SIHH 2010: Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Perpetual Calendar in Rose Gold

Just like the original Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars 30th Anniversary Perpetual Calendar that was first presented in 2008 when, as the name implies, the Swiss watchmaker celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of its first ultra-thin movement, this new edition of the watch is powered by the same AP 2120/2802 ultra-thin automatic caliber featuring a full-fledged perpetual calendar complication with leap year.

Sharing its space with the “months” sub-dial at 12 o’clock, the leap year indicator uses a red pointer to, um, point at the respective year’s place in the four-year cycle.

While owners of normal annual calendars still have to manually correct their timekeepers once in four years, this perpetual calendar makes your life even more comfortable by automatically taking into account leap years.

Of course, due to natural limitations of the technology, you will have to correct the calendar, but only just once, on the 1st of March, 2100, if you plan to live that long.

Although many contemporary automatic perpetuals come in deliberately massive cases, this new Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Perpetual Calendar has its rose gold body measuring only 41 millimeters in diameter and just over 9 millimeters thick!

This, of course, comes courtesy of the gorgeous AP 2120 ultra-thin self-winding movement. Equipped with their in-house cal. 2802 perpetual calendar module that added some 1.5 mm to its overall thickness and now comprising 355 components and featuring 60 hours of power reserve, the movement is only 4 millimeters high, which makes thinner as two clay poker chips staked together!

The refreshed watches will be available in two color combinations. The most appealing to yours truly is the Ref. 26390OR.OO.D093CR.01 model that features an 18-carat rose gold case combined with a chocolate brown dial. The other one (Ref. 26390OR.OO.D088CR.02) comes in the same rose gold case but has its dial silvered.

Besides being more visually appealing, the first model with chocolate dial is also more legible, since its dark-brown dial provides good contrast to the hands and hour indexes made of rose gold.

Photos: Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Perpetual Calendar watch specification

Price range: $76,000
Movement: AP 2120/2802, automatic, 355 parts, 38 jewels, 19,800 vph, 4.0 mm high, 28.4 mm in diameter
Complications: Perpetual calendar, date, leap year, month, day-of-month, moonphase
Power reserve: 60 hours
Case material: Rose gold
Bezel material: Rose gold
Case shape: Round
Transparent case back: Yes, sapphire crystal caseback
Case size: 41.0 mm
Case height: 9.15 mm
Dial: Silvered (Ref. 26390OR.OO.D088CR.02) or Chocolate brown (Ref. 26390OR.OO.D093CR.01)
Numerals: N/A
Hands: Rose gold
Strap: Hand-stitched, crocodile strap with square scales, 18-carat pink gold AP folding clasp
Crystal: Sapphire, anti-reflection coated
Water resistance: 20 meters