Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet

Code 11.59 Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie “Samurai”, Reference 26397NR

A unique pink gold carillon minute repeating grande and petite sonnerie wristwatch with cloisonné enamel dial by the Anita Porchet atelier, Circa 2026

Dial: cloisonné enamel dial depicting a Samurai by Anita Porchet atelier

Calibre: cal. 2956 mechanical, 53 jewels

Movement number: DY9995

Case: 18k pink gold, case back secured by 4 screws

Case number: HF0975P

Closure: black Audemars Piguet fabric and leather strap and 18k pink gold folding clasp

Size: 41 mm diameter

Signed: case, dial and movement

Accessories: Audemars Piguet Special Edition Certificate and Warranty, additional blue fabric strap, additional tan fabric strap, cardholder and presentation box

In the world of horology, much is not what meets the eye. Oftentimes, the most complex of mechanisms and the highest of art forms can only be seen up close, sometimes hidden away completely. The present watch by Audemars Piguet is a rare beast, where what is already visible is impressive enough, yet still contains layers of secrets and abilities that only the knowledgeable will spot, only the connoisseur will appreciate, and only the wearer can use. 

Grande sonnerie watches have always been regarded as the apex of all complications. Going one step further than the already lauded minute repeater, grande sonnerie watches can not only chime the time on demand, but also automatically as the quarters and hours tick by much like a clock. To house such an immensely complicated mechanism within the form factor of a wristwatch was a feat that took decades to execute, and indeed the very first to ever create a grande sonnerie wristwatch was Audemars Piguet in 1994. Some 26 years later, Audemars Piguet would change the game again with the Supersonnerie.

The secret of the Supersonnerie lies in its case back, more precisely the fact that it has two of them. Using this patented double back construction, Audemars Piguet essentially creates an acoustic chamber, greatly amplifying volume without sacrificing sound quality. The result is one of the loudest wristwatch repeaters ever created, while still maintaining a smooth and round tone and not sounding at all harsh. Going further still, the present Supersonnerie is also a Carillon, meaning that it houses three gongs instead of the standard two, literally adding another layer to complexity of both the sound and the movement. The Supersonnerie is button activated as opposed to slide, so from the surface the untrained eye may not detect this absolute masterpiece of horological engineering altogether.

The other, more obvious component of this tour-de-force watch is the dial, but here again there is much more than meets the eye. What is immediately apparent is the cloisonné enamelling, one of the most appreciated and coveted forms of rare handcrafts in watchmaking. Countless razor thin strips of gold are hand shaped and tweezered into place on the dial, after which the resulting cells are filled with coloured powder and then fired in a kiln. The artisanal precision at every stage during the process is unfathomable, and to this day only the most elite of dial craftsmen are capable of executing to the standards of the top Swiss maisons. However, when one looks closely at the four o’clock position on the dial of the present watch, one will spot a small ‘AP’ signature, easily missed by those not in-the-know, signifying that this watch was worked on by the undisputed master of enamelling. 

Introduced to the alchemy of enamel at the age of twelve by her godfather, then taken in as a pupil of Suzanne Rohr, the legendary Genevan miniaturist, today Anita Porchet is widely recognised as the leading enamel artist of her generation. Her works are coveted by the most discerning of collectors worldwide, not only for their beauty, but for the devolution, knowledge, and centuries old tradition preserved in the dials. Her dials, each a world in miniature, are the result of countless firings and the delicate control of colour that only decades of practice can yield.

The present watch, made in a unique execution for a Japanese collector, is packed to the brim with horological excellence. On the top side, it features an Anita Porchet Atelier-made cloisonné enamel dial depicting a Samurai. On the other is one of the finest and loudest sonnerie wristwatch movements ever produced, a true testament to how far chiming technology has come. Already impressive at a glance, here is a watch that is far deeper down the rabbit hole than one would expect.