I've always had a special love affair with rectangular watches. There is something about this shape that feels very elegant to me ā and, of course, different from the round case that dominates the modern market. So when Audemars Piguet released a rectangular jumping hour in February 2026, I was immediately impressed. It is distinct, unlike anything else out there right now, with generous proportions and excellent legibility. To me, it also has a real tuxedo vibe ā black dial, warm pink gold apertures, and not a single element more than necessary.
A 1929 Idea, Modernised
Official press image ā Audemars Piguet
The Neo Frame Jumping Hour is the opening piece of an entirely new Audemars Piguet collection ā and it's one of the most surprising AP releases in years. The shape and the guichet (aperture) display are directly inspired by an AP pre-model from 1929, the reference 1271, which already used a jumping hour with trailing minutes. What I like is that AP didn't simply reissue the vintage piece: they reworked the proportions for a modern wrist and made the apertures big enough to be genuinely legible.
You can read more about the historical background in Hodinkee's introducing piece and the official AP page, but the short version is: this is AP reaching back into its 1920s rectangular DNA and using it to launch a brand-new pillar ā Neo Frame.
Case & Proportions
The case is 18-carat pink gold, 34mm wide, 34.6mm top to bottom, 47.1mm lug-to-lug and only 8.8mm thick. On paper that sounds small, but the long lug-to-lug and the gently curved gadroons make it sit beautifully on the wrist ā closer to a large Tank than to a tiny dress watch. Water resistance is 20m, which is more than enough for a piece you'll wear with a suit.
The construction is genuinely clever: there's no top or bottom crosspiece on the case. The entire front is a single flat sapphire crystal with black PVD treatment, with the dial bonded directly to the crystal and the gold-toned apertures cut through. The whole assembly is then screwed into the gold case ā which is why the front looks so monolithic and clean.
The Dial ā That Tuxedo Feeling
Official press image ā Audemars Piguet
The black sapphire dial with the warm pink gold apertures is exactly where the tuxedo vibe comes from. It's a black-tie watch in the most literal sense: deep black background, a touch of gold, and absolutely nothing extra. The jumping hour sits at the top, the trailing minute arc curves below it, and that's it. No seconds, no date, no logo fighting for space.
It also wears more discreetly than I expected. Under a shirt cuff it almost disappears, and then you flick your wrist and the hour snaps to the next number ā that little mechanical event is genuinely satisfying every single time.
The Movement
Through the sapphire caseback you see Calibre 7122 ā AP's first ever self-winding jumping hour. It's a 29.6mm round movement (4mm thick) based on the Calibre 7121 from the Jumbo Royal Oak, with 43 jewels, 4Hz frequency and a 52-hour power reserve. Knowing the base movement comes from the Jumbo is a nice detail: it ties this very dressy, very vintage-looking piece back to the most iconic modern AP.
On the Wrist
Honestly ā this one surprised me. I went in worried about the apertures being too small, and walked out convinced. The legibility is fine, the size is spot-on, and the whole thing has a quiet confidence that bigger AP pieces don't always have. It's not loud, it's not flexing ā it's just very, very elegant.
If the Royal Oak is the AP you wear when you want to be seen, the Neo Frame is the AP you wear when you'd rather be noticed only by people who know.
Quick Take
- Reference: 15245OR.OO.A206VE.01
- Case: 18k pink gold, 34 Ć 34.6mm, 8.8mm thick, 47.1mm lug-to-lug
- Dial: Black PVD-treated sapphire, pink gold-toned apertures
- Movement: Calibre 7122, self-winding jumping hour, 52h power reserve
- Strap: Black calfskin with 18k pink gold pin buckle
- Water resistance: 20m
- Vibe: Tuxedo. Definitely tuxedo.
Ā