Presented in January 2011 at the annual SIHH 2011 show, the Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Selfwinding (Ref. 15170OR.OO.A088CR.01) combines the time-proven automatic movement with the 2011 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-millimeter 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 their in-house calibers, the movement is made at AP’s 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 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 Openworked Royal Oak (ref. 15305OR.O0.D088CR.01) (this particular version of the movement was renamed as cal. 3129) and Jules Audemars Chronograph Automatic that was released back in 2008.
Of course, the movement is meticulously decorated with its bridges beveled 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-karat gold and is adorned with the Audemars and Piguet family crests and the AP monogram.
Storing enough energy to power the Jules Audemars 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 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) specification
Price: $21,600 / €16,800 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, AP Caliber 3120, in-house, 36 jewels, 21,600 vph, Swiss Made
Movement decoration: Beveled and polished bridges with Cotes de Geneve motif; circular-grained mainplate; 22-karat 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: Rose gold
Shape: Round
Size: 39.00 mm
Case height: 9.00 mm
Dial: Silvered
Hands: Rose gold
Water resistance: 20 meters
Strap: Leather with pin buckle
Crystal: Sapphire
Back: Sapphire
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Bought my first mechanical watch in 1986 and it took me ten more years to realize that I have a problem: at some point in time watches became my passion. Well, it could be worse.