Audemars Piguet | Grandes Complications

To be considered a Grande Complication, a watch must include a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph and a perpetual calendar. Since 1882, Audemars Piguet has made a point of keeping the Grande Complication at the spearhead of its production even during times of crisis, perpetuating this ancestral craftsmanship from one generation to the next.

A watchmaker working on a Grande Complication watch

Making a Grande Complication watch is a long, patient task reserved for the finest exponents of the craft. Each Grande Complication is made by the same watchmaker from beginning to end. The process, stretching over six to eight months of relentless hard work, involves assembling the movement’s 648 components, adjusting all functions, dismantling, decorating, reassembling, further adjusting, dismantling, applying galvanic treatment, cleaning, reassembling, casing and final testing. The skills and heritage that go into the creation of Grande Complication watches infuse the whole Manufacture.

Following the revival of classic complications in the aftermath of the quartz crisis, Audemars Piguet released its first Grande Complication wristwatch in 1996 in a Jules Audemars case measuring no more than 8.5 mm in thickness. It was followed by the Royal Oak Grande Complication in 1997. These pioneering feats build on the Manufacture’s long-standing commitment to continuously crafting Grande Complication watches – and that since 1882.

Audemars Piguet first Grande Complication wristwatch

The culmination of 7 years of research and development, drawing upon the human talents working in various disciplines, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Universelle pays tribute to the grand complication.

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Bringing together the Manufacture’s horological savoir-faire into a single selfwinding movement that is capable of powering 40 functions, including 23 complications.

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An intuitive 'Super-crown'

The crown enables the forwards or backwards correction of the month and automatically returns to its neutral position after a rotation in either direction. This ease of use hides highly technical mechanical devices located in both the crown and the movement, as well as a complex security system preventing misuse.

Moon phase

An innovative astronomical moon system conveys a more realistic depiction of the lunar cycle. Two concentric discs, on which six different moon positions are printed, combine to form ten images faithfully representing the transitory stages between the New and Full Moon.

Grande Sonnerie Supersonnerie

In Calibre 1000 the gongs are now attached to the 0.6mm sapphire crystal membrane acting as a soundboard, while the caseback can be opened by an extra-thin "secret" cover, which also features apertures on the side to let air through and boost sound amplification when the watch sits on the wrist.

Perpetual calendar

The calendar functions have been organised to take as little space as possible. Calibre 1000 builds on the Calibre 5133 and the release of the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin RD#2 prototype, which merged the perpetual calendar functions onto one single level. The end-of-the-month cam has been similarly integrated to the date wheel, while the month cam has been combined to the month wheel. Additional calendar functions include a large date and a year indication.

Escapement

To optimise the flow of energy and prevent the watch from stopping when all functions are working, the Calibre 1000 relies on a new oscillator with increased amplitude premiered in 2022 on the two RD#3 Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin models. The energy of the base movement has also been increased to feed the different functions and prolong the autonomy of the watch when not on the wrist.

Split-seconds flyback chronograph

The flyback mechanism restarts the chronograph without stopping it first, while the split-seconds hand enables the measurement of intermediate time intervals. This classic complication marries precision, synchrony and ease of use.

Highly finished and highly complicated watches have always been about more than simply telling the time. Today, as we move deeper and deeper into the digital age, the mechanical watch has become one of the few objects of permanence in an era of increasing obsolescence. They are literally created to last 'forever'.

Michael Friedman

Head of Complications

Today, the Manufacture produces about eight Grande Complication wristwatches per year across different collections in the dedicated atelier located at the centre of the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet’s glass spiral.

Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet

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ASTRONOMY

Inspired by the Vallée de Joux’s clear night sky, generations of watchmakers at Audemars Piguet have crafted refined timepieces capturing astronomical cycles.

EVER GREATER PRECISION

Building on traditions, Audemars Piguet watchmakers have crafted mechanisms with new functionality, greater reliability and optimal efficiency with each generation.