[RE]MASTER01 Audemars Piguet

PLAYING WITH THE PAST

The watchmaker from Brassus has just “remastered” a military-inspired 1940s chronograph and breathes life into an ever-so limited edition espousing the original piece’s key stylistic codes

“Remaster”: to digitalize audio or video recordings originally recorded in analog form. This time round though we’re not dealing with a cassette but with a watch designed by Audemars Piguet whose name, [Re]master01, implies a strong bond with the past. In actual fact, this 500-piece limited edition borrows its vintage look, in particular its two-tone case and Champagne-colored dial, from a 1943 chronograph.

Whilst the original timepiece only measured 36 mm, a rather hefty diameter for the times, [Re]master01 flaunts a more contemporary and unisex 40 mm one. Its steel case features curved teardrop-shaped lugs, sculpted in the same metal. The round-edged bezel, the fluted crown and the olive-shaped push-pieces are, on the other hand, all fashioned in rose gold. This two-tone ensemble embraces the manufacture 4409 caliber, an automatic chronograph movement with flyback function which beats at 4 Hz and delivers a power reserve of 70 hours.

In addition to its delicately golden-hued color, the brushed dial espouses the key graphic features of Audemars Piguet’s 1943 watch such as the blue tachymetric scale and the highly-accurate minute tracker which run along the flange, the slender, black-printed indexes and the figure 12, as well as the rose gold baton-style duo of hands which tick away the hours and running minutes. However, even though the blue chronograph direct drive remains in the center, the counter layout has changed. The small seconds are now set at 6 o’clock, the minute totalizer (with a red 4/5 engraved for timing the halves in soccer matches) at 9 o’clock and the hour one at 3 o’clock.

The [Re]master01 wraps round the wrist with a natural-colored calfskin strap edged with ecru stitching and attached by a steel ardillon buckle or, if you prefer, a brown alligator strap.

Price: CHF53,400

By Sharmila Bertin