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: There is a discussion going on, whether this dial is original or it was re-printed somewhen in the last 70y. And I want to say it 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 gives me some reasons to assume the dial 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.
