Audemars Piguet Perpetual Calendar Minute Repeater Murat Pocket Watch (New Arrival)

Among the great complications produced by Audemars Piguet during the first half of the twentieth century, few examples better illustrate the manufactures technical ambition and aesthetic restraint than the present Grande Complication pocket watch. Combining a minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph, and perpetual calendar within a remarkably elegant 48mm case, it belongs to an exceptionally small group of watches created during an era when such pieces were assembled almost entirely by hand and often required years to complete.

According to the accompanying Audemars Piguet certificate of authenticity, the movement was manufactured in 1923 and remained within the firms workshops until its eventual sale in 1938. Housed in a two-tone 18-carat yellow and white gold case described by the manufacture as a Style Murat, the watch embodies a distinctly Art Deco interpretation of the grand complication. The Murat designation refers to the refined case architecture and distinctive pendant design, a style reserved for some of the firms most prestigious pocket watches during the period. Its broad polished bezel frames a beautifully restrained silver dial featuring oversized applied Arabic numerals, cathedral-style hands, and an exceptionally balanced arrangement of calendar indications. The result is a display that remains remarkably legible despite the extraordinary complexity housed beneath.

At its heart lies Audemars Piguets 17 Grande Complication caliber, bringing together three of traditional watchmakings most demanding mechanisms. The perpetual calendar automatically accounts for varying month lengths and leap years, the split-seconds chronograph allows the timing of simultaneous events, and the minute repeater chimes the time on demand through a series of finely tuned gongs. During the early twentieth century, the ability to combine these functions within a single movement represented the highest expression of Swiss horological craftsmanship, with only a handful of manufactures possessing the expertise required to execute such work.

Preserved in exceptional condition, the present example displays the crisp proportions and elegant finishing that distinguish the finest surviving pre-war complicated pocket watches. The silver dial has retained its original character, while the contrasting yellow and white gold case continues to showcase the sophisticated two-tone aesthetic favored by discerning clients of the period. Accompanied by its official certificate from Audemars Piguet confirming both its specifications and chronology, this watch stands not only as an important historical artifact but as a tangible reminder of an era when the pursuit of mechanical excellence was limited only by the skill and imagination of the watchmaker.