The
Audemars Piguet Millenary Tradition of Excellence Cabinet No.5 watch is an the extraordinary result of the finest in traditional watchmaking combined with cutting edge horological research and technology. Drawing upon their long heritage in producing complications of the highest virtuosity, Audemars Piguet has produced an astounding timepiece that demonstrates the company's great devotion to the vision held by the founders--to produce watches that are the very finest in the world. Within the stunning ovoid form of the Millenary watch case--evocative of the Roman Coliseum-- Audemars Piguet has introduced a world premiere complicated movement, the AP 2899 caliber.
The Audemars Piguet Millenary Tradition of Excellence Cabinet No. 5 watch presents an array of remarkable complications. Its most obvious complication is, a perpetual calendar that indicates day of the week, date, month, and the leap year cycle, automatically self-adjusting for the various lengths of months, including February, as it varies throughout the four-year cycle. However, the real star of the show, and what distinguishes this timepiece from everything else in the firmament of exquisite timepieces, is its unique Audemars Piguet escapement, which dominates the architecture of the left side of the dial. This extraordinary Audemars Piguet escapement is inspired by and based upon an original 1791 design of horologist Robert Robin, which sought to combine the optimum qualities of both the lever and the detent escapements.
Unlike the conventional Swiss lever escapement, which depends upon an fork/lever to translate the impulses of the escape wheel to the balance, this new Audemars Piguet escapement directly translates the same impulse, drastically reducing friction, and conserving energy; in fact, the research conducted by Audemars Piguet has proven that this system requires no lubrication whatsoever, such is its efficiency and friction-free operation. Additionally, since this is a single-impulse escapement (rather than a double impulse, like most mechanical movements) the stability of the rate is greatly improved, due to less disturbance from vibration. Also unique to this new escapement, are two stacked hairsprings within the balance wheel which are mounted 180 degrees from each other; this unique construction reduces hairspring deformation to its greatest degree, and also permits the large balance wheel to have enough energy for extended periods of operation (i.e. a long power reserve).
The Audemars Piguet Millenary Tradition of Excellence Cabinet No. 5 watch
also presents a dead-beat seconds complication. This distinctive complication, developed in the later part of the 17th century, displays subsidiary seconds which mechanically "jump" (similar to the motion of the second hand in quartz-powered watches) from second to second; Audemars Piguet has created a unique dual-seconds wheel system controlled by a differential to realize this uncommon and prestigious function. The AP 2899 caliber has an impressive power-reserve of 7 days, the status of which is shown in an pointer-type indicator at the upper left hand section of the dial. The
Audemars Piguet Millenary Tradition of Excellence Cabinet No. 5 watch is presented exclusively in a 47mm platinum case. Despite its stately size, the unique horizontal oval design of the Millenary case design places its largest dimension against the lengthwise direction of the arm, resulting in excellent comfort combined with exceptional presence. Audemars Piguet will only produce 20 pieces of this extraordinary Millenary watch, each completed by a blue crocodile-skin strap, and a platinum AP folding clasp.