For Watches and Wonders 2020, Audemars Piguet has introduced a new self-winding chronograph, inspired by one of the brand’s archival wristwatches from 1943. This new reinterpretation is by no means a reissue, but instead, a [re]mastering of the original timepiece from the 1940s, with the latest technology and dial design, hence, named the [Re]Master 01 because it’s the very first time the Manufacture set out on such an endeavour.

The [Re]Master 01 comes with a round case and lugs in stainless steel, with a bezel, olive-shaped pushers, and chamfered crown in 18-karat pink gold, with a semi-brushed champagne gold dial, black transferred hour-markers, pink gold hour, minute, and seconds hands, blue chronograph hands, a blue transferred tachymetric scale, and finished off with a light brown hand-stitched calfskin strap. Fitted with the self-winding integrated chronograph mechanism with column wheel and flyback function, the two-toned steel and pink gold aesthetic certainly evokes an old world charm.

There were many inspiring watches within our Heritage collection that could have been the basis for this remastering project. The entire team unanimously decided on this chronograph wristwatch because of the specific aesthetic and emotional connections we all felt for this echo of the past ~ Michael Friedman, Audemars Piguet Head of Complications ~

At 40mm, it’s now visibly larger than its ancestor.  Keeping to the original watch’s Art Deco-esque numerals, t3/5 indication above the 15 minutes mark inside the 30- minutes counter at 9 o’clock allowing the wearer to record up to 45 minutes, upon special request by Audemars Piguets’s third-generation family-founder Jacques-Louis Audemars (d. 2003) to indicate his favourite sport’s (soccer) half time. What’s new is also the glare proofed sapphire crystal casebook, and the 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight to match the bezel.

For [Re]mastoer01, we chose to explore the strength and elegance of one of our chronograph wristwatches from 1943 through the prism of 2020. This is not a historic reissue – it is a contemporary remastering of one of our past creations ~ Michael Friedman ~

The [Re]master01 is a Limited Edition, with just 500 pieces produced.

Images courtesy of Audemars Piguet