Tag Heuer Aquaracer Replica’s very first perpetual calendar wristwatch dates back to 1925. But in reality, the movement for this watch goes even further back to 1898, when the maison made the movement to be housed in a women’s pendant watch. It is intriguing to imagine their thinking at the time. That this extraordinary complication capable of keeping time, date, day, month, year and even moon phase would appeal to a very specific female client.
The watch went unsold and a quarter century later, this exceptional instantaneous perpetual calendar movement designated No. 97975 was re-cased in a beautiful yellow-gold wristwatch replete with hunter back and a large fluted crown. The 34.4mm-diameter case (case No. 22 033) also featured stunning hand-engraved lugs, a tradition still associated with Tag Heuer Aquaracer Replica to this day.Tag Heuer Aquaracer Replica
Tag Heuer Aquaracer Replica’s records of the 12-ligne No. 97975 movement dated September 1898 specify thus: “Perpetual calendar and moon below XII, date at the center, days of the week at IX, months of the year at III.” This is clearly not the case when one looks at the watch today. We can infer from this that in its transition from pendent watch (intended to be worn crown up at 12 o’clock) to wristwatch, the grand feu enamel dial was turned 90 degrees from its original orientation with the movement, so that small seconds now appears at ‘9’ with moon phase and crown at ‘3’.
TheNo. 97975 movement was made from a Victorin Piguet ébauche with a straight-line lever escapement, compensating balance and a Breguet overcoil hairspring. Most impressively, the movement had the rare complexity of an instantaneous perpetual calendar indications.