN Genève’s first Perpetuel Secular Calender wristwatch 20 years ago, in 1996. The specific dial displayed is programmed for 400 years; afterwards a new dial must be provided with the future years indication from 2400 to 2800…and so on.
Under the sapphire glass, a “BlueGold” ring around the dial will let the watch collector have his desired text hand engraved. Bespoke options have been offered by ANDERSEN Genève since the beginning in the early 80’s. The watch collector can make his timepiece unique.
The “Perpetuel Secular Calender” 20th Anniversary is manufactured in a limited edition of 20 timepieces in platinum only. It celebrates 20 years (1996-2016) of perpetuel secular calender wristwatches developed, manufactured and assembled by ANDERSEN Genève.
Technical details
Model: ANDERSEN Genève “Perpetual Secular Calendar” 20th Anniversary Project
Movement
High quality automatic movement upgraded by Andersen Genève 4Hz (28’000A/h) with 48 hours power reserve “Perpetual Secular Calender” complication module developed and produced in the atelier in Geneva
Days, Date, Months and Leap Years indication over 400 years without settings
Four years’ program for the leap year cycle: a wheel with 48 teeth = 4 x 12 months, thus every 4 year, the 29th February appears. This wheel pushes a reduction wheel one tooth forward every 4years. The reduction wheel divides the turning speed into two and hereby the secular wheel of50 teeth is activated and moves on for one tooth every 8 years, e.g. 50 x 8 = 400Thus, the secular wheel turns once in 400 years and is programmed for the secular years: 2000 (with 29 Feb.), 2100 (28 Feb.), 2200 (28 Feb.), 2300 (28 Feb.) and 2400 (29Feb.)
Case
Platinum Case
Diameter: 41 mm/ Height: 12mm/ Width between lugs: 21 mm
Platinum 5mm crown with “A” logo
Two sapphire glasses
Dial (front)
35mm in Platinum with hand guilloché “diamond eight” motive
Days of the week indication with the sun, the moon and five planets hand engraved in Gold
Hours, Minutes and Seconds indication with blued hands
Dial (back)
“Perpetual Secular Calendar” indication with three counters and blued hands indicating Months, Years and Leap Years
Bespoke and manufactured according to clients wishes(design, material, color, engraving etc.)
Strap
Hand-stitched alligator leather with buckle or fold-over clasp in platinum
