To celebrate its 20th anniversary Andersen Genève will create 20 "Perpetual Secular Calender" watches.
The seven-day week is represented by the sun, the moon and five planets. The complication is made readable with seven small apertures to indicate the current day. Between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, the Roman Empire gradually replaced the eight-day Roman nundinal cycle with the seven-day week. The names of the days are derived from the sun, the moon and the names of classical planets in Hellenistic astrology. They are named after contemporary deities, a system introduced in the Roman Empire during Late Antiquity.
It starts with the Sun, and then the Moon, Mars (Ares), Mercury (Hermes), Jupiter (Zeus), Venus (Aphrodite) and Saturn (Cronos). The Latin names of planets were simple translations of the Greek names, which in turn were translations of the Babylonian names, which go back to the Sumerians.
The 1st day in Latin is named after the Sun (Solis dies), but Christians also consider the Lord's day (Dominicus dies), as in Greek. Sunday - SUN The name comes from the Latin dies solis, meaning "sun's day": the name of a pagan Roman holiday. It is also called Dominica (Latin), the Day of God. The sun is "the chief" of all the astral bodies. Monday - MOON The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon monandaeg, or the Latin Lunae dies "the moon's day". This second day was sacred to the goddess of the moon. Tuesday - MARS This day was named after the Norse god Tyr. The Romans named this day after their war-god Mars: dies Martis. Wednesday - MERCURY The Romans called it dies Mercurii, after their god Mercury. The day was named in honor to Wodan (Odin). Thursday - JUPITER The Romans named this day dies Jovis ("Jove's Day"), after Jove or Jupiter, their most important god. The day named after the Norse god Thor. In the Norse languages this day is called Torsdag. Friday - VENUS To the Romans this day was sacred to the goddess Venus, and was known as dies veneris. The day is in honor of the Norse goddess Frigg. In Old High German this day was called frigedag. Saturday - SATURN Saturn is the Roman and Italic god of agriculture and later the god of time (cronos). This day was called dies Saturni, "Saturn's Day", by the ancient Romans in honor of Saturn. In Anglo-Saxon: sater daeg.
Technical Specifications:
The case, in platinum, measures 41mm x 12mm. It has double sapphire crystals.
Movement is a Swiss automatic upgraded by upgraded by Andersen Genève beating at 28,800 vph and with a power reserve of 48 hours. Perpetual Secular Calender complication module developed and produced in-house in Geneva. Days, date, months and leap years indication over 400 years without settings. Four years' program for the leap year cycle: a wheel with 48 teeth = 4 x 12 months, thus every 4 year, the 29th February appears. This wheel pushes a reduction wheel one tooth forward every 4 years. The reduction wheel divides the turning speed into two and hereby the secular wheel of 50 teeth is activated and moves on for one tooth every 8 years, e.g. 50 x 8 = 400 Thus, the secular wheel turns once in 400 years and is programmed for the secular years: 2000 (with 29 Feb.), 2100 (28 Feb.), 2200 (28 Feb.), 2300 (28 Feb.) and 2400 (29Feb.)
The dial is platinum with hand guilloché "diamond eight" motiff. Days of the week indication with the sun, the moon and five planets hand engraved in rose or blue gold. Hours, minutes and seconds indication with blued hands. The back dial displays the Perpetual Secular Calender indications with three counters and blued hands indicating months, years and leap years. Bespoke and manufactured according to clients wishes (design, material, color, engraving etc.)
It comes on a 21mm hand-stitched grey alligator leather strap with a platinum folding clasp.
Thanks.