Two Tone Audemars Piguet 41mm Buss Down

The Two Tone Audemars Piguet 41mm Buss Down is an amazing watch. It comes in excellent condition, comes with a box, papers, and appraisal. It’s an original stainless steel band converted to two tone rose gold measures at 7.75 inches, size can be adjusted. A custom diamond dials with Arabic numerals and has quality G color. The Two Tone AP Buss Down watch also comes with a date indicator. It’s located by the three o’clock marker with a quickset function.

Introduction

The release of Audemars Piguet in a two-tone setup is as forward-looking as it is retro. While the big story at SIHH 2015 out of the AP camp is the exceptional RD1. It was a subtle makeover of the already impressive Two Tone AP Buss Down watch. which would steal your attention. The Buss Down watch, a 41mm model in the Royal Oak line. It has become the go-to for all lovers of classic AP design language who desire a model with a third hand. And thus replacing its predecessor. Unlike the 15300 – and really, unlike any Royal Oak since the 1990s. The latest variant of the 15400 is being offered in a two-tone design.

The Two Tone AP Buss Down watch

Two-tone watches have come with a certain stigma attached.  Just think about those hoards of old Datejust on loosely-goosey bracelets. That dangle from the wrists of retirees in Florida rest homes. Audemars Piguet is taking a gamble by releasing a two-tone model. which is in their core sports luxury collection. which is generally targeting a younger demographic. This is a bold move for AP and one that, in our opinion, reflects a larger movement at play within the industry. More on that later. For now, on to the basics:

The new Two Tone AP Buss Down watch is based in the same angular 41mm Royal Oak case as its steel brethren. It has an overall thickness of 9.8mm. As noted above, the case material is steel and gold. But unlike some earlier two-tone Buss Down models, this one uses pink gold instead of yellow on the crown. And also bracelet center links, and characteristic “porthole” bezel. The white dial features the traditional Grand Tapisserie since its start. as well as pink gold hour markers and hands. The watch is offered with a traditional integrated bracelet, not a leather strap.

The movement is AP Calibre 3120 self-winding automatic, with a frequency of 3 Hz and a power reserve of 60 hours. This caliber is built in-house and is very much a workhorse for their Royal Oak collection.  Powering three-hand models with center seconds and a jumping date function. And it displayed, as on other 15400 models, at the three o’clock position.

Wearability

Since the Two Tone AP Buss Down watch isn’t new and has been covered in-depth before. The question of this model’s wearability comes down to the aesthetics of the two-tone layout. As we mentioned earlier, two-tone watches have a stigma attached to them. AP’s gamble in bringing one back to their most recognizable collection is worthy of note. There is no question that for some, two-tone is not an option they feel is worthy of consideration. There are also those who would consider a two-tone model if it comes together. This is one of those times.

Like yellow, pink gold doesn’t work in combination with every dial. With every case design, or with every type of matched apparel, So much is dependent on the overall package. In this case, it is paired material. While the concept of two-tone watches, in general, is a fantastic one, some people may not fancy it. The truth is we can think of more poorly executed Two Tone timepieces than ones they would go out and buy to wear.  While the Rolex wears a little bit more like fashion jewelry, its appeal draws from the unique quirky nature of the bezel as its two-tone construction. The Two Tone AP Buss Down watch makes a much more definitive statement on the wrist. That statement has something of an attitude.

Why This Matters

As stated above, this is not the first time AP has added a dash of gold to the flanks of its traditional steel.  Going all the way back to the original Reference 5402; AP has experimented with the Two Tone AP Buss Down watch. It happened first in the 1970s and then again on their Tantalum models in the 1990s. So what’s the big to-do?

Ultimately it all comes down to timing. The watchmaking industry is coming off a 15-Year high of jumbo-sized sports watches. This dominates the consumer market, clad for the most part entirely in steel. While many brands and consumers wish this trend wasn’t ending. The reality is that collectors are becoming savvier and sophisticated as a whole. Fashion trends are pushing back to smaller and thinner designs with precious metal casings. 

We have seen this unfolding in the past few years as precious metals become used on sport watches. Overall, dimensions of core-line models seem to be shrinking. What’s striking about this new Two Tone AP Buss Down watch release is that it’s leading the market’s change. It was the original Royal Oak that created an entire market segment in 1972. It was the Royal Oak that kicked off the giant sports watch craze in the early 90s. It kicked off with the release of the offshore collection. And it was that very collection that began to downsize the trend. Even with last year’s release of their 42mm offshore line. Starting what is a reality check and shifting towards sized timepieces. This is in the luxury market.

Verdict

By introducing the Two Tone AP Buss Down watch into their lineup. Audemars Piguet is proving their willingness again to be a leader of change.  Despite the inherent associations of the configuration, they have gambled that the market will shift. Trends will also cycle to re-embrace the type of cool that has been long out of vogue. Time will be the great decider of course, but we are willing to bet that they are right.  It might not be fashionable quite yet – we are sure some of you reading this right now doubt it ever will be. When done well, the Two Tone AP Buss Down watch can be a thing of beauty. And AP has more balls than most. 

How To Spot A Fake Two Tone AP Buss Down Watch 

If you’re in the market for an Audemars Piguet watch, your dollars go much further. This is if you buy a pre-owned Two Tone AP Buss Down watch instead of an Audemars Piguet store or an authorized dealer. Audemars Piguet has produced a watch that is among the world’s most copied models. The Two Tone AP Buss Down watch. It is one of the most searched watch brands. The identification of a counterfeit is generally a sum of the parts. Here are a few ways we check to help authenticate one of these watches.

Spot Audemars Piguet 

One of the first tell-tale signs that you are looking at a replica watch is the price at which it is being sold for. If the piece you’re eyeing is cheaper than the competitors, this may be cause for concern. It could be an imposter watch. Price alone cannot determine whether that cheap Two Tone AP Buss Down watch is fake or in fact a great find. A low price is worth taking into serious consideration.

One of the first tell-tale signs that you are looking at a replica watch is the price at which it is being sold for. If the piece you’re eyeing is cheaper than the competitors, this may be a cause for concern. It could be an imposter watch. Price alone cannot determine whether that cheap Two Tone AP Buss Down watch is counterfeit or in fact a really great find but a suspiciously low price is worth taking into serious consideration.

Location

Just like in real estate Location is very, very important with watches. If you’re buying the Two Tone AP Buss Down watch on a side alley or at a local swap meet the chances are a lot higher that this watch is a fake. 

Know Who You Are Buying From (Research the Seller)

There are plenty of reputable dealers, but it never hurts to do your homework to ensure that you get a genuine timepiece. Google does a very good job of showing you the most established, trusted retailers to help safeguard against non-genuine models from entering the market.

Comb through customer reviews across multiple sites. If reviews are terse, eerily similar to one another, or are identical across multiple review sites, the seller could be posting phony reviews. Alternatively, if you cannot find any information on the seller, it’s best to move on.

Track down where the seller is located. The majority of overseas sellers are based in Asia—which does not mean all sellers abroad are counterfeit; rather, this should be a point in a list of factors to determine the seller’s credibility. At Diamonds by Raymond Lee, we provide a guarantee of authenticity, a 24 month warranty, certified appraisal, and mostly original paperwork and boxes by Rolex itself. Our in-house buyers meticulously inspect each watch in our inventory.

Material / Watch Quality

Metal Finish – the Two Tone AP Buss Down watch has a very fine brush-finish that runs vertically throughout the watch. Additionally, customers should be aware that the real Audemars Piguet is made of titanium, while replicas are usually done with stainless steel. 

Weight – 

“If it feels light, it isn’t right”, check to see that the watch has the proper heft for its purported metal. Stainless steel and gold metals are much heavier than a base metal that could be used for a replica. Further to this, mechanical movements are much heavier than quartz, which is often used as an alternative to the more expensive mechanical movements. Also, replicas are usually three to four inches thicker, especially at the cover on the bottom.

Tapisserie Pattern 

Audemars Piguet watches have a very specific design lasered onto the dial that forgers find difficult to replicate. Very commonly, forgers will either forgo the complicated Tapisserie pattern on the dial completely, or botch the design.

This specific part of the design is very important in distinguishing fake from real Two Tone AP Buss Down watches. Precisely the numbers, dates, space, and size between them as well as the size and shape of the logo are the best features to figure out a fake watch. Additionally, the design of the dial is featured with lines that mimic vinyl plates so therefore they are extremely hard to copy.

Rotor 

Represents one of the features where you can spot the fake Audemars Piguet easily. The finish, to be precise how shiny and how smooth the rotor is, does it have any jagged edges or simply looks poorly made can tell you whether this is the copy or real watch you are looking at. 

Movement

One of the most important things to inspect is the movement of the watch. Counterfeit ones may look just the same as the real deal, but they will never have the internal mechanisms of authentic watches. The Two Tone AP Buss Down watch, for example, has that trademark dial with a tapisserie pattern. Additionally, replicas can never mimic the same color pattern, so their color will always be paler. Besides this usually, mechanisms are set in a different direction than the original. Regarding the movement, the customer can also look at the friction behind buttons. If you actually push the button and give you the feeling like it is going to spring out, and it is not smooth means you are dealing with a copy. 

Sound. Do You Hear A Ticking Sound?

Another giveaway that you are looking at a fake is the ‘ticking’ of the clock hands. High quality Swiss watches have an almost inaudible tick due to the hundreds of years of craftsmanship behind them. If the Two Tone AP Buss Down watch has an audible ticking sound, it’s highly likely that the watch is a fake.