Audemars Piguet has announced a new collection of Frosted Royal Oak timepieces – designed for women – that will be officially launched at the SIHH replica watch show in January. The line consists of two 37 mm Royal Oaks, in pink or white gold, powered by mechanical movements; and two 33 mm Royal Oaks, in pink or white gold, powered by quartz movements. To achieve the all-new “frosted” look each case and bracelet are hammered by hand. Otherwise, the movements…
The famous Royal Oak timepiece was first introduced by Audemars Piguet in 1972, exclusively in stainless steel. Following the now legendary model’s success, the first yellow gold version of the Royal Oak was produced in 1977. That model came in the same 39 mm “Jumbo” case as the original stainless steel reference 5402 “A series,” with the same Jaeger-LeCoultre 920 based automatic caliber 2121 movement inside. And like the stainless steel model is highly sought after on the vintage market….
Intro Audemars Piguet’s legendary manufacture has been based at Le Brassus in the heart of the Vallée de Joux since 1875. They are one of the very few brands that have retained their independence from the larger conglomerates. An Audemars (Jasmine Audemars) and a Piguet (Olivier Audemars, great-grandson of co-founder Edward Auguste Piguet) still serve on the board of directors. The storied brand has a rich history of craftsmanship, ingenuity, and innovation. While AP’s main manufacture is based at Le…
Originally introduced in November 2008 (circa 2008), the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore “Survivor” has an unmistakable design with its super aggressive crown and pusher guards and all black color scheme. It comes in a 42 mm x 15.65 mm black titanium case, which is not huge until you add the guards. The Survivor came at a time when big bold timepieces were in style. Inside, is self-winding in-house chronograph caliber 3126/3840 which has 59 jewels, 365 parts, a frequency…
Audemars Piguet recently released a new dial for their Royal Oak Dual-Time replica watch. The old model has been discontinued and so far the new version comes in one variation: a blue dial with a blue alligator leather strap. Although, we suspect more variations are coming at SIHH 2017 or later next year. Maybe even a new movement. Currently, the movement is based on a design originally purchased from Jaeger-LeCoultre, which is not a bad thing. But aesthetically, Audemars Piguet…
As the third and final part of the Audemars Piguet Haute Joaillerie ladies’ cuff timepiece trilogy – which started with the Dimond Punk in 2015, followed by the Dimond Fury in 2016 – the Diamond Outrage debuts today at SIHH in Geneva. The Diamond Outrage is available in two different one-of-kind pieces that are crafted in 18K white gold and include prominent spikes set with either diamonds or blue sapphires. Aptly described by Audemars Piguet, the “Diamond Outrage becomes an…
Thomas Mudge produced the oldest known perpetual calendar in 1762. Patek Philippe followed in 1925 with a perpetual calendar wristwatch based on a ladies’ pendant replica watch. Breguet created the first perpetual replica watch with a true wristwatch movement in 1929. However, it was not until 1955 that the leap year indication was brought to a wristwatch by Audemars Piguet in the reference 5516. Prior to that, all perpetual calendar mechanical wristwatches had the day, date, and month indications –…
The Longines Heritage 1945 Jason Pitsch A quick look at our Longines article archives, and you can see that virtually every timepiece we have covered from the Swiss replica watchmaker over the past five years has been in the heritage collection, or otherwise vintage inspired. A company with such a rich history should tap into past designs for ideas, and Longines has perpetuated this concept more than any other company. Introducing the latest retro timepiece, the Heritage 1945. Unveiled at…
This year at SIHH, Audemars Piguet launched an entire refresh of their existing Royal Oak Chronograph line that includes new two-tone dials, inside the 41 mm diameter case. In total, there are eight new styles. Three stainless steel with steel bracelets, with a black on white, white and black and silver/gray on blue, four pink gold with either blue or brown dial on either gold bracelet or leather strap, and one titanium and platinum model with a blue on a…
On September 22, 2016, Audemars Piguet re-opened their New York City flagship store, located at 57th Street, after undergoing an extensive three-month renovation. The new 3,000 square foot design is inspired by Switzerland’s famous Vallée de Joux, where Audemars Piguet originated (Le Brassus) and is still headquartered at to this day. There are three distinct sales areas, two custom chandeliers hanging from the 15-foot ceilings, two large displays showing off images of the Vallée de Joux taken by famous photographer…