Audemars Piguet Millenary watch with deadbeat seconds

Millenary watch with deadbeat seconds

Starring the Audemars Piguet escapement

The brand from Le Brassus draws all eyes by creating a new setting for its revolutionary escapement mechanism first introduced in 2006: the pink gold Millenary watch with deadbeat seconds. Showcasing the exceptional expertise of Audemars Piguet, this creation with its surprising design admirably embodies the inventive traditions of the watchmakers from the Vallée de Joux.

In the vanguard

From tourbillons and minute repeaters to perpetual calendars and chronographs, Audemars Piguet has established itself since 1875 as a virtuoso exponent of these complications. Its watchmakers have always done their utmost to optimise the basic movement components in order to enhance their accuracy and their reliability. This is especially true of the escapement, which plays an essential role in the watch by maintaining and “counting” the oscillations of the regulating organ (the balance and its spring). Inspired by a mechanism created in the late 18th century by Robin, Audemars Piguet has developed a brand-new system combining the high efficiency of a direct-impulse escapement with the reliability of a Swiss lever escapement. The watchmakers in Le Brassus have thereby succeeded in reducing the energy lost by the most high-consumption component of the movement, without resorting to the use of new materials (such as silicon), and avoiding any need for lubrication. The world première of this major technological breakthrough came in 2006 with the presentation of the world-first Cabinet N° 5 watch in the Tradition d’Excellence collection.

High efficiency

Compared with a standard Swiss lever escapement, the Audemars Piguet movement offers the following advantages:

? No need for lubrication on the pallet-stones: the distinctive geometry of the Audemars Piguet escapement means it can do without any lubrication, thereby facilitating maintenance and avoiding any clogging from the accumulation of greasy paste once the oil has evaporated. A watchmaker’s dream!
? Detached single-beat escapement: a single impulse corresponds to two vibrations, thus decreasing disturbance to the rate and promoting extremely high efficiency.
? Direct impulse on the balance: the energy is transmitted directly from the escapement to the balance instead of via the lever, thereby reducing energy losses and increasing efficiency.
? High efficiency: in a movement equipped with a Swiss lever escapement, the latter absorbs 70% of the energy. The system developed by Audemars Piguet absorbs only 50%, representing a considerable gain in efficiency compared to a classic movement.
? Excellent shock-resistance: the meticulously developed shape of the various parts (especially the guard-pin) and their ultraprecise machining guarantee optimal security against “tripping” and “overbanking”.
? Long-term stability: the tests conducted over the past five years have shown that this escapement displays excellent operational stability.
? Improved chronometry: the isochronism of the sprung balance may be adjusted by shifting the locking-point in relation to the impulse provided by the balance; a reduction in mechanical disturbances to the balance improves the overall precision of the movement.

An open heart

To highlight its new escapement, Audemars Piguet has created a watch featuring an astonishing design with a highly contemporary architecture that completely reinvents the aesthetic codes of Haute Horlogerie. This resolutely daring approach begins with the beautifully proportioned pink gold oval Millenary case with its original, elegant and sophisticated shape underscored by the subtle contrast between the brushed middle and the polished bezel. Nonetheless, the main surprise stems from the entirely open dial with its off-centred displays. The three-dimensional design creates attractive overlapping and depth effects. This arresting visual performance is enlivened by the pulsations of the regulating organ, the jerking motion of the deadbeat seconds and the rotation of the two visible barrels, alternately hiding and revealing the “Echappement” and “Audemars Piguet” inscriptions. True artists at heart, the craftsmen in Le Brassus have also played with materials and relief effects to create an extremely varied and almost rhythmical array of structures and surfaces, including horizontal “c?tes de Genève” on the two sides of the oval centre plate, fine circular grooves on the hour and minute dial, and an original embossed motif on the twin barrels. Completing this fascinating picture, the openworked hands and blued Roman numerals make a perfect match for this sophisticated technical and metallic appearance.

A beating heart

With its regulating organ drawing all eyes to 9 o’clock, the new Millenary with deadbeat seconds provides a live lesson in mechanical watchmaking. The star of the show is of course the new escapement with the sharp edges of the wheel, its guard-pin and the unusual shape of its ruby pallet-stones. The escapement platform has in fact been turned around so as to make the escapement visible from the dial side, and the plate has been hollowed to reveal the mechanism. One can thus admire the large variable-inertia balance guaranteeing enhanced chronometry, and the small white gold inertia-blocks enabling fine adjustment. A discerning eye will also note an unusual construction in terms of the balance-spring. Calibre 2905 features two balance-springs placed one on top of the other, but at a 180° angle. This “head-to-tail” flat double balance-spring system has several advantages. It does away with the need for the so-called Breguet overcoils on balance-springs, which are very tricky to build, and thus avoids the potential inconveniences linked to the slightly asymmetrical development of the balance-spring. It automatically compensates for the possible poising flaws of the balance-springs and it eliminates imprecisions due to the vertical position of the watch without needing to resort to a device as sophisticated as a tourbillon. All these distinctive features enable an extremely fine adjustment of the sprung balance, which beats at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour, resulting in improved precision.

? Audemars Piguet lubricant-free escapement featuring improved efficiency (7-day power reserve)
? High-inertia Gyromax balance designed to enhance chronometry
? Two “head-to-tail” balance-springs do away with the need for an overcoil
? Dial with an intriguing three-dimensional appearance
? Contemporary geometrical movement style
? Deadbeat seconds mechanism
? Stopwork mechanism eliminating any undesirable torque zones of the mainspring

Dancing the quick step

The off-centred subdial at 7 o’clock includes another exclusive technical feature known as “deadbeat seconds”. This independent display which jumps once a second without disturbing the running of the watch was invented in the mid-18th century. It is generally found on the famous Audemars Piguet pocket chronographs, usually combined with a “jumping seconds” hand that completes a full turn round the dial in one second. Already a complex construction in itself, the deadbeat seconds mechanism represents a genuine feat when it is miniaturised to wristwatch size. In its traditional form, deadbeat seconds call for an additional going train driven by a second barrel. In keeping with their persistent quest for innovation, the Audemars Piguet watchmakers decided to explore new paths in order to simplify the construction and economise a maximum of energy. To achieve this, they devised a system with two superimposed seconds-wheels driven by a “differential”: one is free and moves steadily forward, while the other carries wolf’s teeth and moves in jerks – hence the little touch of visual magic and the impression that the watch is literally beating off the seconds.

The embodiment of power

The Millenary with deadbeat seconds is impressive for more reasons than its precision alone. It is also distinguished by its ability to stay the distance thanks to excellent endurance. The new hand-wound Calibre 2905 boasts a 7-day (168-hour) power reserve. To ensure such autonomy, Audemars Piguet has equipped it with a large-diameter double barrel system featuring a locking mechanism guaranteeing optimal performance. Their combined length and the meticulously calculated geometry means that this two series-coupled barrels are able to ensure a 9-day (216-hour) power reserve. However, the energy supplied by the mainspring when it is fully wound and when it is almost uncoiled is not of optimal quality and constancy. Audemars Piguet watchmakers have therefore devised a locking system that avoids using the first turns of the barrel (1st day of power reserve) as well as the last turns (on the 9th day). The result is a 7-day power reserve guaranteeing optimal performance throughout.

The epitome of perfection

The new hand-wound Audemars Piguet Calibre 2905 is an oval-shaped movement comprising 233 parts. It is derived from the Calibre 2899 movement housed in Cabinet N° 5 in the Tradition d’Excellence. In addition to its outstanding technical properties, epitomised by the Audemars Piguet escapement, it is also distinguished by the care lavished on the shape and finishing of its constituent parts. All components are entirely hand-finished in the noblest fine watchmaking traditions: bevelling, rhodium-plating, and, depending on the part, “c?tes de Genève“ and stippling. This concern for detail is reflected on the back of the watch. The sapphire crystal enables one to admire the twin barrels rotating within an extremely contemporary geometrical stage-setting featuring the ratchets and the jewelled bearings. A spectacular dance of suns, stars and satellites, against a backdrop adorned with horizontal “c?tes de Genève“. In harmony with the standards of fine watchmaking, the fastening screws with their points of attachment arranged in a triangular pattern are linked by a circle when their direction is reversed. To ensure the harmonious visual appeal of this arrangement, this three-point screw and circle layout is echoed in the centre of the barrel, adorned with a radiating motif known as a sunburst effect. The Millenary with deadbeat seconds is teamed with an elegant hand-sewn alligator leather strap with large scales, fitted with a pink gold AP folding clasp.