Important in Crosshairs: Jumbo AP-Automatic Classic Calatrava
Audemars Piguet Automatic Classic Crosshair-Calatrava, Important & Turler-DoubleSigned, cal2499
- Time (Hour, Minute, Central Second)
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EmailWHY WE LOVE IT? Because it is a mid-50s important AP sold by Turler: their 1st generation of automatics (cal2498 & cal2499). And it is next to its importance a extraordinary beautiful example -- design, patinae & strap.
Indeed, the 1st generation of automatics used by Audemars Piguet was the cal2498- / cal2499-stream (small- / center-second). Because of the Rolex-Perpetual patent (1933 - 1953) AP had to wait until 1954 to use rotor-automatics and one of the first was the one offered: a cal2499 made in 1955 or 1956 and proudly sold by the Zurich-based jeweler Türler.
The three-part 18K-case (36mm ex crown) with the exalted downward lugs and the characteristic concave flank (middle part) was made by Charles Dubois & Cie, LeLocle (Poincon de Maitre Hammer[170]) for AP and has the serialnumber 9'XXX and the movement-number is 61'XXX. 36mm make it a back-then Jumbo / oversized case and it is still in good condition and has developed a fine red-hue patinae in the last 70y. The same orange- / red-tone is visible on the gold hands and indexes. And the dial comes with a even caramel-patina as well -- a stunning example finely aged with dignity. On the other side of the color-matching stingray-strap there is a solid gold AW-buckle complimenting the extraordinary ensemble. Beautiful.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: Is this dial original or was it re-printed somewhen in the last 70y? I want to answer like that: First of all, I cannot guarantee one or the other. But, I have no reason to assume it is not original. There is no obvious reason to assume it was reprinted. The crosshair, the brand-print and the doublesignature look all authentic to me. The applied indexes have a honey-gold hue and no signs of intervention. All this and the patinae of the dial indicate it is original and 70y old as it is. And there is a big second reason to assume this is the reference, when it comes to cal2499 Audemars-dials: the majority of the cal2499-APs out there and especially the most visible ones are quite sure refurbished, cleaned and reprinted. And this leads to the fact, that there are a lot of negative examples and a few eventually (!) positive. But I cannot see another, for sure and guaranteed original cal2499-dial, that could be used for comparison and as a reference. Instead I see a lot of for-sure-negative examples: clean, white and refreshed. However, as this reference is not existent (ie. visible), I am assuming this is original. Can I guarantee that? No. But instead I can guarantee that a lot (most!) of cal2499-APs out there have a refurbished dial, while this one might be original. The rest I am leaving to the eye of the beholder but I am sure this is a historic and original important AP.
