Macao Watch and Clock Museum 6th Anniversary Commemorative Perpetual Calendar Desk Clock

The most important aspect of the Macao Watch and Clock Museum's 6th-anniversary Commemorative Desk Clock is the secular perpetual calendar complication.

For seasoned collectors of watches and clocks, many will be unfamiliar with this “secular” version of a classic haute complication. While its much more common sibling, perpetual calendars, accommodate for leap years, they can only do that for so long.

That’s because of a technicality in the Gregorian calendar system – the century rule. In order for the Gregorian calendar to remain accurate, years divisible by 100 are not leap years unless they are also divisible by 400. For this reason, 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but 2000 was.

For traditional perpetual calendars, whenever there is the turn of a new century (2100, 2200, etc.), these timepieces require adjustment. Secular perpetual calendars are the “truest” perpetuals in existence, specifically because they integrate the century rule into their mechanics.

With secular perpetual calendar watches and clocks, their inner mechanics accommodate all of the Gregorian calendar’s most unusual exceptions to tell time accurately, indefinitely into the future.

Doubling in rarity, it’s very unusual to see this complication, especially at this price point. Ting’s ingenuity as a watchmaker allows for this clock, with its ultra-complicated mechanism, to sit at this price point.

Ting was able to find a way to convert the base movement’s original alarm clock mainspring into an instantaneous jump structure for the timepiece’s secular perpetual calendar. With the addition of a custom-crafted module, this repurposed and refinished movement was brought from a mechanical alarm clock to a secular perpetual calendar – true creative genius from the watchmaker.

Beyond the secular perpetual calendar complication, both the clock’s exterior base and dial are noteworthy for their design.

The base of the clock is drawn from the aesthetic of early Soviet Union architecture—circular and rectangular geometric shapes stacked upon each other to create an industrial appearance. Cement-colored and sandblasted throughout, it’s notable to observe such a “high” complication fitted to an anti-traditional (meaning, less elaborately decorated), overall more industrial base.

There is creativity and novelty in combining brutalist architectural influences with the highest echelons of complicated watchmaking.

The dial on the Macao Watch and Clock Museum's 6th-anniversary Commemorative Desk Clock fits within the aesthetics of the clock’s base. Geometric in nature, the design language of the dial showcases different layers and textures across the brushed hands and applied, polished indices.

Showcasing the complication, apertures at 12 o’clock offer both month and day, while a moon phase with aventurine stone at 6 o’clock indicates the date.

Movement Origin: Invented in 1979, the NOS (new-old-stock) caliber was designed and manufactured in China. Chieh-Lin Ting applies his watchmaking expertise to elevate the movement to another level, meeting the requirements of the secular calendar complication.

Complication: A secular perpetual calendar module, developed entirely by Ting, is added to the base movement.
Calendar Adjustments: The calendar quick-setting mode allows collectors to adjust the calendar with ease.

Dimensions: The desk clock stands at 135mm in total height, with a maximum base diameter of 154mm.

Crystal: High-transparency, low-iron ultra-white glass is used, featuring single-sided coating and a light transmittance of over 91.5%.

Movement Accuracy: Featuring 15 jewels and measuring 60mm, the movement runs with a precision of +/- no greater than 5 minutes over its 8-day power reserve.