Audemars Piguet kicks off 50th anniversary of Royal Oak with Jumbo Extra-Thin
Audemars Piguet is unveiling a new generation of highly contemporary 39 mm Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin to celebrate the watch’s 50th anniversary
While retaining the general aesthetic of the original watch from 1972, this new Jumbo collection premieres the Manufacture’s latest self-winding extra-thin movement, Calibre 7121. The new collection makes its debut with an elegant timepiece marrying 18-carat pink gold with smoked grey hues. This piece is also fitted with the dedicated 50th-anniversary oscillating weight that will adorn the Royal Oak anniversary models throughout 2022.
For the first time since 1972, the Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin welcomes a new self-winding movement, Calibre 7121, specifically conceived to fit in the extra-thin Jumbo case without altering its aesthetic and thickness. Developed and produced by Audemars Piguet, this extra-thin movement measuring 3.2 mm in thickness replaces Calibre 2121, the thinnest automatic movement with central rotor and date indication of its time (3.05 mm) first introduced on the Royal Oak in 1972.
Five years of development went into the new Calibre 7121; its larger barrel confers it more power, making it more precise for a longer period of time. It is also equipped with a contemporary central oscillating weight mounted on ball bearings that utilises two reversers developed in-house to ensure bidirectional winding. Its balance wheel is fitted with inertia blocks that have been directly inserted within the balance wheel to avoid unnecessary friction. In addition, Calibre 7121 is equipped with a patented extra-thin low-energy date-setting system that enables the wearer to change the date easily with a simple turn of the crown.
The movement’s haute horlogerie decorations such as “Côtes de Genève,” circular satin, snailing, circular graining and polished angles can be admired through the watch’s sapphire caseback.
The latest model adorns the original guilloché Petite Tapisserie pattern, whose new smoked grey hues highlight its shimmering moiré effect. The pink-gold hour-markers and hands have retained their baignoire or “bathtub” shape, which enabled the luminescent material to be poured in for optimum legibility.
The polished gold applied AP monogram – here in pink gold to match with the case material – is situated at 6 o’clock, while the printed “AUDEMARS PIGUET AUTOMATIC” is at 12 o’clock. The “SWISS MADE” indication remains positioned at 6 o’clock, with the words SWISS and MADE on either side of the hour-marker to balance the dial. The minute train has been directly printed on the Tapisserie.
