Audemars Piguet 'Jumbo' Two-Register Chronograph

To most, Audemars Piguet is solely known for the Royal Oak, but deep within their catalog resides a collection of timepieces that speak to the breadth of design and innovation the brand has displayed for almost 150 years.

Highly coveted and extremely rare, the 1940s bred an array of classic chronographs produced in limited quantities and various precious metals. The two-tone Reference 1533, which inspired the [Re]master01 revival in 2020, as well as the yellow gold Reference 831 calendar chronograph are such examples. Arguably even more scarce and collectable is the Audemars Piguet Reference 5520; a two register, oversized chronograph fashioned out of rose gold.

This particular Reference 5520 features a 38mm 18k rose gold case with a pair of svelte rectangular pushers framing a large winding unsigned crown. The case however, in its original form, was fashioned out of stainless steel in 1943 and then recased in this stunning rose gold case in 1954 by the brand. The silvered dial features two recessed subsidiary registers, both of which have a railroad minute and second track around its outer edge. The dial features applied rose gold indices and a matching rose gold handset and is attractively complimented by the ‘blued’ steel chronograph hands, as well as a blue tachymeter scale on the periphery.

This specific piece was serviced and restored by Audemars Piguet back in 2017 and the result is a brilliant watch in the metal. What’s more, it’s accompanied by a service letter and documentation from the brand confirming its authenticity.

There’s not much information out there on the Reference 5520, but we do know that only a handful of examples were made and the rose gold variation specifically has seldomly seen the auction block. 

Yes, this Audemars Piguet chronograph was considered oversized back in the day, but in today's world, its contemporary case profile is perfect for the modern wearer. It’s simple and elegant all at the same time. A true trophy of 20th century watchmaking, there’s no doubt that we won’t see one of these again anytime soon.

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

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Warranty

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

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