"Everyone is aware of the revolution that design went through between the 1970s and the early 2000s. In fact, creative expressions related to case shape and dial design have characterised every decade of our history. For [Re]master01, we chose to explore the strength and elegance of one of our 1943 wrist chronographs from the perspective of 2020. This is not a historical re-edition - it is a contemporary reinterpretation of one of our past creations," said Michael Friedman, Head of Complications at Audemars Piguet. Audemars Piguet's newly released automatic chronograph thus brings the aesthetics of the past into the present. Like a remastered recording from the 1940s, the [Re]master01 automatic chronograph reinterprets one of Audemars Piguet's rarest wrist chronographs, with the Manufacture's most advanced technology and a dial design that enhances readability. Audemars Piguet's vintage wrist chronographs are among the rarest watches in the world, with only 307 examples produced between the 1930s and the late 1950s. This first reinterpretation of the past brings attention to the creativity of the Manufacture that sprang up during the tumultuous and transitory historical period of the Second World War. A limited edition of 500 pieces, it evokes the highly distinctive design features of the original 1943 wrist chronograph, with its pink gold and steel case enhanced by a champagne-coloured dial. Combining mid-20th century design with contemporary watchmaking technology, the new [Re]master01 perfectly expresses the marriage of heritage and vision that has always characterised Audemars Piguet's timepieces. Faithful to the original design of the pre-model 1533 of 1943, the [Re]master01 adopts a round case and steel lugs, highlighted by an 18-carat rose gold bezel and bevelled pushers. The drop-shaped lugs emphasise the harmonious curve of the two-tone case, while the extremely slim bezel offers an unobstructed view of the dial details. The case has been carefully hand-polished and its two-tone polished appearance is enhanced by a gold-coloured satin-finished dial with black transferred hour, minute and seconds hands in rose gold, chronograph hands and blue transferred tachymeter scale. Although the dial design has retained the classic features of the original timepiece and the Art Deco-inspired numerals, the watch's larger diameter of 40 mm ensures better legibility. The seconds counters have also been revised to be more legible. Yet, the [Re]master01 ingeniously retained the original watch's 4/5 display above the 15-minute indicator inside the 30-minute counter at 9 o'clock to allow up to 45 minutes to be recorded. This function was requested by a third-generation member of one of the founding families, Jacques-Louis Audemars (1910 - 2003), to indulge his passion for football and to indicate the first half of the game of his favourite sport. The hand-stitched light brown calfskin strap adds a touch of elegance. The watch also features an additional dark brown alligator strap. In addition, bringing the past into the present, the [Re]master01 is equipped with the Manufacture's latest-generation automatic chronograph mechanism: an integrated column-wheel chronograph with flyback function. In contrast to the original 1943 wristwatch, the [Re]master01 features an anti-reflective sapphire crystal back that reveals the beauty of the chronograph mechanism and the 22-carat rose gold oscillating weight matching the bezel. The oscillating weight is satin-finished and decorated with "Clous de Paris" - a traditional decoration technique used by Audemars Piguet since the 1950s. Similar to the 1943 watch, the [Re]master01 bears the signature 'Audemars Piguet & Co Genève' on the dial. From around 1885 until the mid-1970s, the Audemars Piguet brand owned a workshop in Geneva in order to be closer to its customers and to facilitate distribution within Europe and beyond. When Audemars Piguet started signing its watches in the early 20th century, the city of Geneva was frequently mentioned on the dial. Each Audemars Piguet watch was produced as a one-off until 1951. The Manufacture's vintage wrist chronographs are among the rarest watches in the world today. This sports function began to appear on Audemars Piguet wristwatches in the 1930s, at a time when performance measurement had become an integral part of society. During World War II, when the pre-model 1533 was made, wrist chronographs accounted for less than one-tenth of the company's total watch production. In 1943, only three steel and gold wrist chronographs with the current case design were sold. The 36 mm diameter of the watch was quite impressive for the time, when most wrist chronographs usually measured between 31 and 34 mm. Decidedly contemporary for its time, the pre-model 1533 thus epitomises Audemars Piguet's relentless pursuit of technical mastery and artistic excellence.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
[Re]master01 Audemars Piguet Automatic Chronograph 40 mm
Ref. 26595SR.OO.A032VE.01
FUNCTIONS
Chronograph with flyback, hours, minutes and small seconds.
CASH
Steel case and lugs, 18-carat rose gold bezel, crown and pushers, anti-reflective sapphire crystal and back, water-resistant to 20 m.
QUADRANT
Yellow gold dial, blue tachymeter scale, pink gold minute, second and hour hands, blue chronograph hands.
BELT
Hand-sewn light brown calfskin strap with steel buckle. Additional dark brown alligator strap.
MOVEMENT SPECIFICATIONS
Self-winding Manufacture Calibre 4409
Total diameter: 32 mm (14 lines).
Total thickness: 6.82 mm.
Number of components: 349.
Number of rubies: 40.
Minimum guaranteed power reserve: 70 hours.
Balance frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour.
