Dispatch: All The New Releases From Audemars Piguet’s 150th Anniversary Kickoff – Live From Le Brassus
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It is a large 12 months for Audemars Piguet. Not many watch manufacturers get to have fun the large one-five-oh, and nonetheless, not many who do can declare a repeatedly family-owned historical past. With an anniversary this large, it is solely becoming {that a} model recognized except for its horological prowess for its large advertising splashes would host the kick-off to its one hundred and fiftieth anniversary on its dwelling turf – Le Brassus.
This journey was, surprisingly, my first go to to the Vallée de Joux. Having been within the business for years and having beloved watches since, properly, ceaselessly, how have I by no means made my pilgrimage to the birthplace of Swiss watchmaking?! Then I remembered the one time I used to be in Geneva a few years in the past, and my dad had the worst allergy assault recognized to humankind within the upstairs library of, as an example, a really well-known museum centered on a single model and its lengthy historical past. His sneezes actually reached 100 decibels in quantity, and we left hurriedly earlier than we even noticed a single watch. At that second, I most likely subconsciously wrote off ever returning to Switzerland out of embarrassment. However holding that decision when your job is centered round watches is very onerous.
The valley facet of the Hôtel des Horlogers.
Not pictured: the cabbages rising within the subject out of body.
A path from the lodge leads on to the historic museum.
So off I went, on a aircraft to Geneva, prepared to overcome the homeland of horology as soon as once more. Le Brassus is roughly an hour’s drive away from Geneva. We wound up and down roads sandwiched between huge snow-covered fields and a wide ranging view of mountains that appeared like they had been pulled straight off the label of high-priced bottled water on our method to a keep at Audemars Piguet’s lodge. Effectively, it’s their lodge, however do not name it that. Its precise identify is the Hôtel des Horlogers, an impeccably serene lodge that sits proper subsequent to the model’s workplaces and the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet.
The rest of the day marked my long-awaited go to to the museum – additionally a comparatively current addition to city. It sits proper behind and is linked to the unique workshop of Audemars Piguet, the place the founders Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet arrange store again in 1875. This historic home, beforehand the museum, now serves because the model’s vintage restoration workshop.
The unique workhop.
The doorway constructing of the brand new museum.
The spiraling construction, with massive sweeping glass partitions, seems to be like an enormous cinnamon roll. Sitting inside is a mind-blowing cornucopia of classic and trendy horological treasures – in addition to the workshops for AP’s grand issues and métiers d’artwork (gemsetting, engraving, and many others). I am not exaggerating once I say the tour was so engrossing that I forgot to take any photographs. The museum someway manages to ship the whole spectrum of artifacts from the model – every part from the 1899 “Universelle” pocket watch with 19 completely different issues to sub-36mm repeaters and perpetual calendars to the piece distinctive Black Panther Idea that offered for $5.2m at public sale for charity (now on mortgage to the museum). Take my failure to doc this expertise as a beckoning to see this place for your self subsequent time you are close by. Belief me, it is value it.
The subsequent day marked the principle occasion – the kickoff of the one hundred and fiftieth Anniversary celebrations, held on the Manufacture itself. After a really theatrical presentation surrounding the model’s historical past (with a lot of interpretive dancing), we had been whisked off to see the primary of this 12 months’s new releases in particular person.
The New Perpetual Calendar Fashions
The star of this anniversary kickoff is the brand new perpetual calendar Caliber 7138. Lengthy spectated by collectors and those that stalk patent filings, this new motion is the primary for the model, which is totally adjustable by the crown, with no exterior correctors to be discovered. Whereas it isn’t the primary perpetual calendar motion to be adjustable by the crown, it is undoubtedly a notable motion as a result of it maintains the long-lasting format of the model’s QP dials, options a number of spectacular technical improvements (5 new patents!), and may be very user-friendly.
One of many coolest issues to see in particular person was a blown-up model of the crown mechanism, which, along with having two stops outwards, additionally options what the model calls the two’ (two prime) place. Pulling out the crown, cease one is for setting the date and month, cease two is for setting the time, and pushing within the crown one cease will get you to cease 2′, permitting you to set the day of the week and the moon section. It feels so intuitive, but the immense R&D behind the mechanism is instantly tangible when you perceive the way it works.
The smoked fumé impact on the dial is very nice.
This new motion debuts in three fashions: a Royal Oak in metal (ref. 26674ST) retailing at 109,300 CHF, a Royal Oak in Sand Gold (ref. 26674SG) retailing at 130,000 CHF, and a Code 11.59 in 18k white gold (ref. 26494BC) at 109,300 CHF, with the Sand Gold model being my absolute favourite – AP has obtained themselves a killer alloy. All three fashions stay of their 41mm case sizes, the Royal Oak with a 9.5mm case peak and the Code 11.59 with a ten.6mm peak. There are technically six variations, as all three may have particular 150-piece runs with the classic Audemars Piguet script on the dial as an alternative. In the event you’re eager about a deep dive into these watches and the brand new caliber, my colleague Mark has spent fairly a little bit of time with them.
A Farewell To Cal. 5135
Simply after we thought this new caliber meant that correctors can be now not, it seems that Caliber 5135, the skeletonized model of the outdated QP Cal. 5134, is getting a victory lap with the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked “one hundred and fiftieth Anniversary” restricted version (ref. 26585XT) in a run of 150 items.
This new novelty was introduced to us on a tray with its design inspiration – an early 90’s Royal Oak open-worked perpetual calendar pocket watch, ref 25729PT. It is a hefty beast of a timepiece, with the octagonal case and the chain crafted in platinum. Diamonds are set as hour indices, and the sapphire dial with blue accents reveals the bridge’s skeletonization and free-hand engraving. Flip it over, and much more of that engraving adorns the hollowed-out bridges. This factor seems like a brick within the hand. The poor threads on the previous proprietor’s pocket will need to have been hanging on for expensive life.
25636PT – Picture by James Okay./@waitlisted
Whereas lots of the new Royal Oak’s design cues connect with the pocket watch, there’s an inherent hyperlink between this novelty and the Eighties-era platinum 25636PT, if solely as a result of that was additionally a skeleton Royal Oak perpetual calendar with blue rings and typefaces of the identical period. I seldom advocate for diamonds on a watch, however maybe embracing these hour markers from the pocket watch would have strengthened the connection.
All that mentioned, this factor is cool. The 41mm titanium midcase is sandwiched between a cultured BMG (bulk metallic glass) bezel and caseback with a thickness of 9.9mm, and the watch has a water resistance of 20m. The titanium bracelet options polished BMG studs for distinction. I’ve a hunch collectors shall be racing to place their names down for one of many 150 produced, priced at 175,000 CHF, and it actually will not be simple to get that allocation. The historical-modern juxtaposition works so properly.
Codes and Colours
Apart from the brand new perpetual calendar Code 11.59, Audemars Piguet launches a couple of extra editions within the household this week. The primary is a brand new model of the 41mm Code 11.59 chronograph in white gold (ref. 26439NB), with a blue “Tuscan” dial and a blue ceramic midcase. This is not the shade you may count on if you happen to’ve seen the Tuscan dial 16202 in white gold – fairly, the shade on that is barely lighter to enrich the saturated blue midcase. Because the cherry on prime, baguette diamond hour markers improve each the luster and the retail value of this mannequin, which sits at 85,600 CHF. Whereas not a numbered restricted version, the watch is a “Particular Version,” with the North American market getting a two-month head begin on availability.
The RD#3 Caliber 2968, which made headlines a couple of years again for becoming a flying tourbillon within the ultra-thin Royal Oak Jumbo case as properly in a 37mm variant, is now making its first look within the Code assortment within the gemset 38mm Code 11.59 in sand gold (ref. 26665SG). That is an superior watch on the wrist, 149,000 CHF price ticket apart. I’ve lengthy been a fan of the stamped guilloche dials of the current Code 11.59 fashions, and one which matches the sand gold case seems to be good. The 235 brilliant-cut diamonds on the case aren’t meant for my demographic, however I’d think about we would see a variant or two down the road that feels much more unisex in nature.
It is good to see an RD mission, like this RD#3 motion, begin to get utilized in extra items.
The core 41mm Code 11.59 three-hander (ref. 15210ST) and chronograph (ref. 26393ST) fashions in metal get a model new colour in shades of gray and accents of the long-lasting blue, which is basically the present blue dial variant inversed. Nevertheless, this is likely to be my favourite model but for the chronograph. One thing in regards to the distinction of the subdials makes the dial appear to put on smaller in comparison with, say, the Tuscan dial Code 11.59. The time-and-date Code 11.59 retails for 26,100 CHF, and the chronograph retails for 36,000 CHF.
Ceramic Offshores
Final however not least, the Royal Oak Offshore chronographs get some completely different ceramic takes. The primary, ref. 26420CE, is what the model calls a “three-tone” case – a black ceramic midcase, inexperienced ceramic bezel, pushers, and crown, and at last, with titanium accents within the crown guards and endlink plots. It is a very delicate execution – maybe too delicate – and I want they tripled down in full inexperienced ceramic. It retails for 58,400 CHF.
In the meantime, the black ceramic 42mm revival of ‘The Beast’ departs from the heritage inspiration and, this time, will get a completely modernized mega tapisserie dial with ref. 26238CE. This one’s far more my pace – primarily as a result of seeing such a behemoth of a full-ceramic bracelet all the time places a smile on my face. I actually choose the extra conventional spherical chronograph pushers on the case. Identical to with ‘The Beast’ in black ceramic, the bracelet provides a hefty premium with the worth for the brand new launch at 86,900 CHF.
Honorable Mentions
Novelties apart, you get to see a whole lot of enjoyable stuff when at AP headquarters. Take pleasure in this mini report-within-a-report.
I lastly obtained to see the KAWS Royal Oak Idea ‘Companion’ in particular person. And my opinion nonetheless stands. It is cool.
Some Royal Oakcessory ideas from the archives.
Luminescent pigments are embedded within the CFT carbon case of the Royal Oak Idea Cut up-Seconds Chronograph GMT, launched final 12 months.
The 37mm purple dial variant of the RD#3 (ref. 26660ST) is a dream on the wrist. It is the closest feeling to a classic Royal Oak within the present catalog, simply with, you recognize, a flying tourbillon.
Austen Chu (@horoloupe) took me to see what he known as the “bizarre Illuminati clock,” a five-minute stroll from the lodge. He is not incorrect, however after some additional analysis, it seems to be a 2022 clock sculpture by Fanny Audemars titled “Les Âmes du Temps.” Becoming for the village. A waterwheel a foot away on the creek powers the mechanism.
Till subsequent time, Le Brassus.
