Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Grande Sonnerie Dynamograph watch

The Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Grande Sonnerie Dynamograph watch is an extraordinary achievement of horological mastery as well as superb traditional watchmaking knowledge and craftsmanship. A testament to the expertise of Audemars Piguet in the realm of great watchmaking complications, this extraordinary timepiece takes the celebrated complication of the repeater to its ultimate level. The manually wound movement, constructed by Audemars Piguet and their famed movement specialist Renaud et Papi, contains well over 400 individually hand-finished pieces.

This phenomenal mousetrap of wheels, pinions, racks, snails, and springs offers first of all, a minute repeater, which can be activated on request to chime the hours, quarter hours, and individual minutes; unlike most repeaters however, which indicate quarter hours with a two-gong high/low chime, the Sonnerie movement has a three-gong carillon chime, which offers both additional complexity, as well as a remarkably beautiful and distinctive quarter-hour chime. In addition to the minute repeater, the Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Grande Sonnerie watch offers both big and little strike ("Grande et Petite Sonnerie") modes. This remarkable complication allows the watch to be set in such a way that hours and quarter hours are struck off automatically throughout each hour, (Grand mode), or to strike only the hours in passing (Petite mode). Since this complication demands so much energy to operate, the movement of this Audemars Piguet Grande Sonnerie watch features mainspring barrels dedicated to both the movement, and the strike works.

To ensure that this remarkable complication is not damaged should it be operated when too little power is available to the strike work, Audemars Piguet has developed both an indicator which shows the power-reserve remaining in the mainspring for the strike work, as well as a second indicator--called a Dynamograph---which indicates the curve of optimum torque which is ideal for the strike modes to be engaged for optimal performance. A small selector piece at the upper right hand corner also allows the watch to be set to "Silence" should the owner not desire the Sonnerie to sound. The craftsmanship which Audemars Piguet lavishes upon the movement of the Jules Audemars Grande Sonnerie Dynamograph watch is breathtaking, representing the finest in traditional haute de gamme techniques. Steel parts are individually drawn with a file, while bridges feature perlage on their bottom side, Cotes de Geneve on their topside, and anglage polishing on the edges. Screw and jewel settings are all countersunk and polished, while certain parts, such as the hammers of the striking mechanism display the luxurious specular polish. Purely functional components such as wheels and pinions are given no less careful scrutiny, resulting in a watch that is a true work of art in every respect.

Extremely limited in production, with only a few pieces produced each year, the Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Grande Sonnerie Dynamograph watch presents its noble horlogical quality in an 18K white gold case. This graceful round case, a hallmark of all watches within the Jules Audemars Collection, features a sophisticated brushed finish, with highly polished elements on the bezel, and caselugs. The beautiful dial is a fine compliment to this classic, yet extremely complex timepiece, featuring a central section decorated with a Cotes de Geneve finish. A luxurious, remborded crocodile strap, complete with a white gold AP folding clasp completes this exceptional Audemars Piguet watch.

Audemars Piguet Perpetual Calendar-Jules Audemars 30th Anniversary

In 1978, Audemars Piguet caused a sensation by introducing the first ultra-thin selfwinding perpetual calendar. The watchmakers in Le Brassus are now paying tribute to this creation with a special anniversary limited edition of 90. The barely 4 mm thick movement of the Jules Audemars 30th Anniversary Perpetual Calendar represents a spectacular feat of miniaturisation.

How can a timepiece, merely by the meshing of its toothed wheels, levers and clicks, successfully indicate the day, the date, the month, the moon phases and leap-year cycle? The perpetual calendar system is an admirable mechanical reproduction of our calendar.

The irregularity of the 30- or 31-day months is controlled by a cam – which is itself connected to a wheel – on which the various lengths of the months are defined. On the same axis, a new wheel bearing a cam indicating standard months of February and a leap-year month of February performs one turn every four years and is thus able to take the leap-year cycle into account. This means that the Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars 30th Anniversary Perpetual Calendar will require no correction before March 1st 2100. All that will be required on this date is to actuate the correctors positioned on the side of the case, and the mechanism will be fully readjusted for another century.

The broad bezel diameter facilitates reading off the time as well as the various calendar subdials. The latter are surrounded by a polished decorated fillet that highlights their snailed décor making a pleasing contrast with the satin-brushed finish of the dial.

However, its radiance is essentially due to the Tuscany shade of blue specially selected for this occasion and which is unmistakably reminiscent of the skies graced with angelic figures as depicted in the works of 15th century Florentine painters. Combined with the noble platinum case and white gold hands and hour-markers, it vividly expresses the fresh take on classicism embodied in the Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars 30th Anniversary Perpetual Calendar.