Audemars Piguet Introduce 38mm Perpetual Calendar Royal Oak and Code 11.59

At the start of the year Audemars Piguet unveiled a new perpetual calendar series for their 150^th anniversary celebrations featuring 41mm Royal Oaks and a Code 11.59. Now they’ve released a follow up consisting of yet more perpetual calendar Royal Oaks and Code 11.59 but this time at a svelte 38mm diameter for the first time in that 150 year history.

Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar 38mm

Starting with the Royal Oaks, there are two versions being released. The first in stainless steel with a light blue Grande Tapisserie and the second in pink gold with a matching gold dial in a slightly lighter shade. While the gold one is stunning in a luxurious fashion with its brushed finishing and intense lustre, the purist in me prefers the steel edition.

That’s because when Gerald Genta designed the watch in the 1970s, it was with the objective of conquering the steel sports watch market and elevating the material to luxury status. The new 38mm case follows the core design elements created by Genta including the characteristic octagonal bezel and exposed screws.

38mm is a versatile size for it, appealing to those with slimmer wrists. Of course, the focus of the launch is the fact that this is the first time a Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar has been produced at this size. At the same time, they’ve introduced a brand new movement perpetual calendar movement, the calibre 7136. It’s a variation of the 7138 that was introduced in the 41mm collection earlier this year.

The only difference between the two movements is the absence of a weeks indicator scale on the new piece. It’s actually a little surprising that the movements in the 41mm and 38mm models are the same size (29.6mm x 4.1mm), as you’d assume the new calibre is downsized to fit the new dimensions, but that’s not the case. The reason for the change is therefore due to the reduced space on the dial that would make the display too crowded with the extra complication.

Code 11.59 Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar 38mm

In addition to the two Royal Oaks is a 38mm take on the Code 11.59 Perpetual Calendar as well. As with the ROs above, it really is a case of taking the 41mm design and miniaturising it by 3mm. The reduced dimensions also affect its thickness, with is down to 9.9mm from 10.6mm, a welcome but much less noticeable change.

The case here is made from pink gold with a green embossed dial in the signature pattern of the collection. You’ll also notice a significant difference between the display here and its Royal Oak cousins and that’s the fact it retains the weeks scale on the flange around the edge of the dial. That’s because it does house the calibre 7238 that the newer movements are based on.

All three watches in the 38mm perpetual calendar collection are price on request, in classic Audemars Piguet haute horology fashion. However, they are some of the nicest launches from AP in what has been a relatively quiet year from the brand.

More details at Audemars Piguet.