Audemars Piguet

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SIHH 2011: my top 4 from AP !

I was warmly welcome by the AP staff the last day of the SIHH but due to a very busy activity inside the booth, I was not able to see all the watches. But good news are that I could handle and shoot my fav ones amongst the 2011 novelties.

Without any doubt, 2011 is a sort of turning point for AP for two reasons. First reason is the will to present a more ambitious Jules Audemars collection. Is it the observation that the share of the RO & ROO collections is too high in the sales figures and that this could lead to a risky situation? Is it the will to propose watches dedicated to markets which look for thin and elegant watches ? I don't know but I consider this new ambition  with a very positive feeling.

Second reason is, at least, the unveiling of a beautiful Millenary. It is not the first time we see a beautiful Millenary. But it is the first time we see a beautiful and simple and "affordable" Millenary. In a few words: I'm very happy to see that AP has taken advantage of the Millenary case.

So, let's browse 4 new watches.

First one is this superb Jules Audemars Moon-Phase calendar. Of course, we recognize the dial layout (day - date) we saw last year with a Royal Oak case. But there is a little surprise: the addition of a Moon-Phase subdial.





I love this watch: it is very elegant, very clasic, simple and very balanced. The size is perfect for this type of watch (39mm) and the discrete golden rings around the subdials give a very refined touch. The contrast between the pink gold hands and the silver dial is beautiful. Movement is based on the 2324 with the addition of the 2825 module. Thanks to the use of the 2324, the thickness of the case (8,8mm) has to be underlined. Power reserve of the movement is 40 hours.









Beauty on the wrist:





Please note that this Jules Audemars is available only with a PG case.

Let's stay inside the Jules Audemars collection with the Dual Time.





If you haven't understood yet that this year, the Dual Time or WT complications are a main trend, it is because you live in a cavern ;-). So, it was really not a surprise to discover this watch. OK, ok, we already saw this dial layout with the Royal Oak presented in 2006 but well... it works perfectly with the Jules Audemars case. We have here a similar caliber base with the 2329 than the one used by Moon-Phase calendar and the module is the 2846. Power reserve is 38 hours. Case is larger than the other Jules Audemars (41mm vs 39mm) and a bit thicker (9,25mm vs 8,8mm).





Several references are available: PG, silver dial, PG, black dial, WG, silver dial.









A very nice watch even if I prefer the Moon-Phase calendar.

Let's enter the Millenary collection now with 2 novelties.

I propose to start with the most complicated one with the Minute Repeater. This Minute Repeater is LE of 8 watches and features a double-balance spring and the AP escapement known for the no lubrification of the pallet-stones. And... due to the Millenary case, the striking gongs have an oval shape. I can't tell you if it improves the sound quality but this is quite original. The watch has three barrels: two dedicated to the main movement which allow to get a power reserve of 165 hours. Third one is of course used by the striking mechanism.





To improve the quality of sound, AP took the decision to use a titanium case. The layout of the 2910 movement was designed to display the hammers and the escapement & balance wheel dial side. Thus, the back of the watch looks a bit... sad. After all, that's not a trouble, we don't need to turn over the watch to appreciate the show of the hammers. The case dimension is 47x42mm, big but not bulky.





An impressive watch and an original way to display this prestigious complication.









I have to tell you why I decided to present you the Minute Repeater first. Because its 3D dial, the feeling of depth it gives, the way the dial is organized make us think that only the high end Millenary are worth the trip. We are wrong now ! Because hopefully, AP presented during the SIHH the 4101 !





The 4101 is in a few word, the Millenary that should have existed since the beginning of the collection: it fully takes advantage of the case which has the same dimension than the Minute Repeater one (47x42mm) even if it is, of course,  thinner (13mm vs 15,79mm). The caliber construction is similar to the one used by the complicated Millenary: it is a true 3D design and the balance and escapement are located dial side.





This changes a lot of things: I found before the entry level of the Millenary collection sad, without any interest to be frank with you. This 4101 is one of the most attractive watches I've seen during these last years. Power reserve of the movement is 60 hours and, due to its construction, the back looks a bit empty despite the presence of the rotor. But what a superb dial ! Believe me, this watch looks like a much more expensive Millenary and I'm sure that the SS version will be very sucessful. Finishings are flawless and I really like the way the balance bridge of the PG version is highlighted. For me, this Millenary, available in SS and in PG, is one of my 3 top watches of the 2011 SIHH. At the end, the only issue I find in this watch is the rather complicated way to read the time due to the hours scale on the dial. But once you are used with it, it is ok.

SS:









PG, look how the balance bridge is enhanced:








A similar lay-out between the two Millenary:







My report is over now. So you will say that a lot of novelties are missing like the new Offshore chronograph or the Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph. I'm sorry about this but be sure that the AP team did its best to present me all the watches available. As I said at the beginning, that was not a main trouble for me because these 4 watches are my 2011 selection from AP.

Thanks again to the AP team for the warm welcome and for the time they spent with me!

Fr.Xavier

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