Audemars Piguet Millenary Philosophique

Audemars Piguet may be known for the Royal Oak, but that’s not all the brand does well. Prior to 1972, Audemars Piguet was known for its movement manufacturing and highly complicated watches. The maison also played with a number of artistic approaches to case and dial finish. This heritage is still reflected in some of AP’s lesser known collections. 

Introduced in 1995, the Millenary Collection has been the platform from which AP has experimented with more distinctive takes on watch design. Named for the excitement coming with the new millennium on the horizon at the time of its launch, the collection came to reflect a dreamy, aspirational, forward-looking philosophy. Known for its oval, stretched case shape, the Millenary never caught on in the mainstream. Instead, a discerning group of collectors has come to appreciate the off-the-beaten-path charm this piece has. In many respects, the Millenary line is the polar foil to the Royal Oak. 

The Millenary Philosophique takes this theme to its natural extreme. This piece, in white gold, is rife with details to obsess over. Influenced by one-handed clocks dating to the 17th century, the Philosophique has just one slow-moving feuille hand that advances around the dial. Intrigue continues with the gorgeous blue dial which has been scalloped and grained in a complex, yet beautiful way making it one of the most subtly-striking dials on the market. The 18K white gold case has been hand hammered to produce a frosted finish almost giving the case a gem set look, but in actuality, it’s merely achieved by hammering the smooth surface to produce a textured sandpaper-like finish. 

Contained within the oblong case is the Calibre 3135, an extremely robust automatic winding movement found in many of AP’s Royal Oak models. Unique to this piece, however, Audemars Piguet colored the coat of arms on the rotor to match the dial. It’s a beautiful movement, but also affords the durability that a Royal Oak movement provides. 

Outfitted on a signed blue alligator leather strap with a signed 18K white gold pin buckle, this example is accompanied by all of its factory ephemera including its inner and outer boxes and papers, warranty card, and hangtags.

In outstanding, virtually-mint condition, this piece is ready for a male or female wrist to appreciate!

There are certain watches that define a brand, informing its design ethos and becoming nothing short of iconic in the minds of collectors. For Audemars Piguet, that watch is the Royal Oak, in all its multitudinous incarnations. Yet the manufacture from Le Brassus did not earn its seat in the triumvirate of leading watch brands — the so-called Big Three — on the success of the Royal Oak alone.

In fact, both Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet came from long lines of watchmakers, and made their reputations long before the Royal Oak was conceived. Their reputations rested on their ability to create incredibly elegant timepieces in numerous styles. While some of these timepieces were simple, elegant dress watches, others were one-off or short-series pieces produced at the rate of a handful per year. (Some years, Audemars Piguet only produced a few hundred watches in total.) Calendar watches, chronographs, minute repeaters — all the delights of haute horlogerie were part and parcel of the AP oeuvre long before the Royal Oak made its debut in 1972.

Technical innovations from AP abound and include the first minute-repeating movement, the first skeleton watch and an ultra-thin automatic tourbillon. Newer collections, such as the Code 11.59 from 2019, see the maison continue to develop new and exciting watches and calibers, the likes of which aren’t based upon tired horological tropes from models past. (Though if vintage reissues are your bag, AP does have a special “Remaster” line — currently consisting of just one model — that reimagines some of its classical, complicated pieces from the mid-20th century.)

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Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

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All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

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Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.