Tuning Into The Audemars Piguet Millenary Quincy Jones

Swiss luxury watch brand, Audemars Piguet, is no stranger to celebrity collaborations. In fact, the company has joined forces with the likes of Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Jay-Z, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and others in creating limited-edition watches. One particular Audemars Piguet collaboration that produced an incredible watch was the one with music legend, Quincy Jones. With an incredible 79 Grammy nominations and 28 Grammy awards to his name, Mr. Quincy Jones knows what makes a hit! And it seems his knack for a success is no different with watches. Let’s dig a little deeper into the Audemars Piguet Millenary Quincy Jones ref. 15161SN.OO.D002CR.01.

What’s the Audemars Piguet Millenary?

While the Royal Oak and the Royal Oak Offshore watches are very famous, the Audemars Piguet Millenary flies a little under the radar. The AP Millenary is characterized by its oval-shaped case and an off-center dial. It also often has Roman numerals that fan out in a non-symmetrical fashion. The modern Audemars Piguet Millenary made its debut in 1995, inspired by a similarly shaped vintage Audemars Piguet watch from the 1950s. Dubbed the “Millenary” in honor of the then upcoming millennium, AP positioned the watch as ultra contemporary.

Not just for men, Audemars Piguet also makes beautiful Millenary timepieces for women too. In just over 20 years, the Millenary has risen from an obscure Audemars Piguet model to a well-respected and varied collection.

The Audemars Piguet Millenary Quincy Jones

At the 2010 edition of SIHH, Audemars Piguet unveiled the Millenary Quincy Jones watch. Identical to other men’s Audemars Piguet Millenary watches, the Quincy Jones edition sports a 47mm wide oval case. AP and Quincy Jones opted for blackened steel for the case material, which lends a sophisticated look to the watch.

Additionally, the case houses a black dial with subtle contrasts between brilliant and satin-polished surfaces on the periphery. This was done to recall the look of piano keys — an instrument integral to Quincy Jones’ musical success. Also on the dial is a discreet date window interrupting the Roman numeral III.  Furthermore, protecting the face of the dial is glare proof and scratch resistant sapphire crystal.

Since this is a limited-edition piece, there are only 500 models in existence. What’s more, this particular timepiece, for example, is #342 out of 500 as displayed by the engraving on the caseback. Also on the caseback is the text “Quincy Jones – Limited Edition” along with his signature.

Further carrying on the dark hues, a black alligator strap with blackened steel AP folding clasp tops off the stylish Audemars Piguet Millenary Quincy Jones.