Audemars Piguet Quantième Perpetuel 25682PT, Platinum

Inspired From the Past

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 1970s to the early 2000s, considered some of the most impressive of the modern era.

This Quantième Perpetuel 25682PT forms part of the Edward Piguet collection, named after one of the two founding fathers of the manufacture. The aesthetic of the collection was based on a unique, historic tank design from Audemars Piguet from the mid-1920s. The overall collection is distinguished by its elegantly curved rectangular cases, subtly reminiscent of understated Art Deco sophistication. Symmetrical, geometrical and elongated, this specific piece looks back to early 20th-century design. 

A Classic Design

This Quantième Perpetuel 25682PT is sized at a contemporary 45mm x 27mm and has a distinctive rectangular case. The elongated lugs flank the case on either side, in a straight, smooth line from one end of the watch to the other. The overall finishing of the case, from the bezel to the profile of the lugs, is relatively rounded, giving the watch a softer appearance overall. On the reverse, the caseback features vertical graining, as well as hallmarks and finely-engraved markings.

The dial integrates the traditional layout for a perpetual calendar, though subtly reworked for its rectangular shape. The sub-dial at 3 o'clock shows the date, in a noticeably recessed sub-register, giving depth to the otherwise smooth silver 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 depth of the sub-dials, and their light circular finish, gives the watch an even more distinctive appearance on the wrist. 

The white dial is further accented with painted Breguet numerals, a feature occasionally found, and often desired, in perpetual calendars from the past. These correspond harmoniously with Audemars Piguet’s black leaf hands. The sub-dial hands are made out of blued steel. 

The Movement 

This Quantième Perpetuel 25682PT is powered by the manual-wind calibre 2003. The base movement, developed in conjunction with ébauche maker Jaeger LeCoultre, was first developed in 1946, remaining in production for half a century. 

On top of it, Audemars Piguet added their 2805 QP perpetual calendar module, giving the movement a total thickness of only 3.19mm. The movement is beautifully finished, with exquisite chamfering on all angles, polishing and decoration, in the form of Geneva striping.

The Set

This 25682PT is accompanied by an impressive array of paperwork. It comes with its original certificate of origin and warranty, manual, receipt, as well as several other pieces of paperwork detailing the original sale. It also comes with its leather folio, setting pin and two Audemars Piguet crocodile straps. The watch is fitted on our Zürich strap, also accompanied by its original platinum tang buckle.

Rather unusually, it also comes with an Audemars Piguet winding box for a manually wound perpetual calendar. Thanks to a resting surface, which holds the watch in place, and a small claw which fixes onto the crown, it allows for the movement to be wound mechanically. 

Closer look