BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
It’s funny just how many watch brands started in a year that’s a multiple of five. I can think of no fewer than seven watch brands marking some kind of anniversary in 2025, which means we’re in for a downpour of special edition watches marking the occasions. One of the first up to the mark is Audemars Piguet; they’re marking 150 years of the brand and are doing so with a slew of new timepieces.
Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
We come to the first of the new watches, two additions to the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar models with the references 26674ST and 26674SG. The letters represent their materials, with the ST being made from stainless steel with a matching bracelet and SG standing for Sand Gold, which is an alloy unique to the brand. Both watches measure 41mm x 9.5mm, feature 50m of water resistance, and come with tapisserie guilloché dials synonymous with the look.
Both watches come equipped with the impressive new calibre 7138, the main specs of this movement are the 55-hour power reserve and 4Hz beat rate. However, these don’t reflect the level of work which went into the 7138, they’re only half the story. Audemars Piguet says that they were awarded five patents for the new movement which, for the very first time for them, features a perpetual calendar which is set entirely through the crown.
If that’s got you perplexed, allow me to elaborate. Nearly all watches have their time (and date, if present) set through the crown. The exception to this norm is when a calendar function is fitted they tend to have dedicated pushers recessed into the case. The calibre 7138 does away with this and allows you to set the entire movement through the crown. When you pull the crown out to the first position, you set the date and month; pulling it out once more sets the time and, weirdly, when you push the crown in one, it then sets the week indicator and the moonphase display. It’s convenient, but it seems reliant on the crown not being too fiddly, which they often are.
These new Royal Oak models will cost CHF109,300 in stainless steel and CHF130,000 in sand gold. Both watches also have a limited edition version which comes with cursive script forming the Audemars Piguet logo. Those versions are limited to 150 examples each.
There is also the reference 26585XT available which takes its design inspiration from a 1990s Audemars Piguet pocket watch shaped like the octagonal Royal Oak case. The watch is 41mm x 9.9mm and features a titanium bracelet and caseband. The caseback and polished bezel are made from Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG). I believe this is the first use of BMG on a mainstream wristwatch outside of Panerai and their Submersible BMG-TECH PAM02692. Perhaps more strange is the calibre, as the calibre 5135 inside the watch is the skeletonised version of the calibre 5134, which is the outgoing movement the calibre 7138 in the other watches replaces. That means you must set the perpetual calendar the old-fashioned way with the tiny pushers. This one is limited to 150 examples at a price of CHF175,000.
Code 11:59 by Audemars Piguet
Yes, it’s a silly name, we know, but it looks tremendous. The Code 11:59 is back in a few variants; perhaps the most notable is the Perpetual Calendar reference 2649BC, which comes with a 41mm x 10.6mm 18k white gold case with 30m of water resistance. The watch also comes with a ‘smoked blue’ dial, but perhaps again the most important detail is that it also contains the new calibre 7138. This version costs CHF109,300 and also comes with a 150th-anniversary edition that has a cursive script for the Audemars Piguet logo.
Other additions to the Code 11:59 range include a stainless steel three-handed model and a chronograph version with a grey dial and grey strap. They have the references 15210ST for the three-hander and the 26393ST for the chronograph. The three-hander has the calibre 4302 inside, with a 70-hour power reserve and a 4Hz beat rate.
The chronograph features the calibre 4401 calibre, which also has a 70-hour power reserve and a 4Hz beat rate. The prices for these models are CHF26,100 and CHF36,000.
There is also an 18k white gold chronograph model available too, it comes with a ‘Tuscan Blue’ dial and centre caseband; the reference for that is 26439NB. This one also has the calibre 4401 like the steel version. The retail price is CHF85,600. Weirdly, it’s not a special edition per se, but the US market will get it two months ahead of everywhere else.
There is also the new Code 11:59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon reference 26665SG, an 18k Sand Gold version of the watch with a case and folding clasp set with 277 diamonds. It features a Sand Gold-coloured dial with a flying tourbillon set at 6 O’clock. Inside it is the calibre 2968 which features a 50-hour power reserve with a 3Hz beat rate. The price is CHF149,000.
Royal Oak Offshore
The final model is a ceramic Royal Oak Offshore with the reference 26238CE. As well as a ceramic case, this one also features a ceramic bracelet, which has become a hallmark for some of Audemars Piguet’s most interesting watches. With a 42mm case and 100m of water resistance this new model is ready to take on the world, and the self-winding calibre 4404 features a flyback chronograph, a 4Hz beat rate and a 70-hour power reserve. The price of this model is CHF75,700.
I believe we’ve covered all of the main watches from Audemars Piguet now. It’s rare for a brand of their calibre (pun definitely intended) to unveil so many watches in one go, I wonder if they’ve got other things lined up for the year?
