Manufacturer: Audemars Piguet Year: Circa 1990s Reference No: ST25644/002 Case No: C93'515 Model Name: Huitième Chronograph Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 2126, 33 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Audemars Piguet pin buckle Dimensions: 40mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed Accessories: Accompanied by Audemars Piguet hang tag, product literature, presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
1986 marked the year Audemars Piguet released their first-ever automatic chronograph wristwatch with date indication. Initially presented without a collection name, they were nicknamed as the “Huitieme” in some catalogues made for the Italian market, since 1988. A watch with many firsts, the ref. 25644 was also the first AP model to be offered in tantalum, along with yellow gold and platinum variants.
Fitted in the cool of a stainless steel case, the present wristwatch features a white dial paired with black indexes and a tachymeter scale. Completed with blued hands with enhanced legibility, this is a well-balanced timepiece in proportion and functionality. With a “C” serial, the current timepiece is most certainly one of the earlier examples of this reference.
Well-preserved, this elegant Huitieme chronograph is the perfect watch sporting an athletic aesthetic.
A specialist in the manufacture of complications since it was established in 1881, Audemars Piguet never ceases to impress with a rich history of creating bold, even audacious, timepieces underpinned by traditional watchmaking at its finest. This Le Brassus-based Swiss manufacturer is one of only two major manufacturers still owned by the founding family. Since its earliest days, AP is considered a leader in the field of minute repeaters and grande complication pocket and wristwatches. The brand is devoted to preserving the history of watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux, showcased at their superb museum in Le Brassus.
Today, the brand is best known for its Royal Oak models, a revolutionary luxury sports watch launched in 1972. Other key models include early minute repeating wristwatches, vintage chronograph wristwatches, such as the oversized reference 5020, perpetual calendar watches and the Royal Oak Offshore, first introduced in 1993.