The new Audemars Piguet Millenary 4101 presents an entirely new way of showing off the prowess of the brand’s watchmakers. It is not openworked, nor has the dial been opened up to reveal the movement. In fact, the movement has been redesigned from scratch in order to be visible from above, without the need to take the watch off the wrist and examine it through a sapphire crystal case back in order to marvel at its intricate workings.

Inside and outside, movement and case almost become one with this timepiece, in which the entire escapement has been both re-designed and re-located (at 9 o’clock), so that it can be seen in all its glory, together with the balance wheel. The oval case allows the full visual spectacle plus space for a traditional round time display on an off-set dial.

Hand-decorated and assembled in the Le Brassus workshops, the oval Calibre 4101 boasts exceptionally high-quality execution and finishing. The movement of the steel version has an elegantly understated colour achieved by an anthracite galvanic treatment, while that of the pink gold version is rhodium-plated and gilded. The bridges are meticulously bevelled and polished so as to display only clean-cut, gleaming edges. The jewel sinks are diamond-polished. The wheels have bevelled spokes and diamond-polished sinks. Even the screw rim and slots are bevelled.

The mainplate is decorated on both sides: Côtes de Genève on the front and circular-graining in two different sizes on the back in order to create greater contrast and depth effects. The bridges on the dial side feature horizontal Côtes de Genève, snailing and circular graining, while the bridges on the back are distinguished by circular Côtes de Genève, snailing and circular graining. Finally, the 22-carat gold oscillating weight is adorned with the Audemars and Piguet family crests and the AP monogram.

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