Swiss Watches
Presented in January, 2011 at the annual SIHH industry event, the new Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Selfwinding (Ref. 15170OR.OO.A088CR.01) wrist watch combines the time-proven automatic movement with the lineup’s refreshed style.
As you can see, the refreshed model now comes in the same elegant round shape as the rest of the series.
Being only 39.00 mm in diameter (it can be considered small by today’s standards, when 45 mm watches are often referred to as “mid-sized”) and 9.00 mm in height, the case still leaves enough space for the AP Caliber 3120 automatic movement to feel perfectly at home here. Like the rest of in-house calibers of the famous Swiss brand, the movement is made at AP’s own production facilities with only a few minor components (like pinions and wheels) outsourced to third-party manufacturers.
Although I’ve heard complaints about the mechanism being not terribly reliable with some specimen having troubles change date or stopping for some reason only to start working in a day or two like there was something stuck in the going train, most of those woes dated to the first couple of years since the mechanism’s introduction and I assume that initial problems with quality and inherent design flaws were ironed out by now.
I mean, Audemars Piguet is quite proud about the caliber using it as a base even for their Royal Oak collection of ruggedized chronographs -with an in-house chrono add-on module, of course- including the gorgeous Audemars Piguet Openworked Self-Winding Royal Oak (ref. 15305OR.O0.D088CR.01) (this particular version of the movement was renamed as cal. 3129) and Jules Audemars Automatic Chronograph watch that was released back in 2008.
Of course, the movement is meticulously decorated with its bridges bevelled and polished and decorated with Cotes de Geneve motif.
The mainplate, which is not stamped, but milled out of a block of metal, is circular grained. As usual, the winding rotor is made of 22-carat gold and is adorned with the Audemars and Piguet family crests and the AP monogram.
Storing enough energy to power the watch for up to 60 hours of total immobility, the movement also features a stop seconds function (the second hand automatically stops when the time is being set) and an instant date jump function that also looks very nice.
The dial is highly legible thanks to the black minute track and baton-shaped hour markers made of rose gold. As usual, no lume here, but this is probably only for the best: it is a gentleman’s watch after all.
See also: Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Moon-Phase Calendar (Ref. 26385OR.OO.A088CR.01)
Photos: Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Selfwinding (Ref. 15170OR.OO.A088CR.01) automatic watch specification
Price: $21,600 / €16,800 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, AP Caliber 3120, in-house, 36 jewels, 21,600 vph, Swiss Made
Movement decoration: Bevelled and polished bridges with Cotes de Geneve motif; circular-grained mainplate; 22-carat rose gold winding rotor is adorned with the Audemars and Piguet family crests and the AP monogram
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, instant date
Power reserve: 60 hours
Case material: Rose gold
Bezel material: Rose gold
Case shape: Round
Bezel shape: Round
Case size: 39.00 mm
Lug width: No data
Case height: 9.00 mm
Dial: Silvered
Numerals: None
Hands: Rose gold
Water resistance: 20 meters
Strap: Leather with pin buckle
Crystal: Sapphire
Case back: Sapphire