Audemars Piguet Tantalum Chronograph

We bet you’ve never seen one of these before.

And you wouldn’t be alone! What you’re looking at is an extremely rare, tantalum-and-gold chronograph from none other than Audemars Piguet, one of Swiss watchmaking’s “Holy Trinity.” The “Huitieme” Chronograph, as it’s called, was part of a prestigious collection of complicated watches that existed in the 1970s and 1980s. Distinctly “of its time” when viewed today, it’s a watch that nevertheless represented the pinnacle of cutting-edge industrial design upon its introduction.

This particular Huitieme Chronograph features a 40mm tantalum case, a mineral crystal with built-in inverted date magnifier, an unsigned crown, a signed, stepped bezel, a grey tantalum dial with triple-register chronograph layout, an outer tachymeter dial, a date window, gold stick hands, and a Analog/Shift Denham strap with stainless steel pin buckle. It’s powered by the Audemars Piguet Calibre 2121, which is itself based upon an ébauche from Jaeger-LeCoultre with a Dubois Dépraz chronograph module sitting on top. (At the time of the watch’s production, AP owned 40% of struggling JLC.)

If you’re a fan of complicated watchmaking but are tired of the same ol,’ same ol,’ this funky chrono from AP should be in your cart!

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.)

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

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

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

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

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

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.