In 1875, Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet founded the Swiss watch manufacturing company
Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus, Vallée de Joux. In 1955, the brand began production of its first series of perpetual calendar wristwatches to feature a leap year indication. A specialist in the manufacture of complications since it was established,
Audemars Piguet continued to produce a variety of high-quality perpetual calendars throughout the late 70s to the early 2000s, considered some of the most impressive of the modern era.
This
rare platinum example perfectly illustrates why the
Quantieme Perpetual seems so under-appreciated. Understated both in styling and size - modest (by today's standards) at 36 mm - with a slim case matched by an ultra-thin, automatic perpetual calendar movement. The platinum case features a stepped bezel and short, down-tuned lugs, which work proportionately well together. On the reverse, the caseback features circular graining and finely-engraved markings.
The sub-dial at 3 o'clock shows the date, in a slightly recessed sub-register, giving depth to the otherwise smooth white dial. In a similar fashion, the days of the month are placed at 9 o'clock, with the months of the year at 12. The moon-phase is placed at six o'clock, with graduation for moon age above. The white dial is further accented with applied index markers - corresponding harmoniously with
Audemars Piguet’s ‘stick’ hands. The index markers and hands are subtle in form, with excellent legibility against the white backdrop.
This
Quantieme Perpetual Automatique is powered by the
AP caliber
2120/2, derived from
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s legendary ultra-thin
JLC 920 calibre movement. The caliber
2120 was an initial project of
Jaeger LeCoultre in 1967, funded and contributed by
Audemars Piguet, and famous for its adoption by
Audemars Piguet,
Patek Philippe and
Vacheron Constantin. The ultra-thin automatic
2120/2 calibre features 38 working jewels,
Gyromax balance and four ruby wheels to support the full-diameter rotor, which runs on a beryllium rail for stability. The rotor is decorated with Genevan stripes and edged with 21-carat gold, to increase the oscillating mass. The
AP calibre
2120 remains the thinnest full-rotor self-winding movement in the world, considered by many as one of the most technically refined wrist-watch movements ever made.
The watch comes with its original
Audemars Piguet box, Certificate of Origin and literature. It's also accompanied by a sales letter from German retailer
Eugen E. Ohmayer, dated May 30th, 1987. It's fitted to one of our
Venice, grey saffiano leather straps, as well as its original platinum tang buckle.
Viewings can be arranged in Central London by appointment.
