WRITTEN BY DARON HALAJIAN
AP ENCHANTS THE WATCH WORLD YET AGAIN WITH DAZZLING DESIGNS
Audemars Piguet is the trailblazer and the trendsetter when it comes to luxury timepieces. The brand is synonymous with exquisite craftsmanship that is instantly recognizable. APs have a unique gravitational pull that makes the brand stand in its own class. The watchmaker’s exceptional quality and consistency shines through the atelier’s commitment to maintaining curated control over the entire watch making process. To this day, the company continues to remain independent and family owned.
Kicking off 2023, the watchmaker delights horology enthusiasts with a dazzling Royal Oak Selfwinding, featuring a marbled turquoise dial fitted with an 18-carat yellow gold case and bracelet. The intricate marble hues of the turquoise offset by the outstanding gold of the case and dial make this piece a masterful blend of bold and playful. The dial does exude a Tiffanylike inspired motif, but nevertheless stands on its own as a beautifully and intricately crafted display.
The iconic Royal Oak hands are coated with luminescent glow featuring yellow gold-applied hour indices. The stunning bracelet also features the robust AP folding clasp. This Royal Oak operates on the Calibre 5900 movement, offering a power reserve of 60 hours. The watch retails for approximately 61,500 USD.
The timepiece features a glare-proof sapphire crystal and caseback, measures 37 mm in diameter, is 9.1 mm thick and has a water resistance of 50 m.
Born in 1875 in Le Brassus, in the heart of Vallée de Joux, Audemars Piguet’s atelier is nestled in the lush plains surrounded by Jura Mountains of Geneva, Switzerland. The region is now known as a center for high-end watchmaking and is rich in iron ore deposits, which are extracted and used in the crafting of timepieces. The terrain also has abundant spring water and used to be home to several farms due to the arability of the land. Today watchmakers draw inspiration from the starry-night skies and the mountainous landscape.
AP STARWHEEL
Horology is an artform and the art of watchmaking allows for enthusiasts to express their emotions and personalities through pieces that are a testament to their individuality. True timepieces become a part of the life story of its wearer. Released in December of 2022, the Audemars Piguet Starwheel is for those who continue to look up to the stars and dream big
For this timepiece, AP teamed up with French artist Ugo Gattoni who transcended conventional design approaches to craft a superbly unique piece. This particular watch features what is referred to as a wandering time display. Invented in the 17th century, wandering hours are a type of horological sophistication that display hours using a system of satellites that gravitate along a minute scale arranged in the form of an arc. This aesthetic brings an undeniable mystique to the piece and to the art of telling time. After falling largely out of use in the 20th century, this system was picked up once more and reinvigorated by AP in 1991. Branded as the ‘Starwheel’, this uncommon mechanism equipped many models up until the early 2000s.
The celestial time display of this watch is realized through a central rotor fulfilling a complete revolution every three hours. Three fixed aluminum discs attached to the rotor turn on their own axes allowing for the movement to function. Each disc has four digits from 1 to 12 that take turns in pointing to the arched sector at the top of the dial on which the minute scale is printed. The 18-carat white gold hand is slightly curved at the tip to follow the relief of the discs, indicating the seconds like in a traditional timepiece. Blue aventurine (brownish glass containing sparkling particles of gold) serves as a glistening backdrop for the rotating discs, like planets in the tiny universe of the dial.
The watch features a 41 mm case with a dial intertwining 18-carat white gold with black ceramic. The dial features a double-curved sapphire crystal plunging the wearer into the dreamy night sky detailing the dial. The Code 11.59 Starwheel functions on a Calibre 4310 movement offering a 70-hour power reserve. The case measures at 32 mm in diameter with a 6.05 mm thickness. It retails for about 57,000 USD.
HAMILTON JAZZMASTER FACE 2 FACE III
Have you ever wanted to sport two watches at once? Are you perhaps looking for a chronograph with a unique twist? We at Preferred have found just the piece to jazz up your collection. Hamilton’s limited edition (999 pieces) Jazzmaster Face 2 Face III is a thrilling timepiece crafted for those enthusiasts looking for something that offers versatility and dashing style.
One of Hamilton’s most prominent complication watches, the Jazzmaster Face 2 Face III features a round, rotating 44 mm case with a patina-brown leather strap with blue stitching that accents the blue hues present in the dial. The exposed date window adds to the watches detailed character. This watch is most unique due to its flipping case that has two distinct dials- one a time-telling face sporting chronograph functions, and the other featuring measurement scales and an exhibition movement. Three overlapping chronograph counters keep track of elapsed hours, minutes and seconds while the outer ring displays the time. Flip the case to the second dial and you have the H-41 automatic movement featuring 60 hours of power reserve. It also features a tachymeter and pulsometer, so that you can track speed and heartbeats per minute.
The Hamilton atelier traces its roots back to 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where its factory was based for the company’s first 111 years. Hamilton made its name during the early days of American railroads. The company supplied accurate timepieces to assist in the development of American infrastructure, contributing to increased efficiency and the reduction of accidents on tracks being built to connect the industrializing nation.
In 1918, with the development of aviation, Hamilton rose to the skies to record time at new heights, ensuring the U.S Airmail Service was on time. Since then, Hamilton has been synonymous with aviation.
It will be of particular interest to our readers that since 1974, Hamilton has been a part of the Swatch Group, and in 2003 the company moved its headquarters and production to the horology hub in Biel, Switzerland.
The Jazzmaster Face 2 Face III has a 44 mm case size, 22 mm lug width, a silver dial with sapphire crystal in a stainless steel case. The leather strap is fixed with a 20 mm folding clasp buckle and is Swiss-made certified. It retails for about 4,000 CAD.