Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour – vintage-inspired and unexpected

Audemars Piguet takes a quick step away from the Royal Oak silhouette and presents something we at Eqotime have not seen for a long time: a completely new collection with its own identity, design language and technical direction. Neo Frame Jumping Hour is the starting shot – and what a watch it is. With a rectangular case in 18 carat rose gold, a black PVD-treated sapphire dial and a new automatic jumping hour movement, this is an example of retrofuturistic horology (or whatever we are going to call it) at its best according to us at the Eqotime editorial team.

Text: Albin Johansson Image: Audemars Piguet

The story behind: Guichet watches and the model from 1929

The new model takes inspiration from Audemars Piguet's pre-model 1271, a limited guichet watch from 1929 where the time was shown through two windows rather than with hands. Only 14 pieces were made – an almost forgotten detail in AP's history. Until now.

With the Neo Frame the concept is revived – but instead of repeating it, Audemars Piguet has chosen to refine it:
A Streamline Moderne-inspired case. A digital display with jumping hour and trailing minute. And a movement that withstands the strains of everyday life without compromising on haute horlogerie finish.

Eqotime explains – What makes the Neo Frame Jumping Hour unique?

Minimalist display that unites form and function

The first self-winding jumping hour movement from AP

Calibre 7122, based on the 7121 from the Royal Oak Jumbo, but adapted for disc display

Rectangular case in rose gold with vertical gadroons – an architectural detail that is also visible in the crown and on the rotor

Seamless sapphire front, without a traditional bezel – the dial is glued directly to the crystal and then screwed into the case

20 m water resistance despite exposed sapphire edges

Calibre 7122 – discreet power with patented protection

inside then ticks calibre 7122, an automatic movement that is not only a technical achievement but also a design decision. Instead of chasing a shaped movement (a rectangular movement), Audemars Piguet chose to use a round movement in a shaped case. You can see it – but it does not disturb.

Functions summarised:

• Jumping hour at 12 o'clock
• Trailing minutes in an arc-shaped window at 6 o'clock
• 52 hours of power reserve
• 4 Hz frequency
• Patented shock protection for the hour disc – avoids unintentional jumps

Aesthetics: Art Deco meets technology

The front is a visual experience. A black PVD sapphire dial with two golden windows that show the time – no logo, no hands, no decoration. Just pure function.

The graphic expression is calm, controlled and timeless, but never boring. The watch is worn with a textured black calfskin strap, seamlessly integrated into the case and fastened with a rose gold buckle.

Specifications

Why this model is important according to Eqotime

For anyone who loves Audemars Piguet but is looking for something beyond the Royal Oak, this is further proof that Audemars Piguet is at the forefront of innovation with a strong look back at its history.

Neo Frame Jumping Hour is more than a new model. It is a statement. Proof that Audemars Piguet dares to create something new – without denying its heritage. And that form and function can still have a poetic relationship in mechanical watch art.

Read more at Audemars Piguet