A perpetual calendar knows how long each month is and when a leap year falls, so the date stays right without correction. Most show it with small hands on small subdials. IWC's Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month, reference IW379201, shows it in large numerals you can read from across a table.
What makes this reference different
- A digital calendar. The date and the month appear in large numerals in two windows, with a leap-year indication alongside. It is one of the most legible perpetual calendars made.
- A chronograph as well. The watch combines the calendar with a chronograph, with elapsed hours and minutes read together on a single subdial.
- A titanium case. At 46 mm this is a large watch, and titanium keeps it lighter on the wrist than the size suggests.
- The Ingenieur line. IWC's engineering-led collection, introduced in this form in 2013.
Who it suits
It suits a collector who wants a serious complication without a dress-watch look, and who has the wrist for 46 mm. It is also the piece we would suggest to someone choosing a watch as a gift for a person who will wear it every day: the date is always right, leap years included. If you are choosing for someone else, start with their wrist size; here is how to measure it.
What to check on a pre-owned example
- The calendar change. Ask the seller to show the date and month advancing correctly, including at the end of a month.
- The chronograph. Start, stop, reset and flyback should all be crisp, and the hands should return exactly to zero.
- Setting. A perpetual calendar should be set with care and according to the manufacturer's instructions. Ask when it was last set and whether it has been running.
- Service history. A complication of this kind is more involved to service than a three-hand watch. Know when it was last serviced and by whom.
- What is included. Box, papers and any service documents should be stated in writing before you agree a price.
Our general list for any pre-owned piece is the private-client checklist.
The example we have
Our IW379201 is pre-owned, in titanium with a black dial and a black leather strap. It comes as the watch only, without box or papers, and its year of production is unconfirmed. Please judge condition from the photographs of the actual watch on the listing, and contact us to confirm availability.
To see it in person, we meet by confirmed appointment at Harbour Club Miami Beach. If you would rather have a complete set, or a different perpetual calendar altogether, we can search for it: start a private request.
Bizak & Co. is an independent dealer and is not affiliated with IWC Schaffhausen.
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