Hands-On: New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar

January 10, 2023

Although I became a big Depeche Mode fan later, the most annoying song of the 1980s was Just Cant Get Enough. The overly simple melody by the English electronic band haunted me when it played on the radio and when it wasnt on. That simple song, with its sharp synthesizer sounds, square and steady disco beat, and chorus that chanted the title over and over again, annoyingly played on repeat in my head whatever I was doing. Depeche Mode created an earworm I only got rid of after way too long. AP has done the same. The brand from Le Brassus presented the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar during the event celebrating the 150th anniversary of the maison. I was there, and ever since I got to handle the watch, I ve kept thinking about it. And guess what: I just cant get enough.Just before Watches and Wonders 2025, I had the chance to visit the AP House in Geneva. Audemars Piguet has continued to celebrate 150 years of watchmaking by releasing interesting new watches. Three ceramic Royal Oak Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 models debuted at Watches and Wonders. They are lovely watches, but I went to look for the two new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar models. One is made of steel and features the historic and now-iconic blue dial, and the other is made of sand gold. Whats the attraction? you ask. It s the shape and proportions of the RO case, the finishing, the movement, and the way all these things look and work together. I just cant get enough.I just cant get enough of the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual CalendarA 41mm case diameter and 9.5mm thickness are nearly perfect for a complicated watch. Enter the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar models in either steel (26674ST.OO.1320ST.01 / CHF 109,300) or 18K sand gold (26674SG.OO.1320SG.01 / CHF 130,000). Admittedly, the 41 10.5mm stainless steel Royal Oak Selfwinding, with its Grande Tapisserie dial in the same iconic Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 shade as the 1972 original, doesnt work for me. Its proportions dont fit my wrist, and the dial is too large for my taste. But with a slightly slimmer case and more activity on the dial, everything comes together in perfect harmony. A perpetual calendar in a watch that wasnt designed to have one can be a bit odd. I, and Im sure you, can think of plenty of examples. The Royal Oak can handle a complicated upgrade, though. You might accuse me of blasphemy, but I prefer the new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in steel over the famous Jumbo. During APs anniversary party - the DJ didnt play any Depeche Mode songs, by the way - I had the chance to compare them in the metal and stand by my statement.Beautiful inside and outI won t go into all the details here since Ive already written two articles on the release of APs first wave of 150th-anniversary novelties. I mentioned the proportions, the finishing, and the way the RO QP wears already, so I wont keep banging on about that. If you want to know all about the innovative caliber 7138 inside, I think its best to click here, where you can find a detailed explanation and watch a bonus video. In short, the new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. But why cant I get enough? Because it looks like my exit watch. The concept of the exit watch was always a bit alien to me. Maybe that s because I had never met a watch that gave me a view of a future in which nothing is left to desire. But I m guessing that with the RO QP on my wrist, I can live a life free of desire. In a way, AP created a Buddhist watch, one that will give me inner peace. Theres an obstacle to overcome, though. The rather hefty price tag blocks the path that leads to perfect balance and peaceful enlightenment. That s such a pity because I know Im worthy of the foolproof, crown-operated, 4.1mm-thick, 423-part caliber 7138.Try it out for yourselfEven if youre familiar with all iterations of the Royal Oak, I urge you to find and try out this new Royal Oak QP at an AP House in your region to experience the four-position crown. The way it works is just spectacular. The patented system is very intuitive thanks to the complex mechanism driven by an innovative lever and wandering wheels system that meshes with the various calendar wheels in different positions.Let me quickly remind you how the system works. Turning the crown clockwise in the first position winds the watch. In the second position, the crown sets the date when turned clockwise, and you can adjust the month and leap year indicators by turning it in the opposite direction. Pulling out the crown further and into the third position, the time can be manipulated bidirectionally. When pushing the crown back in one click, you reach the fourth and last position. The crown is now in position 2, so to speak, and because of an ingenious gearbox system, you can now set the day and week clockwise and the moon phases counterclockwise.Probably not the final words on the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual CalendarIts safe to say the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in steel is a grail that haunts me. And because it does, I will probably write about the watch again in the (near) future. I will write about the eight crucial steps you must take on the path to reach watch enlightenment. In case youre curious, some of the crucial elements to reaching the end of the path and the QP are an accurate understanding of the nature of the watch, a correct intention, and a non-harmful treatment of it. With the right amount of mindfulness, Im convinced that the steep price will prove just a slight obstacle in the path leading to watch enlightenment. Do you agree?Watch specifications Brand Audemars Piguet Model Royal Oak Perpetual CalendarReference 26674ST.OO.1320ST.01 (stainless steel) / 26674SG.OO.1320SG.01 (sand gold)Dial Blue or sand gold tone with Grande Tapisserie pattern, ton-sur-ton sub-dials and flange, 18K white gold luminous hour indexes and Royal Oak hands, realistic depiction of the Moon based on a NASA photographCase Material Stainless steel or 18K sand gold, brushed with polished accents, octagonal bezel with white gold screwsCase Dimensions 41mm (diameter) 9.5mm (thickness) Crystal Sapphire with AR coating on both sidesCase Back Stainless steel or sand gold with sapphire display, affixed with eight screws Movement Audemars Piguet 7138 (7121 base): in-house caliber based on AP 7121, automatic with manual winding and hacking, 28,800vph frequency, 55-hour power reserve, 41 jewels, 423 components, 29.6 4.1mm, all functions adjustable via the crownWater Resistance 50 metersStrap Stainless steel or 18K sand gold integrated bracelet, brushed with polished accents, push-button butterfly claspFunctions Time (hours, minutes) and perpetual calendar (day, date, week, month, leap year cycle, astronomical moon phases)Price CHF 109,300 (steel) / CHF 130,000 (sand gold)