Jump hour and Guichet-style watch faces have always been with us in one form or another, even if this year sees a newfound trend. As a contrarian, I’m always happy to see something other than hands and indices showing the time, and I have a big question for AP. Back in 1996, Audemars Piguet made the ref. 25798, and during my research for this story, a Christie’s lot came up, showing a $138,000 result on a $30,000-50,000 estimate, and leaving me with a deep desire.
The centre of the watch features a very close-to-Cartier vertical set of Guichets for hours and minutes, but the “John Schaeffer” trumps all others with its minute repeater feature. Just imagine if AP brought it back to life next year. The 1996 versions here sold at Christie’s exhibit its extraordinary blend of complications in a slim, unusual cushion case that measures a demure 33 mm wide and 40 mm overall length, drawing on the legacy of the original Schaeffer wristwatch that AP made in the early 20th century, with the owner’s name spelled out on the dial indices.