Say What???

As you might have already guessed, this article is somewhat off the beaten path of horology.  Now and again I come across interesting “one-off” watches worthy of a mention, and today is such a time.  The last obscure watch that I recall covering is a Patek 5180T (see: Two Titanium Patek’s You Didn’t Know Existed).  Even though though the aforementioned Patek 5180T was a highly skeletonized work of art, I must say that it lacks the true holiness of today’s find — an Audemars Piguet Millenary that is to be gifted to Pope Benedict XVI just days from now.

The story is that Vatican Radio, the radio commissioned by Pius XI to amplify  “the voice of the Pope and the Catholic Church in dialogue with the world”, turned 80 years old this year, and to commemorate the event Vatican Radio has chosen to donate to Pope Benedict XVI a special Audemars Piguet watch. The white gold Audemars Piguet Millenary, engraved with the words “AB XVI – 80° RADIO VATICANA – 1931 – 2011″, will be presented to the Vatican on April 30.  The pressing question is, will the Pope actually wear this watch?  My guess is that it will be tucked away into the Papal archives.   The thought of the Pope wristing an Audemars Piguet during Sunday church seems well, weird, doesn’t it?

Via:  Orologio Blog (Italy).

The “Vatican Radio” Audemars Piguet Millenary for the Pope

Pope Benedict XVI (2010)