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Fine Time - Audemars Piguet
By
DRENCH Staff
MY BEZEL COURTESY OF AUDEMARS
"Partner Let me upgrade you/
Audemars Piguet you..."
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Interview with Gene Stone


Gene Stone (author of The Watch) is interviewed about the history of watches.



A Collection of Some of Our Favorite Audemars Piguet Watches



Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II (Rose Gold)
Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II (Rose Gold)
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Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II (Rose Gold)
26078RO.00.D001VS.01
Automatic
Gents
44mm
Leather Strap
$47,900 USD
Movement: Calibre 2326/2840, self-winding Cases: Grade 5 titanium, 18-carat gold or 950 platinum ; back adorned with a wheel-shaped 3D medallion carrying the inscriptions Royal Oak Offshore Limited Edition Rubens Barrichello and Rubens Barrichello’s logo ; water-resistant to 100 m Bezel, push-buttons and crown: Ceramics Dial: White, black or midnight blue, partially openworked to reveal the movement, with exclusive “Mega Tapisserie Racing” motif. On the titanium version: counter hands in the colours of the Brazilian flag (green, yellow and blue) Strap: “Anfibio” leather or crocodile leather with exclusive AP folding clasp Functions: Hours and minutes, small seconds, chronograph with central seconds hand, 30-minute and 12-hour counters, tachometric scale, date

Avant-garde technologies, the quest for performance, innovation and daring: the Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello chronograph is a vibrant tribute to these values. It represents the successful alliance between two prestigious worlds: Formula 1 motor-racing and Haute Horlogerie. Borrowing from automobile manufacturers the use of titanium, a material combining resistance, sturdiness and lightness, the watchmakers in Le Brassus have created an exceptional timekeeper belonging to the prestigious Royal Oak Offshore collection, dedicated to extreme sports.


Royal Oak Offshore Arnold's All-Stars Chronograph (RG)
Royal Oak Offshore Arnold's All-Stars Chronograph (RG)
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Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak Offshore Arnold's All-Stars Chronograph (RG)
26158OR.OO.A801CR.01
Automatic
Gents
48mm
Leather Strap
$52,200 USD
Limited edition of 350Movement Calibre: 3126/3840, selfwinding, 59 jewels, 365 parts Total diameter: 11,5 lignes (26 mm) Thickness: 7.16 mm Power reserve: up to 60 hours Cadence of the balance: 21,600 vibrations per hour Finishing: all parts decorated by hand; mainplate rhodium-plated, bevelled and stippled; bridges adorned with “côtes de Genève” motif Case 18-carat pink gold Diameter: 48 mm Thickness: 14.6 mm Water-resistance: 100 m Caseback engraved with the inscription Royal Oak Offshore Arnold’s All-Stars Limited Edition

Audemars Piguet has created the Royal Oak Offshore Arnold's All-Stars Chronograph as a tribute to Arnold Schwarzenegger's After-School All-Stars Foundation for middle-school children.


Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Jay-Z (Platinum)Jay-Z and François Bennahmias
Royal Oak Offshore Jay-Z (Platinum)
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Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak Offshore Jay-Z (Platinum)
26055PT.00.D001IN.01
Automatic
Gents
44mm
Leather Strap
$69,500 USD
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Jay-Z 10th Anniversary Limited Edition series will consist of 100 timepieces sold exclusively at the Company’s U.S. flagship boutique in New York City. Three versions will be made available as follows: 50 stainless steel ($23,500), 30 rose gold ($43,900), and 20 platinum ($69,500). Each timepiece will be engraved on the back with “Royal Oak Offshore Jay-Z 10th Anniversary” around the top and “Limited Edition” around the bottom finished off with Jay-Z’s signature on the case back’s center. Further distinguishing the Jay-Z 10th Anniversary Limited Edition from other models in the iconic Offshore series will be that the number 10 on the watch dial will be set in diamonds. Completing the overall look, platinum models will have royal blue crocodile straps while both the stainless steel and rose gold models will have elegant black crocodile straps.

Audemars Piguet’s François Bennahmias in explaining the partnership has said…“Jay-Z has been one of the artists leading hip-hop into becoming a premier global cultural phenomenon. He is already an icon of pop culture and an incredibly savvy businessman. He very much represents two of Audemars Piguet’s key values, innovation and daring, both in his music and in his personal style. He is someone who has the most discerning eye when it comes to design, and a keen level of appreciation for fine craftsmanship.”

Further commenting on his unique collaboration with Audemars Piguet, Jay-Z has said …"I chose to partner with Audemars Piguet based on the quality and integrity of the brand. Their standing and reputation in the watch world is what I've always tried to capture and maintain in the business & entertainment fields. It's a perfect marriage.”


Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O’Neal Chronograph (WG-Diamonds)Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O’Neal Chronograph (WG-Diamonds)
Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O’Neal Chronograph (WG-Diamonds)
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Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O’Neal Chronograph (WG-Diamonds)
26134BC.ZZ.A101CR.01
Automatic
Gents
48mm
Leather Strap
$71,000 USD
Limited edition of 96 Movement Calibre: 3126/3840, selfwinding, 59 jewels, 365 parts Diameter: 11,5 lignes (26 mm) Thickness: 7.15 mm Power reserve: up to 60 hours Cadence of the balance: 21,600 vibrations per hour Finishing: all parts decorated by hand; mainplate stippled; countersinks, angles and mouldings diamond-polished; bridges bevelled and snailed Case: 18-carat white gold featuring bezel set with 32 brilliant-cut diamonds Diameter: 48 mm Thickness: 14.6 mm Water-resistance: 100 m Caseback engraved with the Shaquille O’Neal logo and carrying the inscription Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O’Neal Limited Edition

The main peculiarity of the Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O'Neal Chronograph is its dial. The numbers “2”and “3”are intentionally inverted and done in red (Shaquille O’Neal jersey number in Miami Heat is 32). The dial of the timepiece is black with exclusive “Méga Tapisserie” guilloché motif. The hand-stitched strap of the timepiece is made of crocodile leather.

The box of the watch made of polished wood imitates a life-sized basket-ball. All proceeds from the sale of the Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O'Neal Chronograph will go to Shaquille O’Neal’s charity foundation.


Royal Oak Jeweled Chronograph (WG / Full Diamonds)
Royal Oak Jeweled Chronograph (WG / Full Diamonds)
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Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak Jeweled Chronograph (WG / Full Diamonds)
25978BC.Z.1190BC.01
Automatic
Gents
40mm
18kt White Gold and Diamonds Bracelet
$136,800 USD
White gold cased watch with diamond bezel and bracelet and dial and hour markers. Automatic movement caliber 2385. Hours, minutes, seconds, date, and chronograph functions.

Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Minute Repeater Tourbillon (Pink Gold)
Jules Audemars Minute Repeater Tourbillon (Pink Gold)
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Audemars Piguet
Jules Audemars Minute Repeater Tourbillon (Pink Gold)
26050OR.OO.D002CR.01
Hand Wound
Gents
43mm
Leather Strap
$310,500 USD
Hand wound caliber 2874 with tourbillon and minute repeater. 38 jewels and 665 pieces with a 48 hour power reserve. Chronograph with 30 minute counter.


Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tradition d'Excellence 4 (Platinum)Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tradition d'Excellence 4 (Platinum)
Royal Oak Tradition d'Excellence 4 (Platinum)
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Audemars Piguet
Royal Oak Tradition d'Excellence 4 (Platinum)
25969PT.00.1105PT.01
Hand Wound
Gents
39mm
Platinum Bracelet
$363,100 USD
Royal Oak Tourbillon with chronograph and 10-day power reserve in platinum. Calibre 2893 hand-wound mechanical movement. Guilloché dial with partially openworked ‘Grande Tapisserie’ motif, partial view of 2 barrels at 6 and 12 o’clock, power reserve and the seconds stopwork systems and the tourbillon at 9 o’clock. Double power reserve indication, chronograph with 30-minute counter with a new coupling lever carrying 2 titanium wheels to enhance precision when starting and stopping the chronograph hand.

Fine Time - Audemars Piguet

In 1875, Jules-Louis Audemars (1851-1918), in order to cope with orders for luxury calibres emanating from the great watchmaking houses in Geneva, became officially associated with his childhood friend, Edward-Auguste Piguet (1853-1919). He handled the technical management of the small company, while his associate took charge of sales and marketing aspects, traveling through many towns and subsequently continents to establish direct contact with connoisseurs.
The company prospered and developed, coming through World War I and the Great Depression without being unduly affected, thanks to the production of ladies'' wristwatches and ultra-thin models. When World War II ended, the Manufacture reorganized to create a more accessible line of watches. The repercussions of the watchmaking crisis in the 1970s were scarcely felt by the company, mainly because in 1972 it made the daring choice to launch the world''s first high-end sports watch in steel: the Royal Oak. The Manufacture currently employs a staff of 500 worldwide and is starting the new millennium on a resolutely confident note.
The first wristwatch with tourbillon and mechanical winding, the smallest self-winding watch with perpetual calendar, the Dual Time, the Ladies Minute Repeater Chiming watch… throughout its history, the Manufacture has introduced a succession of landmark records and world firsts. Driven by this same conquering spirit, it is still producing the world''s thinnest and most complex calibers.
Within its collections, Audemars Piguet offers the world''s broadest range of watch complications, along with prestigious Haute Joaillerie creations. Its experience in the field of complex watches make it a standard of reference in the highly select circle of Haute Horlogerie companies.
While collectors have always been acquainted with Audemars Piguet, it has become more familiar to the general public since 1972, the date of the creation of the famous Royal Oak which revolutionized the aesthetics of luxury watches.
Alongside this prestigious line are a series of collections that are classic like Jules Audemars, astonishing like the Millenary or ultra-feminine such as the Deva or the Promesse.
Audemars Piguet calibres are developed and assembled in the workshops of Le Brassus and since 1986 in its subsidiary, Audemars Piguet (Renaud et Papi) in Le Locle. The other subsidiary, Centror SA (Meyrin, Geneva) is devoted to crafting high-end watch cases.Worldwide distribution of Audemars Piguet watches is based on a network of subsidiaries in Germany, Switzerland, France and North America, as well as certain number of agents. Audemars Piguet boutiques and the boutiques under partnership contracts also ensure the brand's presence in the world's largest cities.
Resources:
www.audemarspiguet.com


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