Many brands like to make watches that look more expensive than they actually are, in order to give purchasers the feeling of getting a good deal. Audemars Piguet makes expensive watches and in some of their recent releases have enjoyed themselves in giving them a sportier, younger, trendier appearance. The Audemars Piguet Chronograph Summer Edition 2017 for women is a good example. It costs almost €30,000, but it looks like a watch for the beach, with its white rubber strap, jaunty steel case and diamond-set bezel.

Case and dial

The case is 37 mm in diameter, with 32 brilliant-cut diamonds (about 1 carat total), and a silver-toned dial with “Lady Tapisserie” guilloché. Hour markers are pink gold appliques, and the Royal Oak hands have a luminescent coating. The crown is screw-down, which helps give the watch a water resistance rating of 50 metres. Enough to protect it from a few splashes on a beach or boat. The watch is supplied with the white rubber strap shown in the photos, with steel folding clasp. The box includes an extra blue rubber strap.

Movement with column wheel and vertical clutch

The watch is powered by the Audemars Piguet self-winding calibre 2385, which runs at 3 Hertz, 21,600 vibrations per hour, and has a power reserve of 40 hours. It has 304 components and 37 jewels. It is in actual fact the Frédéric Piguet 1185, a fine integrated chronograph movement with column wheel and vertical clutch. Frédéric PIguet is now part of Blancpain, and this Swatch Group company seems happy about continuing to supply Audemars Piguet, and other brands such as Vacheron Constantin, with its movements (more about the Frédérick Piguet calibre 1185 here).

Price and reference

The Audemars Piguet Chronograph Summer Edition 2017 for women is reference 26144ST.ZZ.D010CA.01. It costs €29,900, and it is available in Audemars Piguet boutiques from 1 July 2017. Further information from the Audemars Piguet website.