Over the last few years, vintage-reissues have been all the rage. It’s always pleasing to see watchmakers looking towards the past for some much-needed inspiration. Today, Audemars Piguet proudly unveils the new [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph 40 mm – a timepiece that is so much more than just a simple reissue. In the words of Michael Friedman, Audemars Piguet’s Head of Complications, “it is a contemporary remastering of one of our past creations”.
Capturing the exuberant spirit of a rare 1943 chronograph wristwatch, this 500 piece limited edition is bound to appeal to history enthusiasts. The [Re]master01 features a polished two-tone round case and tear drop lugs in stainless steel, enhanced by a bezel, olive shaped pushers and chamfered crown in 18-carat pink gold. All of this combined with that royal satin-brushed gold-toned dial enriched with black transferred hour-markers, pink gold hour, minute and seconds hands, blue chronograph hands and a blue transferred tachymetric scale – make for a gorgeous vintage veneer. Finishing things off is the old school “Audemars Piguet & Co Genève” logo / text located just below 12 o clock. From around 1885 to the mid 1970s, Audemars Piguet had a workshop in Geneva to be closer to end clients and facilitate distribution within Europe and beyond. When Audemars Piguet started to sign its watches in the early 20th century, the city of Geneva was frequently mentioned on the dial.
Although the dial design has retained the original timepiece’s classic features and Art Deco-inspired numerals, the watch’s enlarged 40 mm diameter ensures better legibility fit for a contemporary use. The chronograph counters have also been rearranged for improved readability. Yet, [Re]master01 has subtly kept the original watch’s 4/5 indication above the 15 minutes mark inside the 30-minutes counter at 9 o’clock to allow the wearer to record up to 45 minutes. This indication was requested by Audemars Piguet’s third-generation family-founder Jacques-Louis Audemars (1910 – 2003) to satisfy his taste for soccer and indicate his favourite sport’s half time.
Inside the [Re]master01 is a blissfully modern selfwinding movement (Calibre 4409): an integrated chronograph with column wheel and flyback function with an impressive power reserve of 70 hours. Contrary to the original wristwatch of 1943, [Re]master01 features a glareproofed sapphire crystal caseback which reveals the beauty of the chronograph mechanism and the dedicated 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight matching the bezel. The oscillating weight is satin-brushed and decorated with “Clous de Paris” — a traditional decoration technique used since the 1950s at Audemars Piguet.
The light brown hand-stitched calfskin strap adds an elegant touch and the watch also comes with an additional dark brown alligator strap.