Audemars Piguet Perpetual Calendars: An Extraordinary Collection Beyond the Royal Oak

Key Points from the Discussion

• The middle-right watch, with its distinctive dial texture, is a standout favorite among collectors, having been previously featured in 'A Collected Man'.
• The top-right and center-right pieces are highly admired, with particular interest in the intricate details of the skeletonized movement and the potential historical significance of the top-center watch as a limited series for a London jeweler like Asprey or Dunhill.
• While acknowledging the beauty of early perpetual calendars from AP, VC, and Patek Philippe (like the 3940), some collectors find them challenging to read with aging eyes, suggesting their value might lie more in their aesthetic and historical significance than pure legibility.
• The top-right watch is praised for its striking dial and colors, the middle-left for its octagonal case, and the bottom-left for its clean dial, demonstrating the collection's ability to divert attention from the Royal Oak line.
• There is a strong desire among collectors for Audemars Piguet to release a 'remaster' of their classic perpetual calendars, with the vintage Ref. 5516 and the yellow gold skeletonized piece in the collection being cited as prime examples for such a revival.
• The collection's diverse case dimensions and architecture are highly appreciated, with specific intrigue noted for the piece featuring Roman numerals on its rehaut.
• An interesting challenge posed to the community is to select three watches in a 'tic-tac-toe' line from the presented grid to form an ideal three-watch collection.