Lot 210

Audemars Piguet

Quantième Perpétuel Automatique Tuscan

An extremely rare, very attractive neo-vintage platinum Geneva wristwatch with perpetual calendar, moon phase and blue textured "tuscan" dial

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Five remarkable people – Georges Golay, who was at the time CEO of Audemars Piguet, Jacqueline Dimier, Michel Rochat, Jean-Daniel Golay and Wilfred Berney – were behind the ambitious project of creating a perpetual calendar, to ensure AP’s survival during the quartz crisis.
The "Quantième Perpétuel Automatique" reference 5548 was launched in 1977 to make the fans of quartz watches appreciate the capabilities of mechanical timepieces. A case the size of a quartz watch housed a mechanical masterpiece with the power to display each and every calendar function on a permanent basis. The "Quantième Perpétuel Automatique" represented one of the greatest horological innovations of its time. The ultra-flat 3.95 mm profile was achieved by updating calibre 2120 dating from 1967.
In 1982 the successor reference 25657 came on the market (from 1984 on, AP preceded all of their references with a "2", thus making 5548 into 25548). As far as we know, only 1821 examples of reference 25657 had been produced by 1993, with yellow gold dominating the production with 1309 pieces. 128 platinum models were made. It is nearly identical to its predecessor reference 25548, with the only difference being the sunk subdials. Model 25657 also inspired a range of very distinctive dial designs.
One of those is the so-called "Tuscan dial" in a deep blue colour with a hand-wrought surface showing many delicate and shimmering little craters, while the sunk subdials were ornamented with a fine guilloche pattern. The contrast creates a beautiful visual effect. The origin of the name "Tuscan Dial" is unknown, with a possible explanation being that from the 1970s to the 1990s Italy with its beautiful landscapes and blue national teams was a key market for Audemars Piguet.
In addition to its exciting finish, the dial also features the typical displays of the perpetual calendar, such as day of the week, date, month and moon phase. The watch sits in a 36 mm case with a traditional stepped bezel and short downturned lugs. The case has a height of only 8 mm. The perpetual calendar is powered by the celebrated Audemars Piguet automatic calibre 2120, with 38 jewels, straight lever escapement and 21 K gold rotor. The movement is based on Jaeger LeCoultre’s legendary ultra-flat calibre 920, which was shared by AP, Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe and other brands.
The AP "Tuscan Dial" is a magnificent blend of beauty, technology and exclusivity, in short - a true masterpiece to excite collectors and connoisseurs of fine watches alike.