The greatness of small things: Audemars Piguet feminizes its most exceptional calendar

The sun has been our daily clock since ancient times, and the moon, stars, and constellations, our calendar. Observing its rotation laid the foundation for the development of time-measuring instruments, and thus, guided by celestial bodies, the first sundials and water clocks appeared, followed by mechanical clocks and, over the centuries, the extremely complicated pieces that are perpetual calendars. This has been, above tourbillons and other devices, the great obsession of watchmakers throughout time, and especially that of the masters at Audemars Piguet, who since 1875 have worked intensively on complications to bring us closer to the universe and its cyclical rhythms.

“Calendar watches have evolved over time to capture the cycles of celestial bodies with a combination of tiny cams and gears, and the perpetual calendar is one of the most complex in this category,” explains Sébastian Vivas, Director of Heritage and Museum at Audemars Piguet, who recalls that “it’s like a small mechanical computer on your wrist capable of indicating the correct date for an entire century.” A century!

Now, the Swiss watchmaker that has made Mark Ronson and Raye, Bad Bunny and Rosalía sing, and that has captivated visual artists, soccer players, and collectors alike, has just launched its ultimate success. Continuing its 150th anniversary celebrations, it is unveiling three new, scaled-down perpetual calendar models within the Royal Oak and Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collections. Following the launch earlier this year of three astronomical references that redefined ergonomic standards, these latest models feature this poetic complication for the first time in a 38 mm diameter.

Equipped with the new caliber 7136 and the recently introduced caliber 7138, both protected by five patents, they are available in 18-carat rose gold or stainless steel. This is, explains Lucas Raggi, the manufacturer's director of research and development, a way to "share the passion for watchmaking with as many people as possible, regardless of age or gender." And it confirms the recent trend toward slimming down watches and further complicating complications, as mechanisms must adapt to smaller environments. A further challenge successfully met with the calibers 7136 and 7138 integrated into the new 38 mm cases. This is the ultimate, as the mechanisms are based on the patented innovations of caliber 5133, launched in 2018 in the Royal Oak Automatic Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin RD, the watch that revolutionized the industry by integrating all perpetual calendar functions into a single level within the movement. With control, everything, concentrated in the crown.