Watch Dandy

If it wasn’t for the beautiful coastline that appeared as we drove up the Mountain Course, or the evidence of the island’s most famous race, the legendary and sometimes-fatal Isle of Man TT, found in the form of warning signs at every narrow bend, it would have been easy to think we were driving towards La Vallée de Joux. The road that leads to Roger W. Smith’s remote workshop is not so different from the one that leads to Philippe Dufour’s. It is solitary, cutting through fields that stretch as far as the eye can see, and appears to be going in the direction opposite civilization. But while the Swiss can blame tradition for their isolation, this Brit’s exile appears to be self-imposed.

Not all high-complications come with equally high price tags. With the Slimline Manufacture Perpetual Calendar, Frederique Constant is offering a stainless steel perpetual calendar for under $9,000. In some ways it’s a classic QP and in other ways it breaks with tradition, but if you’re someone who’s always wanted to sport a perpetual calendar but balked at the BMW-level cost, you should definitely take a closer look at this watch.