In 1943, Audemars Piguet was a small watch manufactory in Switzerland and it wasn’t very well known outside the watch community. At the time, it only produced classic pieces, dress watches and pocket watches – this was long before the Royal Oak was introduced. Nevertheless, some of AP’s iconic wrist watches, like the chronograph (ref. 1533) managed to attract attention since its introduction and it is now considered a timeless piece embodying the 1940s.
Now, 77 years later, AP took a big step back in time when introducing a remastered chronograph of the ref. 1533 called the [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph. As you can see in the pictures below the watch is visually similar to its predecessor (ref. 1533) but, when it comes to haute horology today, the watch is current. The size, the dimensions and the movement are definitely updated. To be honest, the approach reminds me of the De Tomaso P72, which was introduced in 2019 – a car that with big nostalgia, old lines and shape of the ‘70s has been updated to modern standards ( read the full article here ).
Back to the watch. The first reactions on social media have been very positive. The [Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph has been well received by the watch community so far. Not like AP’s Code 11:59, when it was introduced, as the product line is still lacking of kudos and attention.
Surprisingly, the steel / rose gold case combined with the champagne dial is just stunning. If someone would have told me before that this is what Audemars Piguet was planning to release, I would probably have shaken my head. The “teardrop” lugs – the most remarkable element of the predecessor model – look great on the remastered version as well.
The stylish 12 marker and the blue chronograph hands are the highlights of the dial. What I also like is, that AP used their old logo to give the watch a bit more vintage character. And, to be honest, I’m not sure the modern emblem would have even looked good on the dial.
The backside features a sapphire crystal caseback where you see the 70-hour power reserve movement working the 22k gold rotor. The masterpiece is a limited edition of 500 pieces and comes with a price tag of CHF 49,500.
All in all, we can say this piece allows us to travel back in time to AP’s roots, an era long before the famous sports model. What a great homage to all vintage AP chronographs.
I hope that the name “[Re]master01” is an indication that many more of such remastered beauties will follow.
Summary
Brand:
Audemars Piguet
Model:
[Re]master01 Selfwinding Chronograph
Price:
retail price CHF 49,500
Limitation:
500 pieces
Measurements:
case diameter 40 mm
When to wear:
Obviously with every cool vintage outfit – maybe Tony Montana style.
What we love about the watch:
Audemars Piguet shows that it’s still able to produce stunning pieces, especially dress watches with a touch of vintage style and class