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Drawing inspiration from the clear night skies above the Vallée de Joux, generations of watchmakers at Audemars Piguet have developed increasingly complex mechanism to recreate astronomical cycles on their dials.
Since ancient times, the sun has been our daily timekeeper, while the moon, observable stars and constellations have been our calendars. The rotation of these celestial bodies has served as the basis for the development of timekeeping instruments. Over time, horological devices evolved from sundials and water clocks to highly complicated mechanical clocks and wearable watches. The perpetual calendar has captured the imagination of watchmakers for centuries, spurring them to develop ever-more complicated mechanisms to bring us closer to the universe and its cyclic rhythms.
A perpetual calendar integrates a mechanical memory - known as a cam - which reproduces four-year cycles. Automatically adjusting to the number of days each month (30 or 31), perpetual calendars also account for the shorter month of February, including during leap years! This complicated mechanism only requires manual adjustment once every hundred years.
Specialised in astronomical watches since 1875, Audemars Piguet continues to innovate pioneering perpetual calendars, blending technique with highly contemporary design. These complicated timepieces are fitted with a mechanical memory that maps time cycles of 48 months without the need of manual adjustment before the year 2100.
1882
Audemars Piguet presents its first Grande Complication, a pocket watch featuring a perpetual calendar, a minute repeater, and a split-second chronograph.
1956
Audemars Piguet creates the world's first wristwatch featuring a perpetual calendar with leap-year indication. This variation of the 5516 model is produced in 9 pieces sold between 1959 and 1969.
1978
Developed as a response to the watchmaking crisis, the Calibre 2120/2800 breaks the record as the world's thinnest automatic perpetual calendar (3.95mm). Its success paves the way for a revival of classic complications.
1984
The first Royal Oak perpetual calendar (reference 5554), is presented at the Basel Fair. A feat of engineering and Haute Horlogerie, its case is barely 7.5mm thick.
1996
Creation of Calibre 2885, a 648-component selfwinding movement combining a minute repeater, perpetual calendar and split-seconds chronograph. It has been used in Grande Complication wristwatches ever since.
2018
The Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin (RD#2) becomes the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch.
2023
The calendar functions of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Universelle are integrated onto a single level, combining the end-of-the-month cam with the date wheel and the month cam with the month wheel. It also features a large date and a year indication, all designed to be space-efficient.
2025
Presented in three 41 mm references, the Manufacture's new selfwinding perpetual calendar movement makes it possible to correct all functions via its "all-in-one" crown.
Calendar watches have evolved over time to capture the cycles of celestial bodies with a combination of small cams and gears. Among them, the perpetual calendar – one of the most complex in this category – is like a small mechanical computer on the wrist capable of keeping the date correct for an entire century. Perpetual calendars have marked the history of Audemars Piguet since 1875.
Sébastian Vivas
Heritage and Museum Director, Audemars Piguet
A moon phase indication tracks the lunar cycle, displaying the current phase of the moon as seen from Earth. The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Universelle is an example of a more realistic depiction of the moon's progression, combining innovation and artistry to accurately represent the transitional stages between the new and full moon.
Equation of time
The equation of time complication displays the difference between mean time (as shown) and true solar time, as indicated by the position of the sun. This difference arises because the Earth's orbit is elliptical, causing the length of the days to vary slightly. Only four days a year are 24 hours long (April 15, June 14, September 15 and December 24). The others are either longer or shorter by 14 to 16 minutes.
Sunrise and sunset
The sunrise-sunset complication shows the time at which the sun will rise or set in any given location, as determined by the wearer, who is required to input longitude and latitude via the crown The Jules Audemars Equation Of Time, introduced in 2000, was the first wristwatch to feature a sunrise-sunset complication.
Day and date
One of the most common complications is the date and/ or day display. This is acheived by a rotating ring or panel located under the dial. Some watches also indicate which month it is.
Audemars Piguet has rethought the perpetual calendar, which mechanically reproduces the movement of the celestial bodies, with ergonomics at its heart to adapt to evolving lifestyles and open up new technical and design avenues.
A new ergonomic perpetual calendar
Audemars Piguet has rethought the perpetual calendar, which mechanically reproduces the movement of the celestial bodies, with ergonomics at its heart to adapt to evolving lifestyles and open up new technical and design avenues.
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The first complication adopted by the Royal Oak was the calendar. Between 1983 and 1984, the famous octagonal watch was successively enriched with Day-Date, moon phase and perpetual calendar functions.
Read on AP ChroniclesAP Talks about Complications with Austen Chu
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