When it was first introduced in 1994, this IWC Romana Perpetual Calendar 2050 was the slimmest ever perpetual calendar at only 3.1mm in height. It marks an intriguing part of watchmaking history, both in the history of the battle for the thinnest watch, as well as with regards to the brands incredible recovery during the Quartz Crisis.

This is a rare example which is encased in platinum, of which a smaller number were made compared to the pieces that can be found in yellow gold. A descendant of the IWC Da Vinci, a perpetual calendar watch which introduced the ground-breaking calibre IWC 79261 created by Kurt Klaus, this IWC Romana Perpetual Calendar 2050 is a piece that pairs it back a step by creating a thinner version of the movement.

The original movement found in the IWC Da Vinci was a heavily modified Valjoux 7750, for which Kurt Klaus developed an in-house perpetual calendar module to sit on top of it, resulting in the calibre IWC 79261. According to the brand, it was during long walks with his dogs that Klaus mentally projected a new kind of perpetual calendar module that would only include 81 individual parts and function autonomously, with virtually no correction, until 2499. It was also designed with ease of use in mind, with a quick-set function that would allow each of the indications date, day, month, moon phase and year to be synchronised and advanced together via the crown.

The design of the piece is remarkably classic, with the four sub-dials set around the face of the watch in a clear, intuitive manner, and the days, months, and dates all written in serif font. Overall, the dial has a muted grey shade which complements the platinum case. In order to counteract the already rather busy look of the dial, the Roman numerals indicating the hours are placed unusually close to the edge of the case, giving a greater sense of space and balance. A closer look at the moonphase reveals a shimmering effect not unlike the kind produced by the aventurine stone, and the blued hands are also a point of interest: they are feuille-style for the hours and minutes, and sword-shaped on the sub-dials.

The quick-set function mentioned above has been used in the calibre 84961, although the piece must be manually wound. Due to the thinness of the movement, the year display had to be reduced to two digits, which is placed discreetly to the left-hand side of the month sub-dial. Although the watch has to be wound daily, Kurt Klauss easy-setting system makes it wonderfully simple to reset the perpetual calendar to the correct date.

If sold within the United Kingdom, thisIWC Romana Perpetual Calendar 2050 watch will be subject to 20% VAT.

Closer look

This IWC Romana is in excellent condition overall, with very few signs of wear visible on the case. The most notable of these are two small imperfections on the bezel between the 3 and 4 oclock position and at 4 oclock. Theres also a very light hairline scuff on the bezel at 12 oclock. The polished surfaces are otherwise quite clear, with a small mark on the reverse side of the 7 oclock lug. The brushed caseback is very nicely preserved, with crips hallmarks and engravings. The dial and hands are also free of any marks or tarnishing.

The watch comes with a two-year warranty from A Collected Man, alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.