A 250 gram platinum Huitième; a rare horological marvel from the 90's.

Audemars Piguet’s Huitième line heralded the arrival of the modern watchmaking era by combining the classic perpetual calendar chronograph aesthetic with an oversized case and an automatic movement. The Huitième Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is a quirky combination of classic mid-century design from the 1950s and 1960s and the modernism of the 80s and 90s. The large 40 mm 18k platinum case is decidedly contemporary in appearance and features a platinum bezel bearing the inscription “Audemars Piguet”. 

The dial, on the other hand, invokes classic mid-century watchmaking cues. The French blue backdrop sports four recessed chronograph sub dials with metal surrounds and elegant printed serif lettering. The serif lettering is also found on the traditional tachymetric scale on the edge of the dial. The refined look of the dial is complemented by the implementation of thin hands (and a legible white central chronograph hand) and small applied hour markers.

The watch features a true high complication: the perpetual calendar mechanism combined with a chronograph function. The two different complications are ingeniously integrated in the sub dials. The polished hands in the counters at the 6, 9, and 12 o’clock positions display the day, month, leap year, and date functions. The white hands on these subdials, conversely, display the running seconds as well as the 30-minute and 12-hour chronograph totalizers. Finally, the classic moon phase functionality can be read on a creative 360 degree sundial at the 3 o’clock position.

This 25751PT dates back to 1995 and comes with the Extract of the archives and an original AP box, which doubles as a winder for the automatic movement. Inside is the calibre 2226 /2839, based on a Jaeger-LeCoultre ebauche and Dubois Depraz module. It remains in outstanding condition and the hefty bracelet sets this watch apart. It fits a wrist of up to 18.5cm.