2025 marks the 150th anniversary of Audemars Piguet’s founding. The Le Brassus, Switzerland-based brand has been family owned and run throughout its storied history, safeguarding its reputation as one of the world’s very top watchmakers. It’s no wonder, then, that the brand is celebrating its 150th year by introducing exceptional new timepieces, including a trio of watches equipped with a new perpetual calendar movement.
A New Movement for a New Chapter
The new self-winding caliber 7138 allows the watch’s functions to be set by a single “all in one” crown. “Astronomical watches have shaped Audemars Piguet’s world since 1875,” Chief Executive Officer Ilaria Resta said in a statement.
“To celebrate 150 years of remarkable craftsmanship and innovation, our watchmakers and engineers have put the user and their experience at the forefront of their agenda to create a new perpetual calendar that is both intuitive and easy to use. To this end, they invented a one-of-a-kind system that makes all corrections possible only using the crown – a true mechanical breakthrough that required the complete redesign of the movement. The magic lies in the watch’s seamless blend of technical complexity and simplicity of use.”
Enhanced Legibility
The magic also lies in the skills of Audemars Piguet’s master watchmakers. In addition to the single-crown operation, the brand has improved the legibility of the perpetual calendar by rearranging the dial and subdials. The watch’s moon phase remains at 6 o’clock, consistent with previous models, but the full moon is now centered at the top (12 o’clock axis) of the subdial to enhance the dial’s design harmony.
The new self-winding caliber 7138 has all of its perpetual calendar functions on one layer within the movement, a patented design that made its debut in 2018 in the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin RD#2. The movement stands at just 4.1mm high, allowing for a slimmer fit on the wrist, and has a minimum of 55 hours of power reserve.
Three New Timepieces
The new perpetual calendar will be offered in the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet in a 41mm white gold case. Two new 41mm Royal Oaks will feature the new movement, one in steel and the other in 18-karat sand gold. Three additional anniversary limited edition watches will be produced in a series of just 150 pieces.
“Calibre 7138 represents a major innovation in the design of perpetual calendars,” Research and Development Director Lucas Raggi said in a statement. “By placing ergonomics at the heart of our research and development, we have created a unique correction mechanism that allows all adjustments to be made via the crown. In addition to making this high complication easy to use, we also worked on the overall aesthetics to combine high legibility with timeless refinement.”
Audemars Piguet’s 150th Anniversary promises to be a banner year for new timepieces. What will the brand introduce next? Stay tuned.