Audemars Piguet Star Wheel 18K

About the Watch

First unveiled in 1991, the classical yet bold design of the Audemars Piguet Star Wheel was totally unexpected from a brand that had by then come to be closely linked to the Royal Oak’s luxury sport watch aesthetic. Inspired by a 17th-century papal clock, the Star Wheel was unusual and, due to being produced only in small numbers, never meant to rival the Royal Oak for popularity. It never approached such success, either, and was discontinued within five years of its introduction. Nevertheless, the brand's distinctive interpretation of the wandering-hours display continued to appear intermittently in its more unconventional collections, often crafted in limited quantities, until the year 2000. This milestone marked Audemars Piguet's 125th anniversary in business, therewhile cementing the Star Wheel's position as an innovative addition to the brand's collection of remarkable curiosities.

About the Brand

Audemars Piguet is a highly regarded watch manufacturer. The company is best known for introducing the Royal Oak wristwatch in 1972, which helped the brand rise to prominence within the watchmaking industry. One of Audemars Piguet's early achievements was creating the world's first minute-repeating movement for wristwatches in 1892. In addition, the company developed the first skeleton watch in 1934 and has manufactured some of the thinnest watches in the world, such as the 1986 ultra-thin automatic tourbillon wristwatch (Calibre 2870).