Would it surprise you if we said the Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar is actually a type of computer? Well, strictly speaking, it is a miniature mechanical computer for the wrist that's designed to provide not just the time but also the day, date, month, year, leap year, and phases of the moon. Sure, it doesn't come with a heart rate monitor or connect wirelessly to your smartphone, or include everything except the kitchen sink. But consider this: It will perform this given task quietly, dutifully, consistently, unwaveringly, beautifully, perpetually and accurately, needing no corrections whatsoever until 2100. That's the year 2100 mind you, not after 2100 hours, and it never needs charging or never runs out of juice, which is a huge win in our books.
Indeed, the perpetual calendar is one of mechanical watchmaking's many great technical marvels. Complex, useful and prized by watch collectors, it is also one of the earliest horological complications invented in 1762, by prominent English watchmaker Thomas Mudge. You can see Mudge's invention in pocket-watch form at the British Museum today. Infuriatingly complicated to produce, the perpetual calendar takes a watchmaker many years to fully master. The reason for its complexity stems from the anomalies of the universe as well as the way humans perceive time.
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