Widely renowned for the ever-iconic Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet’s prestigious history as one of the finest watchmakers on Earth is often overlooked in favor for the avant-garde design language they have recently begun to explore. Outside of their modern offerings, some of AP’s vintage timepieces exercise traditional watchmaking, stunning designs, and awe-inspiring craftsmanship, much like the Quantième Perpétuel Automatique ref. 25657 that we have here. Released in 1982 and discontinued in 1993, the ref. 25657 saw the production of 1821 units join its ranks with metals like 18k yellow gold, platinum, and others used over the years. Classically designed, the case features a traditional stepped bezel, short downturned lugs, and thin, elegant case proportions. With its symmetrical dial layout, the ref. 25657 features a perpetual calendar display made up of a day, date, and month subdials and a moon phase subdial at 6 o’clock for a satisfying aesthetic to round off its incredible design. Powered by the automatic cal. 2120/2800 movement, the ref. 25657 uses Jaeger LeCoultre’s iconic ultra-thin cal. 920 base movement, which AP shared with Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, and others.

One of the watches to help spur Swiss watchmaking out of the depths of the Quartz Crisis and revive traditional artistry, it is timepieces like the Quantième Perpétuel Automatique ref. 25657 that earned AP its place within the Holy Trinity and made complicated watchmaking appreciated in the 1980s again.