INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
MODE D’EMPLOI
JULES
AUDEMARS
CHRONOMETER
WITH AP
ESCAPEMENT
CALIBRE 2908 - HAND-WOUND
CALIBRE 2908
A B
1
34
2
ENGLISH
ENGLISH
INtroductIoN p 33
- THE MANUFACTURE AUDEMARS PIGUET
About tHE wAtcH p 36
- JULES AUDEMARS CHRONOMETER
WITH AP ESCAPEMENT
- THE AUDEMARS PIGUET ESCAPEMENT
- DUAL BALANCE-SPRING
- HIGH FREQUENCY AND PRECISION
dEScrIptIoN of wAtcH p 46
- VIEWS OF THE MOVEMENT
- TECHNICAL DATA OF THE MOVEMENT
- SPECIFICITIES
uSE of fuNctIoNS p 48
- WATCH INDICATIONS AND FUNCTIONS
- SETTING THE TIME
- WINDING THE WATCH
- POWER RESERVE
- IF YOUR WATCH STOPS
313030
tAbLE of coNtENtS
GuArANtEE ANd cArE
All details concerning the guarantee and care
instructions of your watch are provided in the
certificate of origin and guarantee attached.
3332
INtroductIoN
tHE MANufActurE
AudEMArS pIGuEt
THE VALLÉE DE JOUX :
CRADLE OF THE WATCHMAKER’S ART
In the heart of the Swiss Jura, around 50 kilometres
north of Geneva, nestles a landscape which has
retained its natural charm to this day : the Vallée
de Joux. Around the mid-18th century, the harsh
climate of this mountainous region and soil depletion
drove the farming community settled there to seek
other sources of income. With their high degree
of manual dexterity, inexhaustible creativity and
enormous determination, the inhabitants of the
valley, known as Combiers, were naturally drawn
to watchmaking.
Due to their high quality, the movements they
produced acquired great popularity with the Geneva
firms which used them to create complete watches.
From 1740 onwards, watchmaking developed into
the principal industry of the Vallée de Joux. This
region was thus transformed, as an 1881 chronicle
put it, “ into a land of milk and honey, in which
poverty has rapidly disappeared ”.
ENGLISH
3534
wristwatches as well as designing new sophisticated,
ultra-thin movements. Perseverance and initiative
were the watchwords : while the Wall Street crash
in 1929 was a bitter blow, the company directors
were soon designing so-called
skeleton watches before embarking
on chronograph production. But
this new momentum was abruptly
interrupted by the Second World War.
Re-organisation was necessary in the
aftermath of the conflict. The factory
focused on creating top-of-the-range
items in keeping with its tradition of
innovation. A strategy that would
prove its worth, especially since it
was backed by outstanding creative
daring.
Audemars Piguet continued to build on its now
international reputation with creative designs.
1972 saw the launch of the Royal Oak, the first,
immediately successful high-quality sports watch
in steel, followed in 1986 by the first ultra-thin
tourbillon wristwatch with automatic winding. The
creative spirit of the Manufacture has not faltered
since, offering aesthetically original timekeepers
with outstanding movements. Thus it brought
watches with complications back into fashion at
the end of the 1980s, launching its extraordinary
Tradition d’Excellence collection in 1999. All the
signs of a bold spirit rooted firmly in tradition and
auguring well for the future.
TWO NAMES FOR A GREAT ADVENTURE
In 1875, two young men passionate about Haute
Horlogerie — Jules Louis Audemars and Edward
August Piguet — decided to pool their skills to
design and produce watches with complications in
the Vallée de Joux, the cradle of Haute Horlogerie.
Determination, imagination and discipline led them
to instant success. A branch in Geneva was their next
move in about 1885 and new commercial links were
forged at the 1889 Paris World Exposition, where
they exhibited complication pocket watches. The
AudemarsPiguet factory continued to expand as
the years went by. Its creations represented major
milestones in the history of Haute Horlogerie, like
the first minute repeater wristwatch in 1892 and
the smallest five-minute repeater movement ever
made in 1915.
From 1918 onwards, the founders passed the reins of
the business onto their sons, who in turn perfected
their expertise in manufacturing men's and ladies'
INtroductIoN
ENGLISH
3736
About tHE wAtcH
JuLES AudEMArS
cHroNoMEtEr wItH
Ap EScApEMENt
The most striking thing about the new Jules Audemars
watch with AP escapement is the design. With no
covering dial, the outstanding mechanics of the
calibre 2908 are shown in all their glory, with a with
gold mainplate engine-turned by hand or treated
with an NAC galvanic finish. The watch’s threedimensional aesthetic leads the eye straight to the
small seconds display, then to the hours and minutes
and the two barrels. The escapement is the nerve
centre of the new calibre and appears to reach out
from the plate in a bid to stamp its unique authority
on the watch. Everything fits into a generous case
in 950 platinum or pink gold, with sapphire crystal
and caseback so that these impressive mechanics
may be admired to the full.
The new hand-wound design with its 267 components
represents a return to the roots of watchmaking. The
AP escapement boasts exceptional frequency and
bears the hallmark of an ongoing quest for accuracy.
The small seconds display is placed firmly in the
foreground to provide clear proof of the philosophy
behind the timepiece.
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3938
About tHE wAtcH
ENGLISH
Stud 1
Balance-spring 1
Shell
Stud 2
Balance-spring 2
Balance
Screws
Pallet fork
Escapement wheel
tHE AudEMArS pIGuEt
EScApEMENt
The new Audemars Piguet escapement system takes
its inspiration from the mechanism proposed by
Robin. This direct-impulse escapement has a large
number of advantages, including full shock
resistance. Its innovative design and outstanding
performance render this patented system a minor
revolution in watchmaking mechanics. It heralds the
new generation of Audemars Piguet movements and
furthers the performances of the watches produced
by the Manufacture. The new escapement will shortly
be fitted to the brand’s complication movements
and ultimately, in a few years time, to all
the Audemars Piguet mechanical movements.
The new AP design hosts a number of technical
features far superior to the traditional (Swiss lever)
escapement :
Detached pin-pallet escapement : a single impulse
corresponds to two vibrations, causing fewer
setting disturbances and very high efficiency.
Improved chronometry : the spring balance
isochronism may be adjusted by moving the
quiescent point with respect to the impulse given
to the balance ; reducing mechanical disturbances
at the escapement increases movement accuracy.
Optimum long-term stability : tests performed
over the last five years have shown that this
escapement has excellent operational stability.
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About tHE wAtcH
ENGLISH
High efficiency : with the conventional Swiss
lever system, the escapement absorbs around
70% of the energy; the new AP system reduces
this figure to 50%, enabling a significant boost
in efficiency over traditional designs.
No lubrication on the lifts (Dia. 1a and 1b) :
the special geometry of the Audemars Piguet
escapement means no lubrication - a watchmaker’s
dream ! - which facilitates maintenance and
prevents greasy paste build up after oil evaporation.
Direct impulse on balance (Dia. 2a and 2b) : energy
is transmitted directly from the escapement to the
balance without passing through a pallet fork,
which limits energy losses by improving efficiency.
Excellent shock resistance : the meticulous shape of
the various components (especially the guard pin)
and their ultraprecise cut out provide maximum
security against tripping and over-banking.
0.4 mm
Dia. 1a
0.05 mm
Dia. 1b
Dia. 2b
Direct
impulse
Indirect
impulse
Dia. 2a
The need to lubricate the fork pallets is eliminated by shortening
the sliding.
Fewer moving parts in the transmission equals greater efficiency
4342
About tHE wAtcH
ENGLISH
duAL bALANcE-SprING
The calibre 2908 also stands out for its totally
new regulator component. Two balance-springs
positioned one on top of the other, offset by 180°,
automatically compensate for any balancing defects.
UNDOUBTED ADVANTAGES
The system of dual “opposing” flat balance-springs
has many advantages :
no more balance-spring “end curves” pioneered
by Breguet and Phillips, which require painstaking
construction, and thus the end to defects caused by
the slight asymmetric balance-spring development.
automatic compensation for any balance-spring
balancing defects, thus improving accuracy.
prevents errors caused by the watch’s vertical
position.
4544
About tHE wAtcH
ENGLISH
pArALLEL bArrELS
= 3,75 days
3,75 days 3,75 days
SErIES bArrELS
1,875 day
= 3,75 days
1,875 day
HIGH frEquENcy ANd
prEcISIoN
Apart from the intrinsic progress in the Audemars
Piguet escapement, the calibre 2908 stands out for
its very high frequency. This is so far uncommon in
the world of Haute Horlogerie. It is twice as efficient
as conventional designs, boasting 43,200 vph
(6Hz), and marks a major milestone in the AP
watchmakers’ long-standing quest for improved
accuracy. The increase in the oscillation frequency
of the variable inertia balance improves movement
accuracy, making the watch more resistant to impact
and other factors that can affect balance. The two
parallel barrels provide a power reserve of at least a
90hours, amply offsetting the extra power needed
for the 43,200 vph frequency.
ADVANTAGES OF THE PARALLEL BARREL SYSTEM
reduces pressure in the gearing
the friction in the barrels is used to offset torque
variations
increased running precision, a greater power
reserve and enhanced reliability
Calibre 2908
4746
dEScrIptIoN of wAtcH
VIEwS of tHE MoVEMENt
Dial side
Caseback side
TECHNICAL DATA OF THE MOVEMENT
Total thickness : 8.11 mm
Total diameter : 39.80 mm
Frequency : 43,200 vibrations/hour (6 Hz)
Number of jewels : 33
Power reserve : minimum 90 hours
Manual winding
Balance with variable inertia screws
Flat dual-balance spring
Mobile stud-holder
Number of parts : 267
SPECIFICITIES
COSC-certified movement
Stop balance when setting time
(stops second hand)
Direct-impulse escapement without lubrication
Twin barrels in parallel
Escapement holder
Dierential power reserve
White gold mainplate engine-turned by hand or
NAC treated
Manual finishing on both bridges and mainplate
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49
uSE of fuNctIoNS
wAtcH INdIcAtIoNS
ANd fuNctIoNS
(see figure on the inside cover)
1 Hour hand
2 Minute hand
3 Small second hand
4 Chronograph hand
Your watch is fitted wih a two-position crown :
A
Crown in position for winding movement
manually
B Crown in position for setting the time
ENGLISH
51
uSE of fuNctIoNS
SETTING THE TIME
Pull the crown to position B. The stop-seconds
arresting lever is automatically activated when the
crown is pulled to ensure precision time adjustment.
You may now set the time by winding in either
direction without risk of damaging the movement.
It is advisable to set the hand five minutes past the
desired time and then to move it back to the exact
time.This allows the gears to re-align themselves,
thus ensuring optimal precision.
POWER RESERVE
When the watch has been wound to a maximum,
the hand which shows the power reserve will be
at the outside of the indicator. The watch has a
power reserve of at least 90 hours at this point.
Once the needle reaches the red area, the watch has
a power reserve of around 12 hours. At this point,
we recommend that you wind the watch fully to
ensure optimal timekeeping.
WINDING THE WATCH
Your watch is fitted with a mechanical hand-wound
movement.
We recommend that you rewind your watch
completely every day at the same time (crown in
position A). Take great care not to overwind (never
force it when fully wound).
The crown features a disconnecting-gear system to
prevent damage to the barrel mechanism caused
by over-winding. When fully wound, the crown
uncouples and no longer drives the stem. A certain
resistance remains, however, from the uncoupling
mechanism.
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53
uSE of fuNctIoNS
IF YOUR WATCH STOPS
Normally if your watch stops, simply winding it
with the crown is enough to start the movement.
However, sometimes the movement does not start
again automatically.
This is because the escapement is no longer receiving
an impulse, as the impulse-pin and pallet fork
remain fixed in this position (Fig. 1). No impulse is
being sent to the balance.
Turning the case a few times to turn the balance is
enough to reactivate it (Fig. 3). This means that the
escapement wheel sends the necessary impulse to
the balance (Fig. 2).
Winding the watch until the end stop (crown
in position A) ensure that the watch functions
correctly during approximately 90 hours.
ENGLISH
360°
Fig. 3
Fig. 2
Fig. 1
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