Escapement in the spotlight

An escapement that runs lubricant-free and ensures excellent efficiency and superior shock-resistance. A balance that oscillates twice as fast as normal with a frequency of 43,200 vibrations per hour (6 hz). All this in a three-dimensional platinum case, designed to highlight finishing and movement decoration inspired by the grand watchmaking tradition.

It’s no surprise that the Jules Audemars with Escapement, more commonly known as the "ChronAP," has been showered with honors. It received the Men’s Watch Prize during the 9th Grand Prix d’Horlogerie in Geneva last November, as well as the Asian Edition Public Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie Asia held in Singapore a month earlier. But its international success doesn’t stop there. Last fall, the timepiece was also named best “Horological Value” at the 3rd Tiempo de Relojes in Mexico and “Best Complicated Watch” in a ceremony organized by VOGUE Spain.

What makes this model so exceptional? “It’s excellent chronometry, its innovative design, and of course the new escapement,” explains Giulio Papi, founder and technical director of APRP (Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi). In addition, this model has a balance that beats twice as fast as normal, which gives the movement enhanced precision. “As for style, we were inspired by the spirit of the marine chronometry typical of the 1980s, while applying a three-dimensional design to the watch face,” explains Papi, without whom this extraordinary timepiece would never have been created.