Fratello’s Top 5 Favorite Recent Audemars Piguet Releases

At the beginning of every year, Audemars Piguet graces us with a series of novelties. Last year was a big one for Audemars Piguet, with the unveiling of some brilliant new releases to mark its 150th anniversary. Among them were the new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar and the Royal Oak Chronograph. These two watches introduced revolutionary technological solutions spurred by intuitive usability. This makes us excited to see what Audemars Piguet will unveil as its early 2026 novelties. For now, let’s look back at the top five Audemars Piguet highlights that came out in the past few years.

Before we get into our list, let me give a quick word on Audemars Piguet’s current offerings. As most of you know, the brand’s catalog currently consists of five lines, three of which are the Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore, and Royal Oak Concept collections. The last two are the Code 11.59 and [RE]Master. The latter of those is a petite collection that currently only holds two models, while the 11.59 lineup receives significantly less attention than the Royal Oaks. However, AP upped the ante with new dials that make the Code 11.59 models much better. On top of that, we have seen some interesting variants, with the Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle RD#4 from 2023 as the absolute highlight. Let’s look at five more wonderful releases from the last two years.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar

Let’s kick this Top 5 list of Audemars Piguet highlights off with one of last year’s two big introductions. The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar has long been a hit for Audemars Piguet. Last year, the brand introduced two Royal Oaks and a Code 11.59, all powered by the new QP caliber 7138.

The team developed this new movement in Le Brassus under the leadership of Audemars Piguet’s technical director, Giulio Papi. For the brand’s recent innovations, including this Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar, the aforementioned Code 11.59 RD#4, and the Royal Oak Chronograph, Papi was inspired by the intuitiveness of his iPhone. This served as the impetus to focus on making the new calibers easy to use.

For the caliber 7138, this meant making all the different functions adjustable via the crown. As a result, the practically ever-present calendar correctors on the side of the case are gone. This makes using the watch an absolute dream. On top of that, Papi wanted to ensure the caliber could be adjusted forward and backward so that it doesn’t have to be reset by a watchmaker if the user sets the calendar too far ahead by mistake. The fulfillment of these goals has resulted in a perpetual calendar movement that redefines the usability of calendar watches. If you’d like more details, I suggest you read Lex’s in-depth article on the caliber 7138.

Three new Audemars Piguet perpetual calendars

The revolutionary movement was featured in both the Code 11.59 and the Royal Oak. We picked the two Royal Oak models for this list, as they are more significant in Audemars Piguet’s lineup. Admittedly, though, we also prefer them to the Code 11.59. For the first of the two, Audemars Piguet released a stainless steel Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar with a blue dial (ref. 26674ST.OO.1320ST.01), a classic Royal Oak combo.

The second model is in the brand’s sand gold alloy (ref. 26674SG.OO.1320SG.01), and that also looks lovely. Both watches have 41mm × 9.5mm cases that make them super easy to wear. Most importantly, the two watches represent a technological step forward for Audemars Piguet. Because of this, we expect to see many more perpetual calendar models from the brand in the near future, as they are among the most popular.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5

The second pick for our Top 5 list of recent Audemars Piguet highlights was last year’s second big release. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5 takes a similar approach to intuitiveness. As a result, the new Royal Oak chronograph redefines the category with the new caliber 8100. Lex contextualized the introduction of the caliber by recapping recent watch innovations, also emphasizing the importance of Audemars Piguet in creating user-friendly watch experiences.

So, how does the new RD#5 chronograph play into that? Giulio Papi tackled the challenge of reducing the force required to operate the chronograph pushers. For the caliber 8100, he developed a new rack-and-pinion mechanism that stores energy in the rack and keeps it under tension. As a result, the mechanism prevents the chronograph from vibrating and eschews the friction spring, a brake that requires constant energy.

Combining a chronograph and a tourbillon

Compared to conventional chronographs, the new caliber 8100 uses a similar amount of energy but stores it, releasing it to reset the chronograph. As a result, with a single light touch of the bottom pusher, the chronograph’s seconds hand returns to zero in a retrograde motion. Audemars Piguet used lightweight titanium, which makes the reset lightning-quick and uses minimal energy.

But Papi also made sure to add the user-friendly crown control that defines the perpetual calendar. The crown of the RD#5 features an integrated pusher for switching between winding and time-setting modes. The 379-part movement also features an innovative vertical clutch for smooth chronograph operation, a flyback function, 30-minute and 12-hour totalizers, and rare instant-jumping chronograph hands.

Additionally, a peripheral rotor keeps the watch super slim, and Papi included a flying tourbillon simply because there was space. The final model in Audemars Piguet’s RD series costs €260,000 but has far more relevance than just being an expensive chronograph.

Audemars Piguet [RE]Master02 Selfwinding

One of the most surprising creations that came out of the Le Brassus manufacture recently was the Audemars Piguet [RE]Master02 Selfwinding from 2024. This watch is a modern version of the classic Model 5159BA from 1960 that is part of the brand’s museum archives. Only seven examples of that watch ever saw the light of day, so why would Audemars Piguet create a modern version of something so obscure? Well, that’s because the asymmetrical, angular case shows influences of brutalist architecture from those days, and we have seen a resurgence in the popularity of such buildings. Additionally, the watch also shows links to the architecture of Audemars Piguet’s Museum and the brand-owned Hôtel des Horlogers.

The [RE]Master02 is a niche choice to release after Audemars Piguet releases the [RE]Master01, which was a less divisive modern remake of a 1943 chronograph. The brand only produced 250 pieces of this [RE]Master02 Selfwinding for true fans. The watch features a 41 × 9.7mm octagonal case made of 18K sand gold with a beautiful horizontally brushed finish. Topping the case is an impressive angular sapphire crystal that protects the wonderful “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” dial. For me, the combination of the two makes this watch even more special than its asymmetrical case shape.

The wonderful “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” dial

As Lex explained in his introduction article, the uniquely shaped dial is divided into 12 triangles and features a linear satin finish. The finish matches that of the case, and depending on how the light hits the dial, it looks different from every angle. It truly is a great fit with the extravagant case and crystal.

If you turn the watch around, you will get a glimpse of the caliber 7129. This in-house movement is the reason the watch’s size has increased significantly compared to the vintage model that inspired it. Its 29.6mm diameter would not have fit inside a case that small. The automatic movement offers a 52-hour power reserve and is finished beautifully. It is the perfect power train for this quirky Audemars Piguet [RE]Master02 Selfwinding. Quite a few people on the Fratello team adore this watch, which is why it is one of our five favorite recent Audemars Piguet highlights.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50”

Last year, Audemars Piguet released a trio of 150th-anniversary “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” models. This specific shade of blue celebrates the night sky above the Vallée de Joux, which reportedly also inspired Gérald Genta to choose the dark blue for the first Royal Oak ref. 5402. For last year’s trio of releases, the brand introduced watches featuring ceramic in this beautiful blue color. Our favorite of the bunch was the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50.”

This model was the follow-up to the black ceramic version with a rose-tone caliber that debuted in 2024, as Thomas reported. But this special blue ceramic completely changes the watch’s presence. I love the blue ceramic 41mm case matched with a dark blue integrated bracelet. The case has a thin 9.7mm profile and a 50m water resistance rating. Just looking at the images, the watch looks a lot more stylish than most of its Royal Oak peers.

The magic of the open-worked movement

Visible through the flat sapphire crystal is the in-house caliber 3132. To contrast the dark blue exterior and chapter ring, the designers at Audemars Piguet chose to give the caliber a rhodium plating, creating a nice combination of blue and silver tones. The contrasting pink gold balance bridge, hands, and hour markers are the icing on the cake.

Technically, the caliber 3132 presents two balance wheels and hairsprings mounted on top of each other on a shared axis. It’s a special, patented construction that improves accuracy and stability. It also offers a clear view of the watch’s beating heart from both the front and the back, and the open-worked bridges provide a great view of the gear train. Of course, every component displays a meticulous level of finishing, making this release a proper display of what makes Audemars Piguet’s watchmaking so impressive.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 37mm Turquoise

A Royal Oak release that flew a little under the radar was the 37mm yellow gold Royal Oak with a turquoise dial. In this watch, a natural turquoise stone makes each example look unique. It’s a dreamy dial that can mentally transport you to a tropical paradise, which is great for us at Fratello, considering the gray Dutch skies in the wintertime. The light blue dial sits inside a smaller 37mm case, which comes on the signature Royal Oak bracelet in matching yellow gold. The composition looks summery, and Lex compared it to a bright, sunny day in Seychelles. I understand that sentiment, although it could be any exotic summer destination for me.

The turquoise dial is only 0.75mm thick and is cut from natural stone found in Mexico. As mentioned, every dial is unique thanks to natural stone and is contrasted by yellow gold hour markers filled with Super-LumiNova. Pleasingly, thanks to the 37 × 8.9mm case, this smaller Royal Oak is super wearable as well.

Since gold watches on bracelets tend to be rather flashy, a smaller size will reduce the impact somewhat. On top of that, this Royal Oak tends to wear larger than you may expect, so its 37mm case makes it a great fit for people with smaller wrists. Inside this gold case, you will find the 3.9mm-thick in-house caliber 5900, which provides a 60-hour power reserve. It is the perfect caliber for this smaller and truly impressive Royal Oak.

Final thoughts on the Top 5 favorite recent Audemars Piguet releases

There you have it — our top five recent Audemars Piguet highlights. Still, we could have picked many others that would have been great for this list. A favorite of mine is the rose gold Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon pictured above. I would love to see this style of dial in a Royal Oak “Jumbo. Whether that will ever happen remains to be seen. Either way, Audemars Piguet manages to surprise us every year with its new releases, and we can’t wait to see the 2026 introductions. Let us know your recent favorites from the brand in the comments, and we will see you next week for a new list.