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Introducing the new Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar calibre 7138 collection

AP has ditched the pushers and stylus for a new perpetual calendar movement. luxury replica watches

Last year, AP said goodbye to one of its most historic movements. In 1978, Calibre 2120/2800 was announced as the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar. It became the basis for all AP QPs, and the movement was modified and improved over 46 years until it became the penultimate movement as Calibre 5134 in the John Mayer Limited Edition Royal Oak. But the perpetual calendar is AP’s most iconic complication, so there was no doubt they would introduce something new. That day has finally arrived.

Today’s newly released Royal Oaks and Code 11.59 are equipped with the new Calibre 7138 perpetual calendar movement, which is a huge leap for AP. The new Caliber 7138 brings several new achievements to the brand, but the most notable impact is that the entire movement is now fully adjustable via the crown — no more mysterious buttons, no more missing styluses.

As Ben wrote last week, one of the biggest pain points with most perpetual calendar watches (except for brands like IWC or Moser) is that adjusting the calendar function usually requires pressing one or more small correction "buttons" that are usually located on the base band. Yes, that's just a generalization. But in general, it's annoying.

You have to find a little styl

us, pin pusher, or fountain pen, sit down and click for a few minutes, and hope that everything lines up correctly (moon phases are the most annoying — is it full or new?) without scratching your case. And all while remembering what each little button does. replica watches review

As someone said in the comments on this story, pressing the right buttons in the right order is almost like trying to remember the Konami code (up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start — in case you forget) to get your "smart mechanical" watch to function as it's supposed to. With IWC’s crown adjustment, if you’re past the date (or worse, the year), you can’t go back. You have to let your watch sit or send it to IWC for adjustment. AP has fixed that problem and then some.

AP, of course, has introduced the Caliber 7138 in two of its main collections: the Royal Oak (obviously), which includes a pair of 41mm x 9.4mm steel watches with blue dials and one in aventurine with a matching dial, and the Code 11.59, which comes in a 41mm x 10.6mm white gold case.

I spent two days wearing, fiddling with, and living with these watches earlier this year, so let’s examine them, starting with the biggest changes. Movement-wise, there are obviously some changes compared to the previous generation 2120/2800-based Caliber 5134. The new Caliber 7138 is based on an update of the 7121 introduced for the “Jumbo” Royal Oak ref. 16202, due out in 2022. The biggest clue is the two bridges above the balance wheel and barrel, made of 22-carat rose gold, which contrasts nicely with the rest of the movement’s rhodium-colored parts.

The perpetual calendar layer is hidden beneath the dial. I have to assume AP will introduce a skeletonized (or SQ for squellete) version of the movement in the near future, which would showcase the technical achievement. high quality replica watches

Let’s break it down from a technical standpoint. Measuring 29.6mm by 4.1mm thick, the new Caliber 7138 is just 0.6mm wider and 0.4mm thinner than its predecessor, the 5134, but it runs at 28,800 bph versus the 5134’s 19,800 bph and has an increased power reserve of 15 hours (55 hours total).

AP’s Caliber 5133 movement has also received some improvements in its Royal Oak Automatic Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin RD#2. All of the perpetual calendar functions of this watch are concentrated on one layer of the movement, with the end-of-month cam likewise integrated with the date wheel and the month cam combined with the month wheel. Crown adjustment is on a second layer, keeping the entire movement slim.

The original 2120/2800, introduced in 1978, is just 0.15mm thinner than the new movement (despite being 1.6mm smaller in diameter). Caliber 7121 in the modern Jumbo is 3.2mm thick. Caliber 2968 (the tourbillon movement in the RD#3) is the same width, but is 3.4mm thick and is housed in a 37mm case. Those are a lot of numbers, but I’ve been mulling over these measurements over the past few weeks for a specific reason. Keep them in mind—I’ll come back to them later.

AP has also tweaked the dial layout of the perpetual calendar. The moon phase is still at 6 o’clock, but the full moon is now centered on the 12 o’clock axis (something I didn’t realize wasn’t the case until this release). The date and day of the week have been rearranged into what the brand calls a “European” date display—the day of the week is at 9 o’clock, the date at 12 o’clock, and the month at 3 o’clock.

The first week of the year is now at 12 o’clock on the dial, while the first day of each month and “Monday” are also on their subdials at 12 o’clock. One subtle tweak you might not notice is that the date display will always be centered in each numeral, thanks to a date wheel with 31 custom teeth, each sized differently to accommodate the width of the printed numerals.

There’s also a 24-hour indicator between 9pm and 3am, with “No Correction Zone” printed in red. However, due to technical improvements in the movement, the date probably won’t change if you try to set it during that time, but it also won’t throw the day/month/leap year balance out of sync — a big bonus in itself. replica watches for sale

I made this comparison last year, but I would call the new Safran Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar the “Loro Piana” edition. I don’t care if people say quiet luxury is dead; I feel calm in a beige room, so why not wear a beige watch on my wrist? This is AP’s third Safran watch — a material I covered last year — following the Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon Skeleton and the [RE]Master02.

I think this is where the material feels most at home, and is more understated than the skeletonized tourbillon that was replaced with a matching aventurine gold, snailed subdials, and a little bit of color for the moon phase.

The Code 11.59 (to give it its full name) from Audemars Piguet has come a long way since its introduction. Some might say it’s been given a bad rap. Others would argue that the watch needed a lot of work to get to where it is today. There may be some truth to both opinions, but the new dial language for the collection is much better than the first iterations.

Last year, AP announced some new improvements to the Code 11.59. In addition to releasing a perpetual calendar with an aventurine dial and a white gold case, they announced that white gold would only be used for watches that are more complicated than a chronograph, such as tourbillons, minute repeaters, and perpetual calendars. So it makes sense that the new Code 11.59 Perpetual Calendar would be in white gold, and it looks pretty good paired with the smoked blue PVD dial.

The 41mm x 10.6mm size fits the wrist nicely, but the extra thickness is a bit of a shame as I think AP could have continued to push the envelope in terms of thickness. The dial texture and design probably add some depth that would have prevented the case from being thinner (just like the RD#2 couldn't have a checkered dial like the prototype).

There are actually 6 models in the collection. In addition to the three standard models I photographed, there are three limited "anniversary" editions with the vintage "Audemars Piguet" logo on the subdials. The stylized script signature is inspired by historical documents, and while it may be controversial, it's one of those little extra touches that I (a history buff and Audemars Piguet fan) really enjoy. Would I want this signature on every Audemars Piguet? No. Do I like these watches to have this signature? I like the Royal Oak collection. Each model is limited to 150 pieces, and each is labeled "1/150" and features the anniversary logo of "150".

Ref. 26674ST is the most versatile choice and probably the most re-worn. The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is almost (and always has been) a perfect watch in steel. The past black ceramic QP was excellent, as was the rose gold blue dial and the titanium “Japan Edition” salmon dial (both in my top five). However, steel strikes the right balance between weight and wearability, making the Royal Oak the most wearable AP “holy grail” for most people. Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Perpetual Calendar

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of getting my hands on many perpetual calendar watches, and a large portion of my list of “holy grail watches” (yes, a physical list) are perpetual calendar watches. I will never forget the first Patek Philippe 5270P I saw in the wild had its date set far from the actual date. Its owner said he was too lazy to fix it.

Setting the 7138 movement is very simple. The crown has four positions. The first position - screwed in completely - allows you to wind the watch to 12 o'clock. The second position (one click) allows you to set the date to 12 o'clock and reverse the month and leap year. Pulling the crown out again (third position - pulled out the furthest) allows you to set the time. Most interestingly, the second position is a secret fourth position. Pulling the watch all the way out to the third position and then pushing it back in one step allows you to set the day and day of the week (towards 12 o'clock) and the moon phase (turn the crown to 6 o'clock). Even without instructions, it’s pretty intuitive to fiddle with it for a few seconds and see how the calendar works.

I have two criticisms of the newly released Caliber 7138, one of which is more serious (or more curious) than the other. The first concerns the movement measurements I listed earlier. When the first Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar (reference 25554) based on the 2120/2800 was released in 1984, it was just 7.5mm thick. To improve water resistance, the 25654 model introduced in 1987 featured a redesigned case that was 8.3mm thick with a solid caseback. That’s only 0.2mm thicker than the current Jumbo, and it doesn’t have the “day indicator” of the modern QP. So, let’s do some math.

If the width of the RD#3 movement can be shrunk down to a 37mm case, then that same width shouldn’t be a limiting factor for the 7138. The ratio of case thickness to movement thickness for the ref. 25654 is about 2.1:1. If the same ratio is maintained (and with the advancement of manufacturing and material technology over the past 40 years, I imagine it can be achieved), then the Caliber 7138 could theoretically be shrunk down to a 39mm x 8.6mm case size with a solid caseback. It’s not quite Jumbo size, but it’s pretty close. Water resistance is 50 meters, and perhaps the reduction in size would result in a water resistance of 30 meters, or the elimination of the day of the week indication, but that’s a trade-off I’m willing to make.

But the biggest criticism isn’t actually a negative one. The technical improvements to the movement are so great, so straightforward, and so simple to use that it’s almost not as great an achievement as I know it to be. Releasing a poorly made watch that doesn’t run well is obviously bad business. The exact opposite – a watch that’s simple to use and performs well (while hiding a lot of incredible engineering) – isn’t the sexiest thing either. But it’s exactly what we need to get us back to the good old days when people loved watches. No hype, no unnecessary marketing, just great watchmaking. replica Jacob and Co. Bugatti Chiron

Brand: Audemars Piguet Model: Royal Oak Automatic Perpetual Calendar Ref: 26674ST and 26674SG

Diameter: 41mm Thickness: 9.5mm Case Material: Steel or Sand Gold Dial Color: Blue or Sand Gold Grande Tapisserie Hour Markers: 18K white gold hour markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent material Water Resistance: 50 meters Strap/Bracelet: Same integrated bracelet

Movement: Self-winding Caliber 7138, 41 jewels Functions: Crown-set perpetual calendar with day of the week, day of the week, date, astronomical moon, month, leap year, hours and minutes Power Reserve: 55 hours Winding: Micro-rotor automatic winding Frequency: 21,600 bph