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Despite the svelte profile though, the gold 15202 is a surprisingly hefty watch. This tactile illusion is due, of course to the fact that gold density is almost three times that of stainless steel, lending the assertive wrist existence of a much larger sports watch to one that may otherwise slide easily beneath the cuff of a dress shirt. When you examine the bracelet and case when thinking about the weight of the gold, the slender profile but strong gold appearance gifts a contrasted personality that works well. It is secure, but a modern design icon in an old-school material.From that the dial-side, the appearance and texture of this 15202 is distinctly classic — such as a classic re-issue of the original 5402 in gold. Inside though, beats a different story. Here we have the Caliber 2121, now produced in-house by Audemars Piguet Watch Winder Box Replica (in the Royal Oak’s formative years, the 2121 was actually produced by Jaeger LeCoultre). It is an ultra-thin automatic motion measuring 3.05mm thick, and characterized with a unique 2.75Hz (19,800 vibrations per hour), though that slightly lower-than-average alternance isn’t readily visible as the 15202 does not feature a running moments hand. Unlike the 5402 that prompted it, the 15202 has a sapphire crystal exhibition caseback, through which the cal. 2121’s 21-carat gold rotor is visible, as it slides back and forth about the round rail conducting the circumference of this movement — one of the tricks allowing the 2121’s signature thinness.In complete, the 15202 will probably be available in three versions — the new gold options (yellow gold onto champagne yellow, or yellowish gold on blue) combine the present stainless steel 15202 that was re-introduced back in 2012. While the stainless steel Extra-Thin Jumbo Royal Oak starts at roughly $22,000, those looking to ‘stay gold’ can expect to part with more double that $55,000 for the 18-carat gold variants.

Despite being heavily centred on the inescapable Royal Oak, the line-up Audemars Piguet Pocket Watch Replica presented at SIHH 2016 was varied and interesting, with the exceptionally sonorous Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie being one of the highlights of the fair. The 2016 offerings from Audemars Piguet continues the strategy – capping production, models and distribution – that has put the brand in a strong position despite the slowdown in the luxury watch business.

With a handful of exceptions, the 2016 range from Audemars Piguet was devoted to its octagonal classic, mainly made up of prudent, incremental changes. Claude Ermenegger, the brand’s recently appointed creative director, did reveal in an interview that one of his goals is to broaden the offerings beyond the Royal Oak, though that has been an ambition for a long time. But for now, the Royal Oak is still king.

The production version of a prototype first unveiled last year, the Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie is a minute repeater that is incredibly audible – in fact it sounds almost as loud as a large pocket watch (see the video below) – thanks to two key innovations. One is the silent regulator, essentially a tiny spring that works as an escapement to regulate the speed of the repeater chimes, eliminating the buzz from the traditional governor that interferes with the sound.

The other feature is arguably more interesting, though not entirely new. Instead of being fixed to the base plate, the gongs of the repeater are attached to a copper alloy disc that acts as a sounding board, amplifying the repeater chimes. This sits under the outer case back with holes around its rim so the sound can travel out of the case. It’s similar in principle to the construction of traditional alarm wristwatches like the Vulcain Cricket and Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox.

The outer case back with the apertures visible in between the screws

Even if not entirely original, the concept works wonders. The Supersonnerie is one of the loudest and clearest minute repeaters to emerge in recent years. With more fine-tuning it can only get better.

The downside is the price – SFr520,000 – because it is also a chronograph and tourbillon, and the chunky, 44 mm case. Fortunately the same features can be applied to conventionally shaped, round watches that are at least 43 mm in diameter, large but more manageable. And of course it will eventually make its way into movements that are just minute repeaters, sans other complications.

Another notable technically minded timepiece is the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked. As the name indicates, the calibre 3132 inside is equipped with twin balances wheels and twin hairsprings, all attached to a single balance staff. Each balance moves in the opposing but identical motion to the other, improving the stability of the rate, especially as the position of the watch changes.

Other brands have utilised double hairsprings towards the same end, but this is the first movement with two balance wheels on the same axis. The movement is essentially a variant of the calibre 3120, the brand’s workhorse, in-house automatic, with skeletonisation and the accompanying decoration. The case is 41 mm in diameter, and available in stainless steel or pink gold. The steel will cost SFr41,100, while the rose gold is SFr71,500. In Singapore dollars they are S$61,800 and S$107,700 respectively.

While pink gold is still the most popular colour of gold, Audemars Piguet is making an effort to rejuvenate yellow gold. It unveiled a quartet of Royal Oak watches in yellow gold at SIHH, the first time the metal has had a substantial presence in several years. Given the Royal Oak was originally available in steel as well as yellow gold in the 1970s, this return to its roots is unsurprising.

The week of the year indicator on the dial flange

The range includes the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar 41 mm, Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm, Royal Oak Self-winding 37 mm and Royal Oak Quartz 33 mm. This echo the 50-piece limited edition yellow gold Royal Oak Extra-Thin Audemars Piguet created for Singapore retailer The Hour Glass last year.

Despite being the least complicated of the 2016 line-up, the Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph will probably sell in the largest numbers. Harking back to the candy coloured Royal Oak Offshore chronographs of the mid-1990s, the new Diver Chronograph is available in four striking colours with matching rubber straps.  Green will be sold only at boutiques, while the other three colours will be available at authorised retailers. The brightly coloured rubber straps are a bit much; black rubber straps will tone down the flamboyance while preserving the sporty look.

The steel case is 42 mm in diameter, the same as the traditional Royal Oak Offshore. An inner rotating bezel serves as an elapsed time counter, with a screw-down crown at 10 o’clock to turn the bezel, exactly as found on the Royal Oak Offshore Diver. And as on the second generation Offshore 42 mm, the crown and pushers are made of black ceramic.

The reverse is a display back that reveals the calibre 3124 inside, similar to the movement found in the Offshore chronograph. It’s an in-house automatic movement with a chronograph module on top.

The Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph will retail for about SFr26,000, or S$39,100.

Stayed tuned for more personal perspectives on the other brands at SIHH 2016 to come over the following days. Links to the rest of our SIHH reports below.

A. Lange & Söhne Audemars Piguet Baume & Mercier Cartier Greubel Forsey IWC Jaeger-LeCoultre Montblanc Panerai  Parmigiani Piaget Richard Mille Roger Dubuis Vacheron Constantin Van Cleef & Arpels Addition February 4, 2016: Prices in Swiss francs and Singapore dollars added.

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The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph.

This is a watch that is known to many of youpersonally, it may not require much of an investigation — but this is HODINKEE and you’ll be able to believe you’re gonna get you. The Royal Oak Chronograph is a wristwatch which has tens of thousands of lovers the world over, and a couple of detractors, also. The Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore families frequently appeal to very different individuals, but I will get to this soon. Within this review, I handle a mainstay in the AP lineup, along with an interesting bit of haute horology, though one with no in-house movement. I will look at just how this 41mm column-wheel, vertical clutch chronograph wears, and if the issue of where the motion came from is even something worth noting in any way. That is the HODINKEE Week On The Wrist with all the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph, and it is one worth spending some time with.AP is really a unique watch manufacture. It’s among the few global haute horology brands which stays in the hands of its founding family, with several members of their Audemars family still sitting on its board. Consider the simple fact that Vacheron Constantin and A. Lange & Söhne are equally owned by the Richemont Group (which owns everything from Cartier and Panerai into Alfred Dunhill, bag manufacturer Lancel, women’s clothing company Chloe, Purdey Guns, and Net-A-Porter), and Patek Philippe, while keeping its independence, has been sold to the Stern family less than 100 years ago. But, the possession of AP is not always the most interesting side of this 175 year old fabrication — the question that matters is that buys AP’s watches?

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin The Hour Glass Edition is the first and only Royal Oak “Jumbo” ref. 15202 produced in 18 ct. yellow gold – arguably the most classic metal for the Royal Oak aside from steel. To go with the yellow gold case and bracelet, the dial is a dark green, with the hands, hour markers and applied AP logo also in yellow gold. And most notably, the hexagonal nuts on the bezel are also yellow gold, instead of the conventional white gold.

Made in a limited edition of 50 pieces, this has the same specifications as the regular production Royal Oak Extra-Thin, which is available only in steel or rose gold. The case is 39mm wide and 8.1mm high. Inside is the calibre 2121, which has a rotor engraved with the logo of The Hour Glass and “One of Fifty”.

The dark green dial with the signature tapisserie guilloche of the Royal Oak

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin The Hour Glass Edition (ref. 15205BA.OO.1240BA.01) has a retail price of S$79,600, equivalent to US$59,000. Deliveries will start August 2015 and this edition is available only from The Hour Glass.

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When the hammers strike the gongs, this membrane vibrates and acts like the sound board of a guitar, dramatically amplifying the sounds of the gongs. In addition, the actual titanium case back is slightly raised to cover this membrane and contains apertures across the edge to permit sounds to escape. This results in one of the minute repeater watches we’ve ever heard. And the watch seems even louder when it’s worn on the wrist!At that the close of the afternoon, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Tourbillon Chronograph watch is still another powerful showcase of this new almost breathtaking technical know-how and one of a kind design sense. It is a thoroughly modern take on a few of horology’s oldest complications, and also we could observe that in the case of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Tourbillon Chronograph watch, it has also been thoroughly improved.And if you believe all this will not come cheap, you’d be right. Though the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Tourbillon Chronograph watch is not a limited edition, it has a princely price of597,400.

Created for a nation where the Audemars Piguet Offshore is deeply desirable, the Royal Oak Offshore “Pride of Indonesia” is a 100-piece limited edition in titanium and pink gold with the national emblem Garuda Pancasila on the case back.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore “Pride of Indonesia” is an old school 42mm Offshore in titanium, with the crown and pushers covered in synthetic rubber (not the ceramic of the current Offshore).  The case back is in pink gold case and decorated with a relief of Garuda Pancasila, an eagle that’s the national symbol of Indonesia. The dial is dark grey with a brushed finish, an unusual look for the Offshore which typically features dials decorated with the checkerboard “mega tapisserie” guilloche. And the numerals, hands, sub-dials and flange are gilded in pink gold.

Underneath the pink gold case back is the calibre 3126/3840, AP’s in-house automatic movement with a Dubois-Depraz chronograph module on top.

AP has been more judicious with limited editions since the current chief executive Francois Bennahmias took over, so such Offshores are appearing at a lower frequency than before. The Pride of Indonesia is the sixth in the “Pride” series, after Russia (2005), China (2008), Mexico and Argentina (both in 2010), and most recently Thailand (2013), all middle income countries with a high Gini coefficient.  The very first Pride of Indonesia, numbered 001/100, will be auctioned for charity during the launch event today, with all the proceeds going to the National Museum of Indonesia. The Pride of Indonesia (ref. 26179IR.OO.A005CR.01) is fitted to a dark grey alligator strap with a titanium tang buckle with a pink gold pin. It’s limited to 100 pieces, with a retail price of S$53,400, and available at Audemars Piguet boutiques in Jakarta and Singapore.

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Today, watches like the Royal Oak perpetual calendar skeleton (a benchmark in AP’s collection and among the best perpetuals available on the market, in my own opinion), the Royal Oak Equation of Time, the revolutionary Chron-AP, and also this Millenary Minute Repeater prove that AP is without a doubt a top-tier manufacture. AP’s in-house self-winding caliber 3120, located inside the basic Royal Oak 15400, is also one of the finest base moves in the world. All these are the things which keep AP pertinent to “real” watch lovers that sometimes get lost in the buzz around the other kinds of AP buyers.And then there’s your average well-to-do watch purchaser. To mepersonally, the best analogy for this other type of AP purchaser is advised via a singular scene in 1 episode of one television series that was popular for a period of time some years ago. I am talking about Entourage, and I wager the great majority of you know exactly to which scene I am referring.Ari Gold receives a good gold Royal Oak chronograph (not unlike the watch I will review down under) by his then-soon-to-be boss, that explains it as “One of the best watches in the world.” The camera then pans to the solid gold watch from its box, and Ari is in disbelief regarding the gift — and thus, AP is introduced to a whole group of potential new clients, the guys who watch Entourage. From this moment on, you see a number of the personalities on the show wearing APs. Many at the time considered Audemars Piguet had paid for the placement, but in discussions with AP through the years, it had been revealed to me not a single dollar was exchanged. Rather, a specific producer on the show proved to be a large AP customer, and insisted it be a Royal Oak introduced to Ari. Entourage did a great deal for AP, but it wasn’t this one placement that defines the “other” kind of AP client. It will give you a good notion of where AP is popular, and that’s in Hollywood, music, and sports, with all the young and moneyed.

Modelled on the Royal Oak wristwatch, the Audemars Piguet Watch Winder Box Replica Floral Clock is a gift to Singapore for its 50th year of independence, on display at Gardens by the Bay.

Seven metres, or some 23 feet, in diameter, the Audemars Piguet Floral Clock is the largest and only such clock in Singapore. Combining horology, landscaping and floriculture, the clock is a gift from the Swiss watchmaking to Singapore, which celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2015. Taking several weeks to construct (the process is detailed in photos at the end), the clock is a replica of the Royal Oak, with an octagonal bezel made of granite with weather resistant, stainless steel octagonal nuts. And each of the steel hour markers have embedded LED lights so indicate the time at night. Based on the tapisserie guilloche of the Royal Oak, the checkerboard dial of the clock is filled with over 20 varieties of tropical plants. Because the plants mature at different rates, the face of the clock will change with the seasons as the plants are refreshed.

The official opening of the clock, attended by (from left): Dr. Kiat W. Tan, CEO of Gardens by the Bay, Mr Oliviero Bottinelli, Member of the Board of Directors, Audemars Piguet Holding SA, Guest-of-Honour and Minister for National Development, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, and Mr Thomas Kupfer, Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation. 

The pink Madagascar Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) for instance is a perennial plant that will last for numerous seasons, making it a semipermanent part of the dial. In contrast the purple Wishbone Flower (Torenia fournieri) lasts only a year.

Madagascar Periwinkle
Wishbone Flower

The clock mechanism is electric, with a receiver for GPS satellite time signals to keep it running on time. It’s located less than five minutes away on foot from the visitor centre of Gardens by the Bay, a 101 hectare seaside park located at Marina Bay, adjacent to the city’s business district. For more information, visit Gardens by the Bay.

Laying the concrete base
Constructed the concrete tapisserie grid
Installing the granite bezel
Welding of the steel components like the hour markers
Planting

Photo credits: Gardens by the Bay

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What’s left of the “dial” is essentially a satin-brushed, ruthenium-toned ring round the border and both anthracite sub-dials. There’s a rehaut printed with a minute chapter ring too. In my experience, legibility is not the strongest suit to get a skeletonized watch, but that’s less of an issue in the case of the watch. The use of pink gold applied hour markers and pink gold baton-shaped hands, both filled with lume, should provide adequate legibility in most light conditions. The “Audemars Piguet” logo is printed on the surface of the sapphire crystal on the front, and this gives it a pleasant floating effect.The sub-dials are easy with white printed text and white baton-shaped hands. The sub-dial in 3:00 indicates chronograph minutes and the one at 9:00 shows constant seconds. 1 possible issue with legibility has to do with the chronograph seconds hand, which can be black with a lumed white hint. Between just how thin the hand is and also the color, reading the chronograph elapsed time may be more awkward than individuals may like. It is hard to say for sure until we get our hands on a tangible case of the watch.I’ve abandoned the situation and bracelet description for the past because these are some of the most recognizable aspects of the watch. This is the same Gerald Genta layout that is so popular among several collectors however with 44mm by 13.2millimeter case dimensions. This is a somewhat large watch with a wide bezel on both front and rear. All the straight lines and sharp angles additionally give it a bigger look. There are the obvious visual differences in the two materials but what I find more intriguing is that titanium is usually a light material with high tensile strength, while gold is a dense but soft substance. This signifies is that the experience of wearing every variant should be substantially different, and that I find this interesting.

The perpetual calendar complication reached the wristwatch soon after it was popularised by troops during the First World War, albeit only in one of a kind timepieces. The first perpetual calendar wristwatch was a one-off timepiece made in 1925 by Patek Philippe, equipped with a movement made for a ladies’ pendant watch. And four years later Breguet completed a perpetual calendar wristwatch with a wristwatch movement. But those wristwatches only had the day, date, month and moon. Despite being de rigueur in modern perpetual calendar wristwatches, the leap year only arrived in the wristwatch in 1955, courtesy of Audemars Piguet.

That was the year Audemars Piguet introduced the reference 5516 perpetual calendar wristwatch, the first serially produced wristwatch with a leap year indicator. By comparison, the first such perpetual calendar from Patek Philippe was only produced in 1981 (and sold in 2013 for US$1.7 million). Only 12 of the ref. 5516 were made, and only nine of those had the leap year indicator. The first three of the ref. 5516 had the moon phase at 12 o’clock and the leap year display at six (Christie’s sold one example for US$314,000 in 2008), before evolving into the final iteration of the ref. 5516. Depicted below, the final version of the reference is arguably the most beautiful, with a visually balanced and functional two-tone dial.

Made in 1957 but only sold in 1969 – the long interval between the two was not uncommon for pricey, complicated watches in the mid-20th century – this ref. 5516 is in yellow gold. And this particular specimen, part of the Audemars Piguet Watch Winder Setting Replica museum collection, is double signed with “Tiffany & Co.” below the watchmaker’s label.

This has a striking two-tone dial, with sunken sub-dials finished with circular graining. The lettering on the dial is prominently raised, because it was made the old fashioned way. Instead of merely being printed, the lettering is created by filling recesses with enamel, a technique known as champlevé. Practically non-existent today, champlevé lettering never fades.

The ref. 5516 is powered by the calibre 13VZSSQP, one of the most important base movements for high-end watches in that era. The VZ series of movements were made by Valjoux, a movement maker now part of ETA. It’s best known for the mass market 7750 chronograph movement now, but it used to make much more refined calibres.  Thirteen lignes in diameter, the VZ series eventually evolved into the Valjoux 23, 72 an so on. These movements were used in a variety of watches from the best names in Swiss watchmaking, including the Patek Philippe refs. 1518 and 2499.

Rare and historically important, the ref. 5516 is just one example of why the perpetual calendar is arguably the most significant complication for Audemars Piguet.

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Once the hammers hit the gongs, this membrane vibrates and behaves like the sound board of a guitar, dramatically amplifying the looks of the gongs. Additionally, the actual titanium case back is slightly raised to cover this membrane and contains apertures along the border to allow sounds to escape. This contributes to one of the minute repeater watches we have ever heard. And interestingly, the watch seems even louder when it’s worn to the wrist!At that the end of the afternoon, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Tourbillon Chronograph watch is yet another powerful showcase of this brand’s almost breathtaking technical know-how and unique design sense. It is a thoroughly modern take on a few of horology’s oldest complications, and also we could observe that in the instance of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Tourbillon Chronograph view, it has also been thoroughly improved.And if you believe all this will not come cheap, you’d be right. Though the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Tourbillon Chronograph watch isn’t a limited edition, it’s a princely cost of597,400.
Paradoxically, “The Beast” is back, and this re-edition Ref. 26237ST stays very much loyal to the original. The principal differences which we can see between this 2018 model and the first are very subtle, namely in the moments track and ‘Swiss Made’ print onto the periphery of this dial.Inside the re-edition Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph beats the Caliber 3126/3840, exactly the exact same movement used in other contemporary Royal Oak Offshore chronograph watches. Besides the time, needless to say, this motion comprises chronograph and date complications, a 22k gold rotor, beats at 3Hz, and includes a power reserve of 50 hours.
The Audemars Piguet Le Brassus Watch Price Replica Royal Oak is perhaps one of the most famous watches available today, and unlike other watches of comparable fame like the Omega Speedmaster or Rolex Submariner, its fundamental design also enjoys considerable versatility in terms of complications. From straightforward time-only variants to more complex offerings, there are many tastes of Royal Oak accessible, and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked Material Great watch is one of the more complicated examples.As an aside, and possibly it’s just me, but it feels just like brands really need to work on maintaining watch titles to a manageable span. Getting back into the watch at hand, this specific Audemars Piguet Royal Oak was designed in collaboration with Material Good — a New York-based luxury retailer. As the name clearly indicates, encased within the Gerald Genta-designed case is a openworked movement with a tourbillon and a chronograph complication.The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph is powered by the grade 2936, which is a hand-wound movement with a 72-hour power reserve. It’s a traditional 2-counter 30-minute chronograph movement with a tourbillon at 6:00. The skeletonization is complicated and complicated, and effort has gone into the bridge design to be certain the last result looks visually interesting and balanced.The bridge in 12:00, which holds the mainspring barrel, has an interesting arch-like design which complements the shape of the tourbillon cage on the other end. The bridges are in gold and polished to a brilliant end and with plenty of chamfering.

When Audemars Piguet unveiled the Royal Oak Concept RD#1 minute repeater last year, it was all cloak and dagger, since the patents related to its concept were still pending. Now that the patents have been granted, the prototype has become a reality in the form of the Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie that was just introduced at SIHH 2016.

The Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie actually features three complications, a chronograph, tourbillon and minute repeater. The first two are essentially superfluous, it is the minute repeater that is truly outstanding.

The rear of the Supersonnerie movement showing the chronograph mechanism, and repeater hammers visible at seven o’clock

Audemars Piguet claims the Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie chimes as loudly as ten pocket watch minute repeaters, a seemingly exaggerated claim but quite plausible once the Supersonnerie has been heard in action.

Under the dial of the Supersonnerie, with the minute repeating mechanism exposed

Three patents were instrumental in building the Supersonnerie. The first relates to the manufacturing of the gongs, a process that creates an optimal gong which nonetheless needs to be filed by hand to tune it.

The next patent concerns the case construction; the back is actually two pieces, an outer case back and an inner back that functions as a soundboard. Instead of being attached to the base plate as in ordinary repeaters, the gongs are attached to the inner case back, a thin disc of special alloy. This disc functions as a soundboard, amplifying the chimes of the repeater.

Notably, despite the large apertures in the outer back for sound transmission, the Supersonnerie is water-resistant to 20 m, as the inner back is sealed. Most minute repeaters are not water-resistant at all, since the cases are not sealed so as to improve the sound.

The last key feature of the Supersonnerie is the silent governor. The mechanism that regulates the pace of the repeater chimes, the governor in the Supersonnerie has a built-in shock absorber that eliminates most of the noise typically associated with its functioning. This prevents the governor from interfering with the sound of the repeater.

We will bring you more details on the Supersonnerie soon. In the mean time, follow our SIHH 2016 coverage for the latest from Geneva.

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The pink or white gold bracelet versions have been fitted with bracelets which, such as the frosted finish, have a hand-crafted element that gives the watch a jewelry aesthetic. Audemars Piguet calls it that the Polish bracelet since it’s given a high gloss to make it more supple on the wrist. It is assembled by weaving gold threads, much like a Milanese mesh-style bracelet, but with a huge difference. From the bracelet, the golden threads are braided in a right-over-left pattern rather than in precisely the exact same direction. The result is a bracelet which is more elastic and therefore hugs the wrist just like another skin. This is made more possible by the capacity to closely size the bracelet by adding or removing links in 5mm sections. The sub-dials on the bracelet models are mother-of-pearl. The instances on all three new Millenary watches have been scaled to 39.5mm, which makes them more wearable than the 45mm pieces in previous versions, and a lot more wearable than the 47mm Millenary 4101, a model more intended for a person’s wrist. The new, scaled-down models make the Millenary more purely a ladies’ collection, which is a good move for Audemars Piguet. All three new models include the manually-wound Caliber 5201, which can be reversed to show some of its components on the dial side. Pricing for the newest Millenary models will be available in mid-January. Regardless of whether or not you are into all things that glitter, it can’t be denied that 2017’s SIHH trends were punctuated by heaps of those 79th element in white, yellow, and frosty colours. And nobody needed more to show in this camp than Audemars Piguet, whose Extra-Thin Jumbo Royal Oak (reference 15202) in gold didn’t quite steal the spotlight from the showstopping Perpetual Calendar in ceramic, but it certainly came incredibly close — especially for people who’ve been after the last 40 or so years of the Royal Oak.

In the decade starting in the early 2000s the tourbillon wristwatch was wildly popular and spiralling whirlwind (pun intended) of profit for watchmakers. Offering a tourbillon became a benchmark for any brand wanting to be a haute horlogerie marque. But well before that Audemars Piguet was already a preeminent watchmaker, with its accomplishments including the invention of the first automatic tourbillon wristwatch.

The first tourbillon wristwatches date from the thirties and forties, French watchmaker LIP is regarded as having made the first ever tourbillon for the wrist, the timepieces made then were prototypes rather than watches available commercially. Omega has a wristwatch-sized tourbillon movement from 1947 in its museum, from a series of movements made for observatory chronometer trials.

An old invention that only became wild popular recently, the tourbillon in wristwatch form only really came into being in the eighties. Many of the pioneers with tourbillon wristwatches were independent watchmakers. Franck Muller claims the first ever exposed, dial-side tourbillon with his 1984 wristwatch, signed “Franck” as his early watches all were. Daniel Roth, while working for Breguet and Nouvelle Lemania, was similarly bold with the tourbillon calibre he devised for the Breguet-Lemania firm.

The pioneering automatic tourbillon

Audemars Piguet debuted its self-winding tourbillon calibre 2870 in 1986. Not only was it the first self-winding tourbillon, it remains the lightest tourbillon ever, weighing just 0.134 g thanks to the tiny, titanium carriage. And at the time it was the slimmest, standing just 4.8 mm tall including the case.

The aperture at six o’clock reveals the AP logo on the hammer winding weight

Most commonly seen in a distinctive oblong case with rounded corners and a sun ray dial finish, the automatic tourbillon was unique in several respects. For one it lacked a crown on the case sides, instead a flat crown was integrated into the case back.  Its slimness was accomplished by integrating the movement into the case, a construction dating from the seventies. Combining the two allows for significant reduction in thickness, which is why this feature is also found in several other ultra-thin watches, including the Swatch Skin and recent Piaget Altiplano 900P.  In the AP tourbillon the case back serves as the base plate of the movement, with the gear train and rotor mounted on the case back. Notably the bridges of the movement are solid gold, which might make this the first gold movement ever.

A prototype of the automatic tourbillon

 

The production model was inverted to put the tourbillon at 11 o’clock

The hammer rotor is visible at 11 o’clock

Made of a heavy iridium-platinum alloy, the rotor was a swung from left to right, a mechanism known as a hammer automatic. Mostly found in early automatic timepieces, hammer automatic mechanisms are not particularly efficient, but they can be very compact, as demonstrated by this watch.

The evolution

Despite being ingeniously engineered and remarkably small, the first automatic tourbillon was not a commercial hit, being expensive and somewhat delicate. The movement lived on as the calibre 2875. Wider and thicker – the new calibre was 30% larger than the original – the 2875 was a far more robust movement that nonetheless retained the same hammer winding and hidden crown. And it featured the addition of a date and power reserve indicator.

The evolution of the original automatic tourbillon, the cal. 2875, circa 1991
Back-winding crown
The titanium cage remains similar in form, but larger

The calibre 2875 was found in several models, including various Royal Oak tourbillons (the only Royal Oak watches ever without a crown), but is no longer in the collection. Instead it has been superseded by the tourbillon created by Renaud & Papi, the complications specialist AP acquired in 1992.

Renaud & Papi

Though the Renaud & Papi tourbillon cage was inspired by an old Vallée de Joux design, it is one of the most recognisable tourbillon cages made today. The three-spoke Renaud & Papi tourbillon is found in wristwatches from brands as diverse as Cartier (most often on the grand complication) and Richard Mille, which gets all its tourbillons from Renaud & Papi.

Tradition d’Excellence No. 2, tourbillon with perpetual calendar and minute repeater

In Audemars Piguet watches the tourbillon typically has a slightly angled, inverted V-shape bridge, as found on the Tradition repeater-tourbillon.

Some intriguing variations have also been produced, including the wavy bridge of the Royal Oak Concept Watch 1.

And the successor of the first automatic tourbillon is probably the calibre 2897 in the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Tourbillon. This features a novel peripheral winding mechanism, with the rotor sitting on the rim of the movement so as not to obscure any part of it.

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Fortunately, it is not all teary-eyed past-reviving that is happening at this anniversary — kudos to AP for that. 26421ST and 26421OR, that possess an entirely new design in two different instance materials.Based on two before Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph watches, especially the Ref. 26388PO (see our hands on with it here) and 26288OR, these new Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph watches come in stainless steel and 18k rose gold respectively, and feature a brand new case design that has a thinner bezel and hence a more spacious dial. Nevertheless, the distinctive Royal Oak Offshore design traits are all undamaged. The 45mm instance remains angular, the bezel remains octagonal, and there’s no lost those vulnerable hexagonal screws on the bezel. Completing the look are black porcelain pushers to your chronograph and a screw-down crown. Water resistance is also 100m. On the dial, one can see the exposed motion and the tourbillon in 9 o’clock. Opposite the tourbillon at 3 o’clock is the 30-minute counter for the chronograph. Also clearly visible are the two mainspring barrels. This particular movement features 338 parts, an incorporated chronograph movement which has a column wheel mechanism, a beat rate of 3Hz, and a power reserve of a whopping 237 hours. Royal Oak Offshore fanatics are definitely eager to understand the costs, and we’ll update the article when we are able to confirm.

Over the weekend four timepieces from Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Zenith were auctioned in Singapore. All sold for well above the retail prices, raising nearly S$100,000 for the Community Chest. 

On 30 November Singapore charity the Community Chest held its annual fundraising dinner (full disclosure: I was a member of the event’s organising committee), which included an auction of items donated for the event. Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Zenith generously contributed timepieces for the charity auction. The four timepieces raised S$96,000, with all selling at above the recommended retail prices. The top lot of the event was the Audemars Piguet Millenary 4101 in rose gold, one of the most distinctive models in the Millenary collection, featuring an open dial that reveals the wonderfully decorated movement. This hammered at S$54,000, above the tax free retail price of S$49,500.

That was followed by the Zenith El Primero 410 Singapore Edition. Inspired by the original El Primero 410 of the seventies, this is a limited edition of 45 pieces available only in Singapore. With a retail price of $14,800, it sold for S$20,000.

Also selling for S$20,000 was the Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos Classique clock, the ingenious clock that runs on air and Swiss government’s gift of choice for foreign dignitaries. The hammer price was more than double the retail price of S$7860.

And finishing up the quartet was a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms wall clock, modelled on Blancpain’s signature diver’s watch. Typically only found in Blancpain boutiques and never offered for sale, the wall clock sold for S$2000.

The event raised S$2.8 million in total for Community Chest, a charity overseen by the Singapore government. As a member of the organising committee for the Community Chest Gala Dinner 2014 I would like to thank Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Zenith for the support.

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The Audemars Piguet Watches Price In India Replica Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph 25th Anniversary and Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph are three new, pre-SIHH 2018 references which we will see in shops next year, even when AP is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Royal Oak Offshore line.When Audemars Piguet introduced the very first Royal Oak Offshore some 25 decades before, I do not think they anticipated it to be the success it is today, even though it mostly built on the original Royal Oak recipe: proceed very large, very daring, and pricey. Now, this was to be taken to another level with the Royal Oak Offshore.It was big and so forth, and purists who watched it in Basel back in 1993 screamed the Royal Oak was desecrated — likely the very same people who jumped out to about the first Royal Oak desecrating luxury watches in general. Truth be told, the Offshore has been a daring move by Audemars Piguet, but today most of us know how well it has paid off. Today, the Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore are Audemars Piguet’s best-selling collections — essentially synonymous with the brand itself, which clearly isn’t a fantastic thing, but we’ll leave that discussion for another time.
The black satin-brushed dial is partly skeletonized to show the internal workings of this watch. But as they are rather chunky, telling the time is not overly hard, but legibility is not ideal. That having been said, this is not actually a bit where the palms are the focus. The running seconds hand to your chronograph is bright yellow to provide contrast against the dark dial.Finally, the individual minute markers as well as the mark for the 30-minute chronograph at 3 o’clock are rendered in yellow and white to provide maximum contrast and legibility. The 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock is also unique because it displays the elapsed minutes with a retrograde indicator. And lastly, at six o’clock is that the tourbillon.The movement is where the magic all occurs. It is obviously in-house, and it’s the calibre 2937. Manually wound, it sports a shocking 478 components, beats at 3Hz, and supplies a power reserve of 42 hours. And like all high-end chronograph movements, it has a column-wheel and lateral clutch.What’s odd about it, however, is both gongs. Instead of mounting the gongs into the movement plate, they are attached to what Audemars Piguet requires a “sound board” Basically, it is a thin membrane made from a special copper alloy that covers the rear of the movement, held in place with screws, along with forming a water-tight seal. This explains how the Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Tourbillon Chronograph watch can get a water-resistance rating of 20 meters, which might not seem like much to a casual observer, but that could not be more incorrect. The 20 meters is actually rather impressive considering the intricate construction of the watch.

Though the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore line is usually about sporty aesthetics, there are exceptions, like the Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph Carbon. Oversized and chunky with a carbon composite case, it looks like the typical Offshore but the movement is special. The calibre 2897 is an automatic chronograph with tourbillon, wound by a peripheral rotor. This movement is not new, but for the first time the winding mechanism has been revealed on the dial.

With a three armed cage and a twin-colour balance wheel, the tourbillon is in the signature style of Renaud & Papi

A cut-out at one o’clock shows the winding gear and the ball bearing for the rotor. And the chapter ring of the dial with the minute markings is actually clear sapphire, revealing the peripheral rotor with its teeth that run all around the edge of the dial.

A typical winding rotor is a semicircular weight that covers half the movement. Here the movement can be admired in its entirety since the oscillating weight is just a slim piece of platinum that sits on the perimeter of the movement.

Constructed in the style typical of Renaud & Papi, the respected movement specialist owned by Audemars Piguet, the movement combines both classical and modern watchmaking. The bridges and chronograph mechanism are reminiscent of old pocket watches, and so is the grande sonnerie style winding click on the barrel.

The case is 44 mm in diameter, and made of carbon composite (essentially strands of carbon fibre mixed with a polymer), while the bezel, pushers and crown are ceramic. And the crown guard and case back are titanium.

Notably, the ceramic is finished to a remarkable degree that only Audemars Piguet has achieved in watchmaking. Unlike most ceramic watches which have a easy to achieve mirror polished surface, the ceramic bezel for example has a brushed top and polished flanks, with a brilliantly sharp edge in between.

 

With a price tag of US$273,200, this will be made in a limited edition of just 50 watches.

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Now, the “best” for Audemars Piguet means their striving to make the most crisp and clear sound of any moment repeater. The newest points into three achievements demonstrated in this particular watch, which I shall briefly run through. First, the unique preparation of the steel used to create the gong structure allows the watchmakers to accurately and easily adjust and enhance the pitch, tone, and stability of the minute repeater. Secondly, the method by which in which the situation is constructed reduces sound absorption and maximizes amplification. I’ll discuss this “soundboard” procedure more a bit later on. Finally, the striking regulator is redesigned so that the anchor system acts like a shock absorber, minimizing shock noise.One of the most significant constituents of a second repeater watch is the situation since it’s responsible for broadening the noise. If you have any doubts about that, you just have to check at exotic supercars and their titanium exhausts. Titanium can also be used everywhere round the watch to improve the quality of the sound, but more with this later.The use of titanium also suggests that despite the watch’s sizable measurements, in 44mm wide and 16.5mm thick, it still remains light and comfortable to wear. And thanks to its unique aesthetic, the case design immediately identifies the watch as a Royal Oak Concept and nothing else.It goes without mentioning that the case is finished to an impeccably high standard with contrasting finishing. The bezel has mirror polished edges and features a satin-brushed finish on the top, which complements the exposed polished 18k white gold twist heads. The case has been sandblasted and has a matte finish which juxtaposes quite nicely with the shinier bezel. The huge crown and chronograph pushers have been made out of ceramic.
Fortunately, it isn’t all teary-eyed past-reviving that’s happening at this anniversary — kudos to AP for that. 26421ST and 26421OR, that have a completely new layout in two different case materials.Based on two earlier Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph watches, specifically the Ref. 26388PO (see our hands on with it here) and 26288OR, these new Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph watches come in stainless steel and 18k rose gold and feature a new case design which has a thinner bezel and hence a more open dial. Even so, the distinctive Royal Oak Offshore design characteristics are undamaged. The 45mm case remains angular, the bezel remains octagonal, and there’s no lost those exposed hexagonal screws on the bezel. Completing the look are black porcelain pushers to your chronograph and a screw-down crown. Water resistance is also 100m. On the dial, an individual can see the vulnerable movement and the tourbillon in 9 o’clock. Opposite the tourbillon at 3 o’clock is your 30-minute counter for the chronograph. Also clearly visible are both mainspring barrels. The skeletonized bridges stretch from each of the eight screws in a way that’s quite unique and ties the design of this case, dial, and movement together in a way few watches have the ability to do so.These watches are powered by the in-house hand-wound Caliber 2947, that is an open-worked variant of the Caliber 2933 found in the Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph Ref. 26388PO & 26288OR. Royal Oak Offshore fanatics are certainly eager to understand the prices, and we will update the article once we are able to confirm. Each Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph 25th Anniversary model is limited to 50 pieces.
When the hammers hit the gongs, this membrane vibrates and behaves like the sound board of a guitar, radically amplifying the looks of the gongs. In addition, the true titanium case back is slightly raised to cover this membrane and contains apertures across the edge to permit sounds to escape. This contributes to one of the minute repeater watches we’ve ever heard. And interestingly, the watch appears even louder when it’s worn on the wrist!At the close of the day, the Audemars Piguet Watches Buy Replica Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Tourbillon Chronograph watch is still another powerful showcase of the new almost breathtaking technical know-how and one of a kind design sense. It’s a thoroughly modern take on a few of horology’s oldest complications, and we can observe that in the instance of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Tourbillon Chronograph watch, it has been thoroughly improved.And if you believe all this won’t come cheap, you’d be right. Though the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Tourbillon Chronograph watch is not a limited edition, it has a princely cost of $597,400.
Regardless of the svelte profile, however, the gold 15202 is a surprisingly hefty watch. This tactile illusion is because, of course to the fact that gold’s density is nearly three times that of stainless steel, giving the assertive wrist existence of a far larger sports watch to one that can otherwise slide easily under the cuff of a dress shirt. When you look at the bracelet and case when considering the weight of the gold, the slim profile but strong gold appearance presents a contrasted personality which works well. It’s safe, but a contemporary design icon within an old-school material.From the dial-side, the appearance and texture of this 15202 is distinctly timeless — such as a vintage re-issue of this original 5402 in golden. Inside though, beats another story. It is an ultra-thin automated movement measuring 3.05mm thick, and characterized by a unique 2.75Hz (19,800 vibrations per hour), although marginally lower-than-average alternance isn’t easily visible as the 15202 doesn’t feature a running moments hand. Unlike the 5402 that prompted it, the 15202 has a sapphire crystal exhibition caseback, by the cal. 2121’s 21-carat gold strand is visible, as it slides back and forth about the circular rail running the circumference of the motion — one of those tricks enabling the 2121’s signature thinness.In complete, the 15202 will probably be available in three versions — the new gold alternatives (yellow gold onto champagne yellow, or yellowish gold on blue) join the existing stainless steel 15202 that was re-introduced back in 2012. While the stainless steel Extra-Thin Jumbo Royal Oak starts at approximately $22,000, those seeking to ‘remain gold’ could expect to part with over double that $55,000 for the 18-carat gold variants.
The Audemars Piguet Le Brassus Watch Price Replica Royal Oak is perhaps one of the most famous watches available today, and unlike other watches of similar popularity like the Omega Speedmaster or Rolex Submariner, its basic design also enjoys considerable versatility concerning complications. From straightforward time-only versions to more complex offerings, there are numerous tastes of Royal Oak accessible, and also the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked Material Good watch is among the more elaborate examples.As an aside, and possibly it’s just me, but it feels just like brands actually must work on keeping watch names to a manageable span. Getting back into the watch at hand, this specific Audemars Piguet Royal Oak was designed in cooperation with Material Good — a New York-based luxury retailer. As the title clearly suggests, encased inside the Gerald Genta-designed instance is a openworked movement using a tourbillon and a chronograph complication.The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph is powered by the caliber 2936, which will be a hand-wound movement with a 72-hour power reserve. It is a conventional 2-counter 30-minute chronograph movement with a tourbillon in 6:00. The skeletonization is complex and elaborate, and effort has gone into the bridge design to be certain that the final result appears visually intriguing and balanced.The bridge at 12:00, which retains the mainspring barrel, has an interesting arch-like design which matches the shape of the tourbillon cage on the opposite end. The bridges are in gold and polished to a brilliant finish and with lots of chamfering. The motion is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback and being a hand-wound movement signifies that the chronograph mechanism is on full view.

Christie’s “Important Watches Geneva” sale takes place on May 11, marking the 40th anniversary of its watch auctions in the Swiss city. Here are 10 highlights from the upcoming sale.

On May 11 Christie’s will offer 314 lots at its Geneva watch auction at its usual venue at the historical Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. Now led by Thomas Perazzi, the watch department at Christie’s Geneva has selected 10 highlights from the upcoming sale ranging from a complete Patek Philippe ref. 2499 to an Omani Sea-Dweller. Lot 89: The Spherotourbillon was introduced as the successor to the Gyrotourbillon, arguably Jaeger-LeCoultre‘s signature complication. Equipped with a multi-axis tourbillon that rotates on a inclined axis just like a spinning top, the Spherotourbillon also has twin gear trains, delivering power to the time display and seconds hand respectively. That allows for a zero-reset seconds via the button at two o’clock. The estimate is SFr100,000 to SFr120,000, and you’ll find a detailed look at the Spherotourbillon right here.

Lot 127: An attractive and perhaps unique Patek Philippe ref. 5016P fitted with a silver dial featuring pink gold Breguet numerals (instead of typical white gold numerals to match the case colour). The accompanying certificate notes this is a ref. 5016P-021, the last three digits signifying the unusual dial (standard models have a suffix “-001” or “-010”. Just 37mm in diameter, the ref. 5016 was probably the last of the subtle and classical grand complications from Patek Philippe. In fact it was the most complicated wristwatch made by Patek Philippe (with a repeater, perpetual calendar and tourbillon) until the Sky Moon came along. This is estimated at between SFr450,000 and SFr1m.

Lot 136: Long Patek Philippe’s flagship grand complication until the Grandmaster Chime the Sky Moon Tourbillon was a million franc watch when new and still remains as pricey. It’s in platinum with a double-faced case, one side showing the perpetual calendar and the other the star chart of Geneva. SFr800,000 to SFr1.3m is the estimate.

Lot 156: Rolex‘s later sports chronographs like the Paul Newman get all the attention but its earlier chronographs are elegant and also desirable. This is a yellow gold example of the ref. 3525, the first Rolex Oyster chronograph, with the screw down back and crown characteristic of the Oyster case. And this watch has a unique provenance, it was gifted to Dr Paolo Biocca by Palmiro Togliatti, the leader of the Italian Communist Party. Biocca received it for helping save Togliatti’s life after an attempted assassination in 1948. The back is engraved “Palmiro Togliatti, al Dott. P. Biocca, riconoscente, 14-7-1948” on the back. The estimate is SFr100,000 to SFr200,000.

Lot 204: Highly complicated wristwatches from Audemars Piguet Watch E63458 Price In India Replica are rarely seen for sale, as they were made in small quantities. This ref. 5528 is one such watch, a minute repeater with a gold case originally sold in 1951 – one of just three made and the only one known today. It contains a movement originally made in 1885 and sold in a pendant watch, then recased and sold as a wristwatch. At 38mm it’s large for a watch of that era, and eminently wearable today. And the watch is in mint condition, having been restored by Audemars Piguet in 2014, a process documented in the accompany paperwork. The consignor is the original owner of the watch, who received it from his father as a wedding gift some 40 years ago. The estimate is SFr150,000 to SFr250,000.

Lot 224: A Panerai ref. 3646 made by Rolex that is the origin of the modern Radiomir. Made in 1943, it’s one of the few wartime Panerai watches that survived. The dial has a sandwich construction, with a disc covered in luminous radium topped with a black dial featuring cutouts for the numerals and indices. This has good provenance, a plus in a vintage Panerai market that is soft: it is being offered by the son of the original owner, a combat diver in the German navy who trained with the Italian navy unit synonymous with Panerai. SFr70,000 to SFr140,000 is the estimate.

Lot 242: One of the 55 Saint Gervais watches in platinum made in 2005 for the 250th anniversary of Vacheron Constantin. It features a perpetual calendar, tourbillon and 10 day power reserve. Unusually for modern, highly complication watches, the anniversary timepieces from VC generally do comparatively well on the secondary market, retaining value better than comparable watches from peers and even VC itself. The estimate is SFr250,000 to SFr350,000. 

Lot 279: A Rolex Sea-Dweller ref. 1665 originally ordered by the Sultan of Oman, one of probably less than a 100 gifted to the British Special Air Service (SAS) troops who helped put down the Dhofar Rebellion in the seventies. The Sultan’s signature is printed in red on the dial at six o’clock. This comes with a Rolex box with the Omani khanjar logo on its lid. It’s estimated at SFr150,000 to SFr250,000.

Lot 308: The ref. 2499 is the most desirable of the Patek Philippe chronographs with perpetual calendar, and this particular ref. 2499/100 is in new old stock condition and an exceptionally package. Sold to retailer Gobbi in Milan in 1980, the watch comes from the original owner and is complete with the boxes, papers, tags and most unusually even spare parts like date discs, crown, spring bars as well as replacement parts for the movement. That explains the estimate of SFr400,000 to SFr 800,000, the highest amongst all the ref. 2499 that will be offered during the Geneva auction season.

Lot 314: Only four of the Nautilus ref. 3700 were made in platinum, and this is the only one of the four known to have a bezel set with diamonds, making it possible a unique piece. And it’s in original and excellent condition, likely retaining the factory case finish. It was made in 1982 and is accompanied by the box and certificate. Like the ref. 2499 above, this was consigned by the original owner. The estimate is SFr200,000 to SFr400,000, making it possibly the most expensive vintage Nautilus ever.

More information on the sale as well as the complete catalogue is available from Christie’s. This was brought to you by Christie’s watch department.