The Best of AUDEMARS PIGUET
Hiren Kumar Bose on the five best examples of Audemars Piguet which characterizes the brand
One of the oldest Manufactures, Audemars Piguet, dating back to 1875, is still owned by the founding families. Audemars Piguet’s two world firsts were the smallest five-minute repeater calibre and the jumping second hand. Other famous inventions include the thinnest watch and the first skeleton watch. The turning point of the Vallée de Joux-based brand was its participation in 1972 in the annual European watch-making fair in Basel, when it launched the Gerald Genta-designed Royal Oak – the watch that has left a deep and lasting imprint on the contemporary watchmaking history
Millenary 4101
Designed in 1995, the Millenary Collection provides a new three-dimensional take on the calibre. The sizeable oval case and off-centred dial invites the wearer to look right into the heart of the piece’s singular mechanism. No need to turn the watch over to admire the movement through a sapphire crystal caseback, because the movement of the Millenary 4101 (width/length: 47 x 42 mm) has actually been built to show itself faces upwards. This fascinating spectacle is staged within the perimeter of a shaped case. The in-house designed and produced Calibre 4101 was built in such a way that the elements normally concealed on the back are now visible from the front. The regulating organ – composed of the balance, lever and escapement – has been reworked in order to meet this goal. It is located at 9 o’clock and offers a truly eye-catching sight. Its variable-inertia balance asserts a powerful presence with its eight inertia-blocks, its golden colour and the distinctive aesthetic of its cross-through bridge. The discerning eye will even detect the lever and the escape-wheel.
Moreover, no less than 12 bridges have been cleverly arranged on the surface of the movement. In addition to their functional role, which consists in holding the various parts in place, they also serve as attractive design elements, including by tracing three beautiful parallel curves on the dial side. Their decorative motifs play with the different movement levels to accentuate the contrasts and depth effects. The screws on the left-hand side of the dial underscore the oval shape of the case. The same goes for the hemispherical convex and particularly sparkling jewels punctuating the 10, 11 and 12 o’clock numerals on the dial. The heart of the movement is a variable-inertia balance with eight white gold inertia-weights that ensures improved long-term rating stability. Equipped with a Breguet balance-spring, it beats at an oscillation frequency of 4 Hz, meaning 28,800 vibrations per hour. This oscillation frequency, along with the higher inertia of the balance, improves the timing precision and also makes the regulating organ less sensitive to external disturbing factors. The cross-through balance-bridge ensures improved shock resistance due to the fact that it is secured not just on one side, but on either side of the mainplate. Winding is ensured by a 22-ct gold oscillating weight mounted on ceramic ball bearings. The reverser mechanism ensuring bidirectional winding is also composed of a ceramic ball-bearing system. An effective antidote to wear and also useful in avoiding any locking, the system is conducive to optimal winding speed. The mainspring thus wound is able to release its energy in a more regular manner and to positively influence rating precision.
Extra-Thin Royal Oak
An octagonal-shaped watch with eight screws on the bezel and you know what you’re talking of: the Royal Oak which traces its origin to the famed watchmaker, Gerald Genta who inspired by a diver wearing an old fashioned helmet attached to his suit by eight screws designed the iconic watch that has left a deep and lasting imprint on the contemporary watchmaking history. A staple fixture of the collection thanks to its unabated success, the world’s first prestige sports watch in steel is as sensational as ever.
The 39mm Extra-Thin Royal Oak dial picks up the “Petite Tapisserie” pattern that was already characteristic of the 1972 Royal Oak. This motif is crafted in-house on historical machines according to the ramolayé or pounced ornament technique. The superimposition of two decorations, which is a unique feature of Royal Oak dials, endows them with incomparable radiance. Other historical nods include the distinctive blue colour of the dial – and for the first time of the disc date – which is inspired by the shade of the original model; as well as the white gold AP initials placed at 6 o’clock just as they were back in 1972.
Just as the eight hexagonal screws on the octagonal bezel are as ever in white gold, the bracelet seamlessly integrated with the case and features the collection’s unmistakable aesthetic, characterised by perfectly assembled links and studs arranged in progressively diminishing order of size. This model beats to the rhythm of the same movement as the original model. The extra-thin mechanical self-winding Calibre 2121 with a window-type date display measures a mere 3.05 mm thick. Comprising 247 parts, it has a 40-hour power reserve and a frequency of 19,800 vibrations/hour (2.75 Hz). Its external segment is adorned with a “Petite Tapisserie”, a signature feature of this collection.
Jules Audemars Perpetual Calendar
Presented at SIHH 2010, the Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Perpetual Calendar wristwatch comes in the same slightly oversized body as the 2008 year model, but has the original platinum alloy replaced with affordable rose gold. The watch is powered by the same AP 2120/2802 ultra-thin automatic caliber featuring a full-fledged perpetual calendar complication with leap year. Sharing its space with the “months” sub-dial at 12 o’clock, the leap year indicator uses a red pointer to, um, point at the respective year’s place inthe four-year cycle. The 41mm watch automatically takes into account the leap years. One has to correct the calendar, but only just once, on the 1st of March, 2100! All elements of the dial are deliberately simple: the hands are the usual leaf-shaped, polished rose gold pointers, while the dial and sub-dial feature very subtle textures that significantly increase legibility and contrast. The only thing that stands out here is the colourful moon disk, but that one, too, is done in an extremely tasteful manner. Just over 9mm thick, courtesy the gorgeous AP 2120 ultra-thin self-winding movement, the watch is equipped with the in-house calibre 2802 perpetual calendar module that has added some 1.5 mm to its overall thickness and comprises of components and featuring 60 hours of power reserve, the movement is only 4 mm high.
Royal Oak Offshore Diver
The first diver’s watch from Audemars Piguet it complies with ISO 6425, the international standard for diver’s watches. It has a double-hash at 12 o’clock, like the earlier Royal Oak. The 14 mm thick case hides the movements with no display back to distract a diver from more important things like air consumption or no-decompression limits. True to its heritage, the 42mm watch possesses all the usual cues: the porthole-shaped bezel with exposed screw heads, understated dial markers, the amazing “tapisserie” dial and the integrated strap design. The steel case sides and the prominent bezel get mesmerizing brushwork while beveled edges of the lugs and bezel get a high polish. The baton hands highly distinguishable from each other for optimum readability with a lume pip on the sweep seconds hand so a diver can tell his watch is running even in dark conditions, a rotating elapsed time bezel and of course, 300 m of water resistance.
Royal Oak Selfwinding
Offering an eloquent proof that sportiness and subtlety can make a perfect match; its pink gold case features an unusual 37mm diameter. The case middle, the bezel set with 40 brilliant-cut diamonds, the crown, the bracelet and the folding clasp are all made of pink gold. The subtle interplay of the satin-brushed andpolished surfaces that forged the reputation of the first Royal Oak watches is as on-trend as ever, just as the eight hexagonal screws on the octagonal bezel are still in white gold. Water-resistant to 50m and equipped with a screw-locked crown, the case is fitted with a glare-proofed sapphire crystal and caseback. The bracelet is seamlessly integrated with the case and features the collection’s unmistakable aesthetic, characterised by perfectly assembled links and studs arranged in progressively diminishing order of size. A new Audemars Piguet triple-blade folding clasp distinguished by a double-safety fastening system is making its appearance. Also typical of this collection, the silver-toned dial of this Royal Oak bears a “Grande Tapisserie” pattern that now becomes a signature for all Royal Oak self-winding models. The discreet applied AP initials appear just above the logo, leaving space at 12 o’clock for a double hour-marker inspired by the first Royal Oak watches launched in 1972.
The model beats to the rhythm of Calibre 3120, a mechanical self-winding movement driving hour, minuteand seconds hands as well as a window-type date display. The 280-part Calibre 3120 has a 60-hour power reserve and a frequency of 21,600 vibrations/hour (3 Hz).
