An excellently readable perpetual calendar despite the skeleton format.
In early February, Audemars Piguet introduced a series of new releases, including three perpetual calendars. The brand's focus on 'perpetuals' is quite understandable: Audemars Piguet has been producing models with a perpetual calendar option since 1984. In this review, we will tell you about the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Openworked Ref. 26685XT.OO.1320XT.01. The watch operates on the new caliber 7139, which is not entirely new, and uses Audemars Piguet's best developments in creating models with a perpetual calendar.
The case of the novelty is surprisingly balanced. With dimensions of 41 x 9.5 mm, the watch appears thinner than earlier Royal Oak 'perpetuals' with an open dial. The construction of the case combines titanium and Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG). The latter (metallic glass) is used for the bezel, case back, and bracelet rivets. While titanium has a satin finish, the metallic glass parts have undergone mirror polishing, creating a 'liquid' glow effect.
Thanks to the reduced thickness of the integrated bracelet, the watch sits securely on the wrist. The base of the bracelet is titanium, and the finish alternates between matte and polished surfaces. The water resistance has been improved to 50 meters, meaning the watch can truly be worn and not just stored in a safe, occasionally worn and protected from the slightest speck of dust.
Despite the skeleton format, which often creates a visual mess, the developers managed to achieve both a balanced picture and good readability of the dial. The dial is made of sapphire, which exposes the mechanism's construction, but... the calendar counters have darkened edges and seem to 'float' above the mechanism, not involving the bridges and gears in the overall picture.
The counters on the dial are arranged for maximum convenience in reading the date. At the '9 o'clock' mark is the day of the week indicator with an integrated 24-hour indicator. At '12 o'clock' you can see the date indicator. The leap year cycle indicator is located at the 3 o'clock mark. At the '6 o'clock' position, as tradition dictates, is the moon phase indicator.
The week number indicator of the year is printed on the inner bezel. Information is displayed using an additional central hand and is easily readable due to the classic 'white on black' contrast. The hour and minute hands are made of pink gold and filled with luminescent material. The hands on the counters are also made of pink gold.
The 7139 caliber installed in the watch is nothing more than a skeletonized version of the 7138 caliber. Based on the ultra-thin caliber 7121 used in classic Royal Oak Jumbo models, this movement combines all perpetual calendar functions into a single-layer construction only 4.1 mm thick. The balance frequency of the movement is 28,800 vibrations per hour, with a power reserve of 55 hours.
The most interesting feature of this calendar is the control of all watch functions using the crown. The crown has four positions. In its standard form, it is used to wind the mechanism. The middle position is intended for calendar adjustment: turning clockwise corrects the date, while turning counterclockwise adjusts the month and leap year.
Fully pulling out the crown is used to set the time, and adjusting the day of the week and week number clockwise and moon phases counterclockwise is done from a special adjustment position, achieved by pulling the crown one step back from the full pull-out. The time zone where calendar settings are impossible is marked in red on the 24-hour indicator.
This model is exclusively available in Audemars Piguet boutiques. The estimated price of the watch (announced as limited edition) is CHF 180,200 excluding taxes.