In 1923, Audemars Piguet created a minute repeating wristwatch (with a movement made in 1907) for John Schaeffer, the vice-chairman of the Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation. A few years later in 1927, the dial was personalised with the numerals being replaced by the letters of the owner’s name. The case furthermore featured a purely art deco cushion shape. In 1995, Audemars Piguet presented a new collection housed in this particular Art Deco inspired case and named it after John Shaeffer.

The present example features a minute repeating mechanism like its forefather, but contained within the centre of the dial is the main attraction – the wandering-hours display. A watch with no hands, the Star Wheel must be one of, if not, the most daring and avant-garde timepieces in the Audemars Piguet collection. It was in 1992 that Audemars Piguet rediscovered and reintroduced this unusual mechanism that originally elaborated in the 18th century upon the request of Pope Alexander VII.

Joining creativity, beauty and technical wonder, the asymmetrical time display is made thanks to three rotating sapphire disks with printed hours rotating on a centre wheel respectively pointing to the minutes on the upper part of the dial.

Made in a limited edition of 10 pieces of which the present example is number 5, the watch is in overall excellent condition with crisp clear strikes.