Audemars Piguet Millenary: The Milky Way, the galaxy of horological time
After getting to know the Royal Oak and Offshore, today I would like to introduce a watch that is one of the three main collections of Audemars Piguet, standing alongside the Royal Oak and Jules Audemars for a long time. This is a timepiece held in high regard by collectors of horological art—a watch with a unique elliptical shape that eschews the octagonal design while still expressing the brand's DNA so clearly that it has remained a core collection to this day.
Many might have guessed from the oval case that this collection is the Millenary, which first launched in 1995, shortly after "The Beast." By breaking the mold of the oval-shaped dress watch, it left many bewildered but ultimately received global acclaim. Locally, it is popular among those who appreciate watches as pieces of art. Today, let’s take a look back at the Millenary of yesteryear. Open your mind, set aside the octagonal case for a moment, and you will discover a whole new, magnificent world.
At first sight, the Millenary really brings to mind the image of the Milky Way, and that vision led to my first impression: "This is truly cosmic-level beauty!!!" The Millenary 4101 Ref. 15350 was produced in several materials, but the one I saw first and am sharing with you here is the stainless steel model.
This beautiful elliptical universe has a width of 47 mm, but due to its shape, there is no need to worry about it looking awkward on the wrist. Furthermore, the layered case and double-layered lugs add depth, serving as a foundation for the beautiful dial design, which can be seen through the sapphire crystals on both the front and back.
The true beauty of the Millenary lies in the dial, which is arranged in three levels within the skeletonized case. You can clearly see both the dial components and the movement, each competing to show off their beauty with incomparable Côtes de Genève finishing and satin brushing—a simple yet perfectly matched design created using diamond-tipped tools.
The balance wheel and escapement are beautifully displayed on anthracite-colored bridges with the same brushed finish as the base dial, featuring rubies set in gold chatons at the 9 o'clock position. In this position, other complicated models would display different, intricate gear trains (the more complex the movement, the more spectacular the gear train becomes).
The off-centered time display is made of rose gold with a black, vinyl-record-style guilloché pattern, adorned with Roman numerals that vary in size to follow the curve of the oval case. At the 7 o'clock position of this main dial, the small seconds sub-dial sits quietly with a classic railway track scale. The hands are made of polished, beautiful rose gold in an Alpha shape. All these dial elements are arranged in distinct layers, not just using colors to create an illusion as seen in photos, making the skeleton design even more compelling and serving as the primary ingredient of the cosmic beauty I mentioned.
The movement of this Millenary 4101 Ref. 15350ST uses AP's own in-house caliber, the 4101, which consists of 284 parts and 34 jewels—an impressively high number for a modern movement. It offers a 60-hour power reserve, and every part is finished with exquisite detail. Even with solid case backs, AP never leaves a movement unfinished, and when it is on full display like this, it is truly something to behold, made even more enjoyable by the 22K gold rotor with its low-relief engraving.
All this in the Millenary—even though it resides in an oval case completely different from an octagonal one—possesses a design, finishing, and mood that unmistakably signal it is an AP watch. Just like the Royal Oak, a stainless steel sports watch that dared to be priced like a gold watch by substituting design and craftsmanship, or the Offshore, which broke away from the Royal Oak and the conventions of sports watches that should only use stainless steel by mixing every possible material, colors, and exotic functions. Therefore, the DNA of Audemars Piguet is not the octagonal shape, but rather high-horology in various forms, driven by superior craftsmanship and expertise, through designs that are borderless yet maintain a strong individual identity.
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References:
- https://www.watchcollectinglifestyle.com/
- https://www.fratellowatches.com/hands-on-with-the-audemars-piguet-millenary-4101/
- https://www.audemarspiguet.com/
