Audemars Piguet‘s enduring connection with celebrities and influential figures in the music realm is widely acknowledged. Their involvement transcends typical ambassadorships, often culminating in collaborative watch projects with musicians. The most recent of these ventures is the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “Cactus Jack,” crafted in chocolate ceramic alongside Travis Scott. Now, turning the spotlight to artist and renowned watch enthusiast John Mayer, a fresh interpretation of the classic Tuscan dial perpetual calendar emerges. Introducing the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer” Limited Edition 26574BC, a timepiece of both contemporary flair and historical significance, particularly evident in its caliber 5134.
At first glance, what we’re observing may not seem revolutionary. This limited edition John Mayer Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar shares many similarities with the standard collection models we’ve previously discussed. However, the significance lies in the intricacies of the dial, its texture, and its inspirations. Alongside the collaborative theme, Audemars Piguet has chosen to bid farewell to its cherished perpetual caliber 5134, a departure from the classic caliber 2120 (now discontinued). But we’ll delve deeper into this shortly.
To begin with, let’s talk about the watch itself. John Mayer, a longstanding friend of the brand and a passionate watch collector, has decided to put his spin on the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, a move that is sure to delight numerous collectors. The intention was to offer a contemporary interpretation of one of the brand’s most iconic and sought-after versions of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar: the Tuscan dial. This textured surface, once crafted by hand-hammering, has appeared on several watches in the brand’s history, predominantly in the 1990s. It has since become a rare feature, found on Royal Oak Perpetual Calendars, a specific Royal Oak Jumbo model, and various classic Perpetual Calendars. Last year, Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak Jumbo 16202BC with a blue textured dial, directly inspired by these vintage models.
However, in this instance, Mayer opted for something distinctively different, significantly more contemporary yet undeniably impressive. Although the brand does not explicitly mention the Tuscan influence, its presence is undeniable. Audemars Piguet describes the dial as designed to evoke the expanse of the skies. Dubbed “Crystal Sky,” this dial is achieved through a stamped process. According to Audemars, “The brass dial plate is finished with a new scintillating pattern (…) composed of irregular shapes resembling crystals, whose sharp angles and facets add relief and brilliance to the piece.” Yet, achieving such intricate detail with a stamped dial is no small feat.
The stamping die was meticulously crafted atom by atom through a metal deposition process known as electroforming. It’s easy to mistook the dial for osmium or some form of lab-created gemstone. Surprisingly, it’s simply made of brass… Hats off to the AP team for achieving such an astonishing texture using what is typically seen as basic material.
The other elements of the clock retain a degree of classicism and contain subtle yet distinctive features. The deep blue dial, the trademark Royal Oak colour, is achieved by a PVD process. The layout remains consistent, with the day at 9 o’clock, the month and leap year at 12 o’clock, the date at 3 o’clock, and the moon phase at 6 o’clock on an aventurine background. Around the dial you can find the numbering of the weeks.
What distinguishes this John Mayer edition is the light blue central week hand and the unique change on the date marker. The red 31 has been replaced with white, while the two digits of 31 have been made smaller and slightly offset to distinguish them from their neighbour 1.
As for other aspects of the watch, it retains its classic features: 41 mm in diameter and 9.5 mm thick, with a white gold case, polished and brushed surfaces, the iconic RO shape and water resistance up to 20 metres. The strap is identical to the previous, non-limited editions. The glass back is screw-locked and is decorated with the inscriptions “Royal Oak Quantieme Perpetuel” and “Limited Edition of 200 Pieces”.
The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar houses the John Mayer 5134 movement. At first glance, it may not seem worth mentioning, or at least we might think so. However, although the watch movement is consistent with other RO QP models, this John Mayer edition is the last limited edition to feature the 5134 self-winding movement. Launched in 2015, the 5134 structure adapts the classic 2120 base with its self-retracting mechanism, while retaining its slim profile of 4.3 mm. Originally launched in 1967, it was the basis for the iconic Royal Oak Jumbo 5402ST, which was introduced in 1972. Now, with the introduction of the 16202ST Jumbo, which uses a new 7121 structure. This marks the end of a significant chapter in the brand’s history.
The 200-piece Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer” Limited Edition will be priced at 150,000 Swiss Francs.
