Reviewing The Swss-made IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Digital Date Month Watch Replica

Although not particularly affordable, the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Digital Date Month watch replica Ref. 3750 enjoyed an unprecedented level of success among discerning customers thanks to its accurate IWC Caliber 79261 perpetual calendar movement and the price that was just about half of that of its closest competitors.

In the early 1980s, along with the famous Ingenieur series of antimagnetic, shock-resistant timekeepers, the gorgeous IWC Da Vinci line of expensive wrist watches was not just a plain groundbreaker. Almost 25 years ago, when the world was almost conquered by the dirt-cheap, but 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 rose gold fake IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph was presented at SIHH 2009. I highly doubt that it will become a sea change timepiece for the industry but it is nevertheless one of the most interesting watches revealed in the last couple of years.

Based on the industry workhorse Valjoux 7750 chronograph movement that was introduced 10 years earlier, the new caliber was equipped with such functions as the moonphase indicator and a perpetual calendar complication that would require no adjustment until the year 2499!

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 representation format.

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.

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.

IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (ref. IW376101) 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, moonphase
Power reserve: 68 hours
Case material: Rose gold or platinum, transparent caseback with sapphire crystal
Case dimensions: 44.00 x 52.80 mm
Case height: 16.30 mm
Dial: Silvered with a vertical tapestry pattern
Hands: Luminous
Hour markers: Luminous, applied
Water resistance: 3 Bar (30 meters)
Strap: Brown alligator leather with a folding clasp in matching metal
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Sapphire

Like, say, Jules Audemars 30th Anniversary Perpetual Calendar by another Swiss IWC copy watch manufacture Audemars Piguet or a more recent Glashütte Original Senator Navigator Perpetual Calendar military styled pilot’s watch.