In the beating heart of the Vallée de Joux, where time seems to flow with ancestral precision, Audemars Piguet continues to defy design conventions. The new Neo Frame Jumping Hour is not merely a timepiece, but an aesthetic manifesto drawing life from the Streamline Moderne movement of the 1930s. It is an elegance defined by sleek lines and aerodynamic curves, transforming a technical object into a wrist sculpture that evokes the speed and modernity of vintage ocean liners and locomotives. The 18-carat pink gold rectangular case is a masterpiece of contemporary geometry: eight vertical grooves on each side create a play of light and shadow that tapers toward the lugs, giving the piece an innate sense of dynamism. However, the true visual revolution lies within the sapphire crystal dial treated with black PVD. Here, the absence of a metallic frame at 12 and 6 o’clock leaves the glass exposed, allowing the golden apertures to display the time with an almost abstract clarity. Beneath the minimalist surface beats the technological heart of the Calibre 7122, the first self-winding jumping hour movement entirely developed in-house by the Manufacture. Based on the renowned architecture of the calibre found in the Royal Oak “Jumbo” models, this new horological engine ensures millimetric precision in the instantaneous hour change, protected by a patented shock-absorption system.
“Audemars Piguet has always remained connected to its past, while looking towards the future. The new Neo Frame Jumping Hour model embodies this philosophy, paying tribute to our rich heritage through an iconic timepiece, reinterpreted with avant-garde techniques.”
This reference is a bridge built between different eras. While in the 1920s metal was required to protect fragile mineral glasses, today’s modern engineering allows for the celebration of absolute transparency. Paired with a black calfskin strap featuring an unprecedented textured pattern, the Neo Frame Jumping Hour does not just mark time; it inhabits it with effortless grace. It stands as a testament to how artisanal audacity can transform nostalgia into a future vision—one that is both solid and immune to passing trends. “This new timepiece is a nod to the pioneering role played by Audemars Piguet in the 1920s. At the time, glass was so fragile that it had to be protected by metal. Today, however, the sapphire crystal takes center stage.” — Sébastian Vivas, Heritage and Museum Director
Yet, the Neo Frame is but the crown jewel of an extraordinary year for the Manufacture, which has unveiled an articulated constellation of eleven additional references, moving with ease between material innovation and historical celebration. While the new 38mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph marks a fundamental technical evolution with the debut of the visible Calibre 6401, it is in the use of Bulk Metallic Glass that Audemars Piguet reaffirms its role as a pioneer, applying it to the bezels of the new Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked and the Perpetual Calendar. The latter, in particular, redefines the ease of use for grand complications by allowing all functions to be adjusted solely via the crown. In this dialogue between past and future, pure tributes to heritage are not lacking: alongside the 1920s design reinterpretation of the Neo Frame, the exceptional “150e Héritage” Pocket Watch stands out—a platinum masterpiece with 47 functions celebrating 150 years of Le Brassus history, flanked by contemporary chromatic forays such as the new Royal Oak Offshore Diver in Deep Teal and Turquoise tones. It is a collective vision that confirms how Audemars Piguet’s avant-garde is never a mere exercise in style, but a coherent evolution that looks to its roots to write the rules of time to come.
For further information Audemarspiguet.com.
