THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: IWC
MODEL: IW3758-11
YEAR: 2004
CASE DIAMETER: 41.5MM
CASE MATERIAL: 18K YELLOW GOLD
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC

The IWC IW3758-11 is not only a perpetual calendar chronograph, but also the continuation of an idea first set in motion by the great Kurt Klaus. The legendary IWC watchmaker devised an ingenious perpetual calendar system that eliminated the usual tangle of recessed correctors and independent pushers (often adjusted with the help of a cocktail stick, as many perpetual calendar owners will know). Instead, the entire calendar is mechanically programmed to be controlled solely via the crown.

Astonishingly, the module automatically accounts for varying month lengths, leap years, and even century transitions, requiring no manual intervention beyond occasional winding.

This was a fantastic example of the reference—one that, for reasons unclear to us, could still be had for the price of a stainless-steel sports Rolex.