Audemars Piguet 2009 Millenary Chronograph Watch
on Oct28 2009
A chronograph timepiece enriches the 2009 Audemars Piguet Millenary watch collection. The opulent oval form of the Millenary–an evocation of the great Roman Coliseum–has given a stately housing to everything from a basic self-winding movement with a date function, up to virtuosic haute horlogerie masterpieces such as the “Tradition of Excellence” Cabinet No. 5 and Millenary MC-12 Tourbillon. The addition of a basic chronograph affirms the traditional dedication by Audemars Piguet to offering a comprehensive selection of timepieces covering the gamut of horological specialties.
The Audemars Piguet 2009 Millenary Chronograph watch features a case in 18-karat pink gold measuring 47mm x 42mm; masterfully executed brushed metal surfaces exude understated elegance; the bezel, strap lugs, and elliptical chronograph buttons present an alluring, luxurious contrast. The two-zone Millenary dial is exceptional in its intricate detail and conveys an appealing mixture of classicism and Baroque extravagance; applied Roman numerals in polished rose gold flare expressively outwards on the concentrically grooved black section which contains the three silvery chronograph subdials. The rich brown outer dial segment is adorned with the brilliant blue tachymeter scale, which bends outward in the opposite direction of the Roman numeral hour markers. The gold caseback is secured down with screws, and displays the engraved Millenary logo.
Ticking inside the Audemars Piguet Millenary Chronograph watch is the refined self-winding Caliber 2385, one of the world’s slimmest automatic chronograph movements with a column-wheel and a fully integrated mechanism. A balance frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour enables the chronograph feature to record independent periods of time within 30 minutes or up to 12 hours, with 1/6th second precision. A valuable supplemental function is the rapidly adjustable date display. Power reserve of the barrel is 40 hours. In all, the Caliber 2385 comprises more than 300 parts, each painstakingly finished by hand in Audemars Piguet’s Le Brassus atelier.
The Audemars Piguet Millenary Chronograph watch is fitted with a flat sapphire crystal, and a crocodile leather strap with blue stitching of the same hue as the dial tachymeter scale. A pink gold folding clasp shaped in the form of the Audemars Piguet initials ensures a comfortable and elegant fitment to the wrist. The watch is rated water resistant to 20 meters.