While Audemars Piguet is typically known for the Royal Oak, the independent brand moves beyond the icon with the Neo Frame Jumping Hour!
When someone mentions Audemars Piguet, there are usually only two words that follow: Royal Oak. It’s understandable; the Royal Oak is one of the most iconic timepieces of all time. Bold, sporty, and forever recognisable, it’s hard not to think of Audemars Piguet as the house that the Royal Oak built.
It’s mostly been to their benefit, of course, but being defined by a single model risks undermining the rest of the brand’s cachet. To their credit, Audemars Piguet has taken clear steps to address this. The Code 11.59 series, for example, provided a new entry point into the brand, while more recently the [RE]Master 02 marked a major departure from what most people expect from Audemars Piguet.
This year, they continue to expand the roster with new and clearly differentiated pieces. As part of the brand’s first run of releases in 2026, Audemars Piguet unveiled the Neo Frame Jumping Hour as a permanent collection, drawing on its heritage while rounding out an otherwise horologically homogenous lineup.
Unlike much of the Audemars Piguet catalogue, the Neo Frame Jumping Hour is conservative in its presentation. Encased in pink gold, the watch measures 34mm wide, 47.7mm long, and just 8.8mm thick.
With proportions comparable to a large Cartier Tank Must, it feels almost dainty next to the much larger Royal Oak and Code 11.59 models. That said, the wearing experience of 18k pink gold lends the watch a density that elevates it beyond its size, allowing it to feel elegant and understated rather than slight.
From a design perspective, the Neo Frame Jumping Hour is informed by the late Art Deco Streamline Moderne style. It also draws inspiration from 1920s digital time watches found in Audemars Piguet’s archives, though it remains worlds apart from its more famous sibling.
Eight gadroons extend outwards from the case flanks, reminiscent of Piaget’s Andy Warhol pieces, while the dial is completely reworked in opposition to earlier digital watch conventions.
Mechanical digital time watches traditionally rely on a blank metal dial with two cut-outs to display the time. While functional, this approach leaves the surface highly prone to scratches.
Audemars Piguet addresses this by filling the dial entirely with a black PVD-treated sapphire crystal. The hour and minute displays, positioned at 12 and 6 o’clock respectively, are cut directly into the sapphire, with no metal framing along their edges.
Leaving the sapphire edges exposed presented significant technical challenges. To overcome this, Audemars Piguet bonded the dial plate directly to the sapphire and mechanically fixed it into the case. The result is a watch face that is not only more durable, but also more abstract, than most digital time displays.
Turn the watch over and you’re greeted by the machinery behind the madness. Powering the Neo Frame Jumping Hour is the Calibre 7122, a brand-new automatic movement offering a 52-hour power reserve and a modern 4Hz (28,800VpH) beat rate. It’s a welcome addition to the jumping hour category.
When it comes to hours-and-minutes-only watches, I like to know the watch is alive, and a transparent caseback provides that reassurance. Beyond that, it’s a highly reliable movement, equipped with high-end inertia and shock-dampening systems that ensure the precision and seamlessness of the jumping hour function.
My Thoughts
I admit, I’ve been part of the greasy internet crew that delights in lambasting Audemars Piguet for its over-reliance on the Royal Oak. I can see the logic in it – “if it ain’t broke,” after all – but knowing how much heritage the brand could potentially leverage and innovate on has always driven me mad. If you have 151 years’ worth of experience, you’d also want to see how that accumulated knowledge might apply to new situations.
In recent times, though, the brand has genuinely been changing my mind. I find myself drawn to its releases more often, even if it’s only to wistfully imagine walking into one of its boutiques.
Introducing models like the [RE]Master 02 and the Neo Frame Jumping Hour is a surefire way to shift the opinions of jaded Audemars Piguet dissidents like myself. If the brand keeps up this slow but deliberate momentum, the icy hearts surrounding Audemars Piguet may yet thaw, allowing a new appreciation to emerge, one that isn’t solely dedicated to the Royal Oak.
Reference: 15245OR.OO.A206VE.01
Specifications
- Dimensions: 34mm case diameter x 47.1mm lug-to-lug x 8.8mm thickness
- Case Material: 18k pink gold
- Dial: Black PVD sapphire with 18k pink gold cut-outs
- Movement: Automatic Cal. 7122 with digital time (jumping hour, minute displays) complication
- Power Reserve: 52h
- Beat Rate: 4Hz (28,800VpH)
- Water Resistance: 20m (2bar)
- Strap: Black textured calfskin with 18k pink gold clasp