Introducing Audemars Piguet Launches Two New Openworked Perpetual Calendars

Audemars Piguet has long regarded the perpetual calendar as a complication that must evolve over time. As early as 1955, the brand introduced the world’s first perpetual calendar wristwatch with a leap-year indication, establishing a deep and lasting relationship with one of watchmaking’s most complex mechanisms. In the decades that followed, particularly between the 1960s and 1980s, Audemars Piguet became known for developing ultra-thin perpetual calendars, focusing on compact construction that made these highly complex watches more wearable at a time when practicality was rarely a priority.

The Royal Oak itself needs no introduction. What matters here is what came next. When Audemars Piguet introduced the perpetual calendar into the Royal Oak during the 1980s, the complication was removed from its traditional dress-watch context and placed within a contemporary luxury sports watch. That shift permanently changed how high complications could be worn. Over time, the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar established itself as one of the brand’s most important technical evolutions, balancing thinness, legibility, and structural clarity within a modern case architecture.

That long technical lineage set the stage for a deeper reassessment at the dawn of 2025. Traditional perpetual calendar systems, reliant on recessed correctors, imposed inherent limitations on ergonomics, water resistance, and case construction. Audemars Piguet responded by developing a new generation of perpetual calendar movements built around crown-only adjustment and a more intuitive calendar architecture, introduced with the Calibre 7138. This year, the brand followed with the Calibre 7139, extending this new generation of perpetual calendar movements to openworked executions. The movement is introduced within both the Code 11.59 and Royal Oak collections.

Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Openworked

The Code 11.59 Perpetual Calendar Openworked is presented in a 41 mm case with a thickness of 10.6 mm. Its construction combines an 18k white gold bezel and caseback with a black ceramic middle case. A matching black ceramic crown reinforces the interplay between precious metal and technical material. A sapphire crystal caseback reveals the openworked movement, while water resistance is rated at 30 meters.

The dial is executed in sapphire, allowing the mechanics of the perpetual calendar to remain fully visible. Smoked accents define the minutes track, while white gold hands, treated with luminescent material, indicate the time. Red-tipped subdial hands subtly improve legibility across the calendar displays, and applied white gold hour markers anchor the layout. The perpetual calendar follows a traditional arrangement, with the day display at 9 o’clock incorporating a 24-hour indicator and a clearly marked no-correction zone, the date positioned at 12 o’clock, the month and leap year at 3 o’clock, and the moonphase at 6 o’clock. A peripheral week indication is displayed via a central hand, integrated cleanly into the dial’s outer ring.

Powering the watch is the automatic Calibre 7139, operating at a frequency of 28,800 vph (4 Hz) and delivering a power reserve of 55 hours. All calendar functions are adjusted exclusively via the crown, reinforcing Audemars Piguet’s focus on intuitive mechanical interaction. The watch is worn on a black alligator leather strap secured with a white gold folding clasp. The price is CHF 118,000, approximately AED 560,000.

Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Openworked

The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked features a 41 mm case measuring just 9.5 mm in thickness and is crafted primarily from titanium. Audemars Piguet’s proprietary Bulk Metallic Glass (that we talked about in the “Jumbo” Extra-Thin RD#5 release) is used for the bezel, caseback frame, and bracelet studs, introducing mirror-polished contrasts against the satin-finished titanium surfaces. A sapphire crystal caseback provides a full view of the movement, while water resistance is increased to 50 meters.

The openworked sapphire dial is layered with smoked subdials. An inclined inner flange carries the week indication, creating a clear separation between the peripheral display and the calendar registers beneath. Pink gold hands and applied hour markers, filled with luminescent material, echo the warm tones visible on the movement side. The perpetual calendar layout mirrors that of the Code 11.59, with day, date, month, leap year, moonphase, and week indication arranged with clarity and balance.

The automatic Calibre 7139 retains the same technical specifications, operating at 28,800 vph (4 Hz) with a 55-hour power reserve. Its openworked bridges and refined finishing are fully exposed, reinforcing the Royal Oak’s role as a platform for expressive high complication watchmaking.

The watch is fitted with an integrated titanium bracelet accented by Bulk Metallic Glass studs and secured with a folding clasp. The price is CHF 180,300, approximately AED 850,000.

For more information, visit Audemars Piguet’s official website.