This calendar is my realization of the IWC perpetual calendar mechanism for watches. IWC shook up a storm in the horological world in 1985 with the design of this calendar.
When the £ shaped component is tilted clockwise a few degrees about its pivot point it advances the date wheel by one day. It also advances the day (i.e Mon, Tue etc) by one day and moves the moon phase the appropriate amount. (the moon phase has an error of 1 day in 122 years!)
At the end of each month the date wheel turns the program wheel situated below it. By this program wheel months with 31, 30, 28 and 29 days are accommodated automatically. In a real situation the program wheel revolves once every 4 years.
At each move of the program wheel the month wheel (at 8 o clock to the program wheel) is moved on one month.
The year and decade are concentrically mounted and moved on as appropriate by the month wheel.
The century and millennium mechanism is yet to be added and the year and decade wheels need to be improved.
The mechanism can't take account of the non leap year in 2100.
My mechanism is obviously not complete yet and still has bugs in it.It works on an accelerated time scale by means of a motor behind the board which tilts and releases the £ shape every 8 seconds.
Below is an image of the IWC mechanism I have been working from.
The fact that all this is packed into a block a few mm thick and perhaps 30mm diameter is a real tribute to the designers and manufactures.
Muito Bom!!
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