The New Shape: Jumping Hour Watch
The biggest surprise this year is not Royal Oak. The Jumping Hour brings a rectangular shape inspired by Streamline Modern design. It measures 47.11 mm by 34 mm and comes in 18-carat pink gold. AP often relies too much on the octagon shape. Seeing a rectangular watch is very refreshing to me because it shows the company can still try new things.
The design is very clean. The time is shown through two small windows: one for the hour, which jumps instantly, and one for the minute, which drags. Audemars Piguet has used black sapphire to make the dial. There is no metal frame at the top (12 o’clock) or bottom (6 o’clock), which means AP bonded the sapphire glass directly to the dial plate. The company screwed this whole piece into the case to make it water-resistant to 20 meters.
In addition, the Jump Hour watch runs on the new 7122 Calibre, and this self-winding movement has a special shock-absorber system, which is important because it stops the hour disc from jumping by accident if you hit your wrist against something.
Perpetual Calendars Made Simple
AP wants complicated watches to be easier to live with. That’s why the company has launched a new skeletonized movement, Calibre 7139. I have always been a fan of perpetual calendars, so when I saw AP had something new to offer in this lineup, I was excited.
I have always been a fan of perpetual calendars, so when I saw AP had something new to offer in this lineup, I was excited. The primary goal here is the “all-in-one crown.” You can now change the date, day, month, and moon phase just by using the crown. You don’t need a special tool or pin anymore. I always hated using those small corrector pins because I was afraid I would slip and scratch the gold case.
The movement also has a safety feature. It has a red zone that warns you not to change the date between 9:00 PM and 3:00 AM, which prevents you from breaking “gears.” So much so that this new tech comes in two watches:
- Code 11.59: White gold case with a black ceramic middle layer.
- Royal Oak Openworked: It has a titanium case mixed with Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG) for the bezel and studs. AP has used BMG because it is very shiny and resists scratches better than titanium.
Likewise, there is a solid dial version. The Royal Perpetual Calendar in Blue Ceramic uses the non-skeletonized Calibre 7138. The whole watch, including the case and bracelet, is made of “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” ceramic, and it uses the same tool-free crown system.
The 38mm Chronograph Gets an Engine Swap
For years, the 38mm Royal Oak Chronograph used an older movement called Calibre 2385. That’s gone. The 2026 model now uses the in-house Calibre 6401. I am very glad that AP is finally taking care of the 38mm models.
I have a relatively smaller wrist, and the 41mm Royal Oak looks too big on me. On the other hand, the 38mm fits me perfectly, but I always wished it had the modern features of the big version. Now, it does, and this change brings two visible differences.
- See-through Back: You can see the movement through a sapphire caseback for the first time on the 38mm chrono.
- Dial Layout: The sub-dials have moved. The minute counter is now at 9 o’clock, the hour counter is at 3 o’clock, and the date window sits between 4 and 5 o’clock.
The “150e Heritage” Pocket Watch
The 150e Heritage is a platinum pocket watch designed to celebrate AP’s 150-year history. It has a Universal Calendar on the back, which acts like a mechanical calculator that shows solar and lunar cycles. The watch tracks nine different cultural holidays and is synchronized from the year 1900 to 2099. Similarly, the Calibre 1150 has 47 different functions, including a minute repeater and a split-seconds chronograph.
Royal Oak Mini and Stone Dials
Audemars Piguet is using natural stones for its smaller watches:
Royal Oak Mini (23mm): These quartz watches now come back in Black Onyx (with pink gold) and White Mother-of-Pearl (with yellow gold). The quartz movement with Calibre 2730 has a battery life of 94 months. These Royal Oak watches also have a small switch that lets you turn the battery off when you are not wearing the watch.
I think that’s a smart idea. I have bought quartz watches for my family before, and they often sit in a drawer for months. It is annoying to pick up a watch and find the battery is dead.
Royal Oak Self-winding: The 37mm and 41mm yellow gold models now have Malachite dials, which are a green stone with natural wavy lines. Remember, this is a real stone, which means no two dials will look the same.
AP’s Code 11.59 and Offshore Updates
The rest of the AP lineup for 2026 focuses on new colors and materials:
- Code 11.59 38mm: It is now available in pink gold with either a black dial or a silver “ripple” texture dial.
- Code 11.59 Flying Tourbillon: This is a 41mm model with an ivory dial, and the pattern is stamped and then hand-colored to give it a soft shimmer.
- Royal Oak Offshore Diver (42mm): AP has launched three new steel models. Collectors can get these watches with accents (white strap), turquoise accents, or deep teal dials.
- Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph (43mm): These are two new heavy-duty models. One mixes blue ceramic with beige details, and the other is titanium with a black ceramic bezel and a smoked green dial. Both use the flyback Calibre 4401.
AP is Finally Listening to What We Need
Audemars Piguet is clearly trying to fix real problems for owners this year. The best example is the new Calibre 7139, which finally lets you adjust a perpetual calendar using only the crown, so you can throw away your correction pins.
AP is also moving beyond just steel sports watches. The Jumping Hour brings a fresh rectangular shape to the brand, while the use of Bulk Metallic Glass and Malachite adds new textures to the lineup. AP is focusing on how people actually use and wear their watches, whether it is the massive 47-function pocket watch or the battery-saving switch on the quartz Mini.
