Audemars Piguet's Neo Frame Jumping Hour reference 15245OR.OO.A206VE.01 inaugurates an entirely new collection that decisively breaks from the octagonal architecture that dominates the Manufacture's contemporary catalog. Where recent expansions like Code 11.59 attempted to establish presence through technical complexity, this 18K pink gold timepiece pursues distinction through dimensional restraint and formal clarity derived from the pre-model 1271, a jumping-hour reference produced in just 14 examples between 1929 and 1930.

Things to Know About the Watch

The rectangular case measures 34mm in width and length with an 8.8mm profile, its proportions elongated by extended lugs that emerge from vertical gadroons flanking each side—eight per surface—whose ridged texture evokes Streamline Moderne's aerodynamic vocabulary. This late Art Deco movement, also known as style paquebot for its association with ocean liners, emphasized fluid geometry and propulsive lines. Le Brassus explored these principles briefly before the 1929 market crash curtailed demand for such refined complications, with the platinum example from that original series now residing in the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet.

The dial construction represents technical problem-solving disguised as minimalist design. Black PVD-treated sapphire covers the entire front surface, with two gold-framed apertures displaying jumping hours and trailing minutes in white numerals against aarkened background. Exposing the sapphire crystal at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions precluded the use of traditional crystal-to-bezel compression mounting. Instead, engineers bonded the dial plate directly to the sapphire, then secured the assembly into the case via screws—a solution developed specifically for this architecture to achieve 20-meter water resistance within such constrained tolerances.

“The Neo Frame Jumping Hour is a nod to Audemars Piguet’s pioneering role in developing the first jumping hour watches in the 1920s. Back then, the glass was so fragile that it had to be protected by metal. Today, it is rendered in sapphire, which takes centre stage.” —Sébastian Vivas, Director, Museum and Heritage, Audemars Piguet

The black textured calfskin strap with an 18K pink gold folding clasp completes a package that balances 1920s formal vocabulary with execution standards possible only through current technical capabilities.

The Movement

Powering this watch is the new Calibre 7122, the Manufacture's first self-winding jumping hour movement. Derived from Calibre 7121, which underpins Royal Oak “Jumbo” references, this 29.6mm-diameter mechanism beats at 28,800vph (4 Hz), delivering instantaneous hour jumps coordinated with continuous minute advancement. The round movement sits within rectangular architecture visible through the sapphire caseback, its finishing executed to haute horlogerie standards despite inhabiting a case whose external dimensions might suggest dress-watch simplicity. Power reserve extends to 52 hours, with a patented shock-absorbing system securing the hour disk after each jump to prevent accidental displacement.

Summary & Price

The Neo Frame launches as an ongoing production watch rather than a limited edition, suggesting Audemars Piguet envisions this rectangular format as foundational rather than commemorative. Between 1924 and 1951, the Manufacture sold 347 jumping -hour wristwatches, including 135 with dual apertures, thereby positioning the complication within Le Brassus's historical repertoire even as mainstream production concentrated elsewhere.

The decision to revive these proportions through contemporary manufacturing—sapphire bonding, modern shock absorption, automatic winding—indicates interest in shaped cases as viable alternatives to established collections.

For collectors seeking Audemars Piguet timepieces unconnected to Royal Oak genealogy, the Neo Frame offers dimensional contrast and mechanical sophistication through a complication enjoying renewed appreciation across manufactures.

Sticker Price USD 71,200. For more info on Audemars Piguet, click here.