WATCHES

Audemars Piguet’s [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph re-creates a little-known 1940s classic from the archives of one of watchmaking’s most famous marques, writes JUSTIN NG

Audemars Piguet

Festooned with archival references from the 1940s, Audemars Piguet’s [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph is a contemporary homage to the aesthetics of a decade more usually associated with the Second World War. Preceded by the Art Deco movement and the gradual discontinuation of the mono-pusher chronograph, ’40s watches were often born out of necessity as military equipment – and inevitably the chronograph, with its ability to measure time and speed, was much in demand.

However, not all watches were made for tPe war e ٺ ort ;ome were created Nor tPe sake of a spiritual escape – and Audemars Piguet’s Ref 1533, on which the [Re] master01 Selfwinding Chronograph is based, was one such example. As only 307 were produced between the ’30s and the’50s, it’s also one of the company’s most sought-after vintage chronographs. At the time, Audemars Piguet didn’t produce watches in anything like the numbers it does today: until 1951, every watch it made was unique, which explains why information about each timepiece is hard to come by (and, more often than not, is accompanied by tales of past owners as an intriguing backstory).

Details of these vintage Audemars Piguet chronographs can be so scant that to discover more about them we must wait for their sporadic appearances in auction-house catalogues. On November 7, 2015, a 1941-vintage, pink-gold and stainless-steelencased Ref 1533 with rosé champagne dial went under the hammer at Philips in Geneva for 305,000 Swiss francs (roughly HK$2.45 million at current exchange rates). It’s said that only three Ref 1533 pieces in stainless steel and gold were made in that year – they were subsequently sold in 1943. It was originally estimated at 100,000-150,000 francs, though the eventual sale price seems reasonable for a watch of such rarity and prestige.

During the war, when the Ref 1533 was made, chronograph wristwatches accounted for a little under one-tenth of Audemars’ total output. The 36mm dual-tone case was considered larger than average, especially when its peers measured between 31mm and 34mm. Today, however, 36mm is deemed too small for chronographs.

“There were many inspiring watches within our heritage collection that could have been the basis for this remastering project,” says Michael Friedman, Audemars Piguet’s head of complications, on the company’s decision to recapture the spirit of the Ref 1533. “The entire team unanimously decided on this chronograph wristwatcP Jeca]se oN tPe specific aestPetic and emotional connections we all felt for this echo of the past.”

Examining the Audemars Piguet [Re] master01 Selfwinding Chronograph, it’s apparent that the DNA of the Ref 1533 is well preserved, despite it not being a “historic reissue” – Friedman says that the [Re] master01 Selfwinding Chronograph “is a contemporary remastering of one of our past creationsº

The new watch has also inherited the Ref 1533’s 4/5 indication, which sits above the

15-minute marker inside the 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock, allowing the wearer to record up to 45 minutes. This idiosyncrasy can be attributed to Jacques-Louis Audemars (1910-2003), whose favourite sport was football: the 45th minute indicates half time.

While the original dial design, including Art Deco-inspired fonts and the Audemars Piguet & Co Genève signature, has been retained, the layout of the sub-dials has been altered and the case enlarged to 40mm to improve legibility, as well as to house an automatic integrated chronograph movement witP col]mn wPeel AEyJacS N]nction and hours of power. The original Ref 1533 is manually wound, as the automatic chronograph movement wasn’t invented until 1969.

The [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph’s calibre 4409 is revealed through a transparent caseback – unlike the Ref 1533, which has a closed caseback. The mo^ement is fitted witP a S pinS Oold rotor with Clous de Paris motif. Paired with a light-brown hand-stitched calfskin strap to accentuate the soft, elegant colours of the watch, the [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph is also shipped with a dark brown alligator strap for a stately presence and is limited to 500 pieces.