Audemars Piguet Owner Review : Refined, distinguished and gorgeous

When a watch enthusiast plans his marriage proposal 9 months in advance and knows that his sweetheart will want to give him a watch as an engagement gift, that leaves him plenty of time to choose the perfect watch... The initial criteria: A dress watch from an iconic brand, an 18k yellow gold case (to match the future wedding ring) and a budget of €5k. Wanting a model that is not seen everywhere, I start by falling for a Cartier Cristallor, a model in the USA is almost in the budget, but it is sold and the others are out of budget. My mind remains in the "rare" models from Cartier, a tilting tank catches my eye. But the gold model is out of budget and the steel one is too far from my ideal. I go through a few Vacheron Constantin Patrimony, Blancpain Villeret or even other Cartier Santos Dumont, all beautiful but too "simple", not that little thing that makes me dream. While trying on a Santos Moonphase, I remember that I no longer have a moon phase since selling my Frédérique Constant Classique Heart Beat Moonphase Date a year earlier. I like mechanical watches, complications and especially the moon phase. My search then focuses on a moon phase. And I come across the perfect model for me: Audemars Piguet Day-date Moonphase: - Ultra-thin automatic Jaeger movement with triple complication - 18k gold - A diameter of 33mm that absolutely does not stand out on my 180mm wrist. So I spend weeks watching the models to try to stick to the budget. When I come across the best deal: In a luxury second-hand store in Paris. Above budget but with the very rare 18k gold double folding clasp from AP, as well as an AP bracelet in good condition in blue cayman. I crack and after a little negotiation we fall to 6k€. After 1 year in my collection I absolutely do not regret my choice, nor having taken the time to find the right one. Despite its questionable precision, which is noticed when you leave it for more than a week on the winder, it is magnificent. It knows how to be discreet and even forget itself on the wrist by its finesse and its reduced weight. But it also knows how to be outrageous when a neophyte asks what it is! Small downside, this magnificent double folding clasp is so rare, that Audemars no longer knows how to design these bracelets. Having gained a little weight and the size not being adjustable upwards, I was forced to have a magnificent green cayman bracelet made by the Atelier du Bracelet Parisien.