“Remastered 02 Automatic” inherits the avant-garde design lineage of Audemars Piguet in the 1960s | Sarai.jp |. Official website of Shogakukan magazine “Sarai”.

Always striving to innovate in the world of ultra-luxury watches, Audemars Piguet has launched a new masterpiece. This watch, called the “Remaster 02 Automatic”, is a modern revival of the company’s pioneering design from the 1960s.

Text / Takashi Tsuchida

A sense of beauty inherent in architectural philosophy, expressed asymmetrically.

Audemars Piguet produced a number of asymmetric prototypes in the 1960s. If you look at the catalogues from that time, you will find that over 30 asymmetric models were designed between 1959 and 1963. Most were produced in small numbers of less than 10 pieces, and appear to be experimental attempts.

The 1960 5159BA, which inspired the Remaster 02 Automatic, was also a rare watch with only seven pieces produced. This historical background shows that Audemars Piguet has always pursued new values ​​and maintained its pioneering drive in new eras.

The architectural style known as “Brutalism” had a major influence on the design of this clock. The Brutalist architectural movement flourished from the 1950s to the 1970s and is characterized by strong forms that show the structure and materials of buildings as they are, and minimize ornamentation. The best example of this is the poured concrete. Key architects include Le Corbusier and Paulo Mendes da Rocha.

The essence of brutalism lies in the “honesty” and “authenticity of materials”. Instead of concealing the structure and functions of the building, we sought to create a new aesthetic value by expressing it effectively. This philosophy had a great influence not only on architecture, but on design in general.

Audemars Piguet may have been influenced by Brutalism because he sympathized with the idea of ​​giving meaning to form itself. Just as Brutalist architecture used the structure of a building as a means of expressing beauty, Audemars Piguet sought to create a new aesthetic through the shape of its watch cases.

The asymmetrical rectangular case of the Remaster 02 Automatic seems to express the non-linearity of time and the unpredictability of life. Until then, watches had relied on the continuity of time, but Audemars Piguet took this into its own hands as well.

The 15.8° sapphire crystal dial is a bold attempt to subvert the concept of a regular watch, but it is not just a decoration; it can also be interpreted as a challenge to change the way we look at time.

This model is powered by the ultra-thin automatic movement Calibre 7129, which is just 2.8mm thick and has a power reserve of approximately 52 hours. This shows that the pursuit of form extends beyond the exterior to include the internal mechanism.

The Remaster 02 Automatic is a masterpiece that inherits the avant-garde spirit engraved in Audemars Piguet’s history while elevating it with modern technology. It is a small work of art that quietly makes a statement on your arm.

Audemars Piguet websitehere