You may be wondering why Rolex has been the target of such passionate outbursts from the Guide of late; well, simply put: it's because we care. We cherish the brand and all that it has stood for to date, for how else can one give birth to so many instant timepiece classics? But recent designs have left us both saddened and angry that decades-worth of careful nurturing have been trampled on.

Then, as we trawled the forums over on TimeZone - something The Guide spends an unhealthy amount of time doing - still reeling about Rolex, we came across these fantastic photos of the Audemars Piguet Dual Time and we just had to bring it to your attention.

These austere and utterly truthful photographs speak for themselves, don't they? We were left speechless before scrambling to find the right words to communicate what it was that struck us so about the Dual Time.

For starters, this is an utterly convincing and brilliantly executed form of design evolution. The Guide was already appreciative of the previous Dual Time model, but its replacement has moved from merely interesting to truly breath-taking. The Royal Oak design(s) divide opinions - and we'll point out that we don't care at all for any AP model outside the Chrono, Dual Time or base 15300 - and their co-branding/design exercises with rappers and racers are highly questionable, but what you're looking at is a design that is still fresh and relevant over 35 years later.

The Dual Time seduces us not only because it is a complicated watch, but because these don't detract in any way from the purity of the timepiece. If anything, they reinforce the coherency and consistency of the Dual Time. All of AP's updated design touches (particularly the slight size increases of the logo, hands and case) are delivered effortlessly without tainting the lines and impact of the case and bracelet. And the guilloche dial absolutely nails it. If anything, we're torn between the Dual Time and its equally striking 15300 - or base jumbo Royal Oak - sibling. Either way, we cannot restrain ourselves and fully expect for this timepiece to enter the The Guide’s collections in the near future.

Rolex, take note.....

All photos are from TImeZone. Originally posted by Paul Boutros