Audemars
Piguet
Look
Back in A Millenary
Year
For what seemed like decades, the Royal Oak collection was the
showpiece of the Audemars Piguet brand. But not so anymore. In 2009, the new
Audemars Piguet collection features the Millenary collection in a way not seen up
to now. The Millenary Chronograph has to stand out as one of the most
impressive looking watches that the brand has come out with in years. The combination of sky-blue indices with a chestnut brown
background on the tachometre is unique and really brings the piece to life. Add to this a pink gold case with pink gold applied
numerals and you have a real conversation starter unlike anything in the
market. Technically speaking, this is also the first time that the Millenary
has been offered with a chronograph, yet to add some extra pop to the watch,
designers have also developed a dual time zone reading.
For those looking for something unique in a tourbillon, look no
further than the Mil- lenary Chalcedony Tourbillon. This piece has been in the works for some time with earlier editions released
in 2001 and 2005. What makes this most interesting is the use of diamond settings on the rings of the subdials, on the bezel,
the lugs and the exterior of the case. This is all set on a combination of pink gold and Chalcedony, a bluecoloured mineral. All told, 395
diamonds or 3.45 carats mixed with pink gold and a keletonised Calibre 2841 movement gives a lot
to look at. This is certainly a more lively version of a complication which
over the years has often been left in a more plainvanilla fashion on many ‘metoo’
competitors’ creations.
The combination of sky-blue indices with a chestnut brown background
on the Tachometre is unique and really brings the piece to life.
Starting in 2006, Audemars Piguet with its new escapement, and
Jaeger-LeCoultre with the AM VOX, ushered in
a new era of lubricant-free movements. A mere 2 ½ years later, Audemars Piguet
has built on that feat with its new Jules Audemars Watch with Audemars Piguet
Escapement. This watch uses absolutely no oils whatsoever and is designed to withstand
twenty years of use without any need for service.
Beyond
that, the movement beats at a light-speed of 43,200 vibrations per hour, more
quickly than almost any movement on the market for increased accuracy and
reliability and is completely hand-finished. The movement, the product of close
to a decade of work by master craftsmen at the company’s factory, has a diameter
of 39mm and contains close to 270 working parts.
But
beyond the impressive nature of the movement, the exterior of the watch is
equally stunning. The 46mm platinum case holds an impressive three-dimensional
display including mounted sub-dials for the time using classical Roman indices,
seconds using a more conventional Arabic system and a measurement for the
56-hour power reserve. The blue crocodile leather strap matches nicely with the
ocean blue hands on each of the sub-dials. So while not a skeleton movement,
this particular piece is equally stunning in its aesthetic appeal.
A mere 2 ½ years later, Audemars Piguet has built on that feat
with its new Jules Audemars Watch with Audemars Piguet Escapement
Of
course, the Royal Oak and Offshore collections have not been left out of the
fray. This year, a new version of the Royal Oak Offshore
has been created for both men and ladies. The men’s version is geared more to
new dial designs with a new AP Calibre 3126/3840 self-winding movement fit
inside of a titanium or steel case. The piece is both water resistant to 100
metres and anti-magnetic and uses the Mega-Tapestry motif on the dial.
For
the ladies version, carbon fibre, ceramic and rubber are mixed to make a piece
that is feminine and luxurious yet very sporty. In this version, the case is
made of lighter carbon fibre, perfect for a woman’s wrist. Scratch-resistant ceramic
is the material of choice for the push buttons and crown. And to add to the luxury
of the watch, the bezel is totally diamond set.
As
always, Audemars Piguet came out with a lot to look at. But beyond that, this year’s
collection represents one of the most rounded that has emerged from the brand in
quite some time.