The buzz is on. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked
By the time you read these lines, it will likely be nearly impossible to acquire this watch, which surprised many when it suddenly appeared on the manufacturer’s website. Yet, there’s a story behind it: Audemars Piguet created the bezel when they introduced a chronograph with a cream-colored box back in 2017. Until then, no one had created such a complex watch in a cream packaging, and the public really loved it. Evidence of this is the very long waiting list. But the company doesn’t stop there, and this year they introduced a tourbillon caliber also in a cream box.
This watch exposes the intricacies of the marvelous caliber, doing so with a transparent dial that reveals the tiniest complexities of the richly crafted mechanism hidden beneath. Correspondingly, the case back is also transparent, revealing the weight of the gold that tensions the main spring in the automatic caliber. It has a power reserve of 40 hours and operates at a smooth frequency of 19,800 vibrations per hour. The chronograph has functions for date, day, week, month, moon phase, and leap year.
On the transparent dial are gold rings embracing the different indications, with gold hands and a celestial background. The case, 41 mm in diameter, is made of blackened steel, as is the bracelet. The bracelet clasp and the watch back are made of titanium.
Bottom line: transparently complex
Price: $140,000
