- Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet has announced a suite of new watches, including the dazzling Art Deco-inspired Neo Frame Jumping Hour.
- Designed as a nod to 1930s elegance, the new rectangular-shaped watch is crafted from 18-carat pink gold and features a black PVD-treated sapphire dial.
- Inspired by the Streamline design movement, the Neo Frame Jumping Hour introduces Audemars Piguet’s first self-winding jumping hour movement, Calibre 7122.
- The new Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour is priced at CHF 56,300 and is available at select boutiques across the globe.
In 2019, the Art Deco Society of New York famously pondered who could possibly lay claim to the title of ‘Father of Art Deco’. Author Nicholas Dawes suggested famed jeweller and glass designer René Lalique, American antiquities dealer M.S. Rau proposed Russian/French artist Erté, and a chorus of names like Dunand, Delorme and Van Alen were also thrown about. No consensus was ever really reached, but such is the intrigue and interest that surrounds the inter-war period.
It’s true, as auction house Sotheby’s wrote in its overview of the Lalique’s remarkable body of work, that the movement’s breadth and complexity make it hard to pin down to just one figure. Its influence remains as steadfast as ever and in 2026, more high fashion, textile and jewellery brands are reviving the design codes of the 1920s. Perhaps the true patriarch of Art Deco wasn’t a master of glass, jewellery or shape, but rather of time.
Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet knows a little something about that. Since 1875, the Le Brassus producer has expertly fused the worlds of design and timing, creating no shortage of remarkable timepieces. Now, you can add one more.
To ring in 2026, Audemars Piguet has unveiled the new Neo Frame Jumping Hour, a dazzling new model that reimagines the design language of the Art Deco movement. Sharp, sleek lines are contrasted by rigid geometric shapes to create a flowing, stepped silhouette that wouldn’t look out of place on the wrist of Jay Gatsby. Make no mistake, however, while the Art Deco period prioritised glitz and glamour, the new Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour isn’t merely a case of form over function.
Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour
Admittedly, new Audemars Piguet releases are often met with some trepidation by the watch community. In recent years, the brand’s much-loved Royal Oak collection has become a favourite among pop-culture celebrities, steadily boosting the maison’s appeal with younger demographics. Collaborative models with KAWS and Travis Scott have also helped cultivate a new era of AP fans, but this new release does seem to suggest a certain old-world sophistication.
The latest Neo Frame Jumping Hour is an Art Deco-inspired watch that harks back to a golden era of post-WWI design. The new piece references the Streamline design movement, reimagining 1930s elegance with an entirely novel construction. The timepiece features an 18-carat pink gold and sapphire case adorned with gadroons, aerodynamic lugs and enough sparkle to make Timothy Pflueger blush. But there is more than just black and gold on display.
“The Neo Frame Jumping Hour is a nod to Audemars Piguet’s pioneering role in developing the first jumping hour watches in the 1920s,“ Sébastian Vivas, director of museum and heritage at Audemars Piguet said. “Back then, the glass was so fragile that it had to be protected by metal. Today, it is rendered in sapphire, which takes centre stage.“
As Vivas explained, the Neo Frame Jumping Hour is a callback to the brand’s much-loved Heure Sautante from the late 1920s. A rectangular jumping hour model that featured two stunning aperture windows, that release has become an icon of Art Deco design, complete with sharp lines and cascading edges. The latest interpretation is no less impressive.
Design
Measuring 34mm wide and just 8.8mm thick, the new timepiece is a masterpiece of retro-inspired design. The Neo Frame Jumping Hour is an ideal piece for lovers of classic dress watches and Audemars Piguet has acknowledged this by fitting the piece with a black calfskin textured leather strap. Of course, what makes the Neo Frame Jumping Hour so eye-catching, however, is its unique apertures, which are made possible via the new Calibre 7122 movement.
Calibre 7122 Movement
An entirely new innovation for Audemars Piguet, Calibre 7122 is the maison’s first selfwinding jumping hour movement. Based on the Calibre 7121 found in the Jumbo Royal Oak models, it features a power reserve of 52 hours, combining precision and power with Audemars Piguet’s long-standing reputation for craftsmanship.
Ticking at 28,800 vibrations per hour, the movement is comprised of a whopping 293 parts, including two discs that are used to display the hours and minutes through the apertures. Interestingly enough, the hour disc is made from titanium while the minutes disc is crafted in aluminium; a decision that Audemars Piguet explains helps to improve shock resistance.
Calibre 7122 is visible through the sapphire case back and is finished in accordance with Haute Horlogerie standards. You’ll find Côtes de Genève, satin-brushed surfaces, and an 18-carat pink gold oscillating weight decorated with fluting that mirrors the case design.
Pricing and Availability
It goes without saying, but Art Deco design is not always for everyone. The movement’s elongated proportions and bold stylistic choices can be divisive, but Audemars Piguet has masterfully reworked a fan favourite. The Neo Frame Jumping Hour isn’t so much a recreation as it is a faithful continuation of already established design language, and based on the recent successes of the Cartier and Bremont Jumping Hours models, not to mention the Audemars Piguet Grosse Pièce auction, the timing couldn’t be better.
The Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour is priced at CHF 56,300 and is available from select boutiques now. The brand has already indicated that the latest timepiece will not be a limited edition, but rather will serve as a framework for future models. By all accounts, Audemars Piguet plans on launching a series of new models under the Neo Frame banner, with additional releases to follow in the immediate future.
Audemars Piguet Neo Frame Jumping Hour Ref. 15245OR.OO.A206VE.01 Technical Specifications
- Brand: Audemars Piguet
- Model: Neo Frame Jumping Hour
- Reference: Ref. 15245OR.OO.A206VE.01
- Diameter: 43.5mm
- Thickness: 8.8mm
- Case Material: 18-carat pink gold
- Movement: Calibre 7122 Jumping Hour
- Power Reserve: 52 hours
- Water-Resistance: 20 metres
- Price: 56,300 CHF
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