Audemars Piguet Quantième 25910BC, "The Bentley Arnage Edition", White Gold

"The Bentley Arnage Edition" 

This unusual Audemars Piguet Triple Calendar Ref. 25910BC comes with a remarkably full set of paperwork which states that it was first sold in 1999 and purchased from Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motor Cars, from their retailers in Cheshire. Rather interestingly, the Rolls Royce and Bentley names are displayed in tandem, marking a time when the companies were a single entity. 

The design of the watch makes subtle reference to the traditional style of a Bentley Arnage, with its ivory interior and sleek shapes. Additionally, as a pure matter of coincidence, the sub-dials are reminiscent of the various gauges inset within the car dashboard, making the Ref. 25910BC a worthy tribute to this classic car.

The Design

The Ref. 25910 comes in a distinctive rectangular case. The elongated lugs flank the case on either side, in a straight, smooth line from one end of the watch to the other. The overall finishing of the case, from the bezel to the profile of the lugs, is relatively rounded, giving the watch a softer appearance overall. On the reverse, the caseback is engraved with “The Bentley Arnage Edition”, and featured below is a stamped hallmark of the Bentley emblem alongside the Audemars Piguet stamp. "No 1 of 70" is also engraved on the caseback. 

The dial integrates the traditional layout for a triple calendar, though subtly reworked for its rectangular shape. The sub-dial at 3 o'clock shows the date, in a noticeably recessed sub-register, giving depth to the otherwise smooth silver dial. In a similar fashion, the days of the month are placed at 9 o'clock, with the months of the year at 12. The depth of the sub-dials gives the watch an even more distinctive appearance on the wrist.

The day, date, and month sub-dials have hands that are rendered in blued steel, while the hour, minute, and second hands are in black steel, creating a satisfying contrast with the silvered dial. The dial also features applied silver index markers in a Breguet style that are polished to match the case. The watch is powered by the manually wound Audemars Piguet calibre 2085, which has a thickness of 2.00mm, is fitted with 22 jewels, and runs at 21,600 HZ per hour.

The Set

This Ref. 25910BC is accompanied by its original outer box, including a green leather watch folio, a Certificate of Origin and Guarantee booklet, an instructions booklet, a sales swing tag, a blank Audemars Piguet notebook and a fax that confirms the date of purchase as well as that this watch is the first in the series. The set also contains several business cards referencing Marcus Watches of Bond Street as well as a receipt detailing a technical check performed on the watch.

Closer look