Haute horlogerie marque Audemars Piguet has added new complications to its Royal Oak collection, such as the Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding 34 mm and the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Flyback Chronograph 43 mm
Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding 34 mm
Audemars Piguet expands its 34 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding collection with a new 18-carat white gold Royal Oak that shimmers with Frosted Gold. The sparkle effect adorning the case and bracelet provides a rich contrast with the polished bevels of the bezel, screws, crown and links. In harmony with the timepiece’s design, the newly introduced light blue PVD-coated dial subtly plays with ambient light. It is enriched with a “Grande Tapisserie” pattern, as well as white gold hour-markers and hands matching with the case. The 34 mm diameter offers an ergonomic aesthetics perfectly suited to the slenderest wrists.
Calibre 5800 and its dedicated pink gold oscillating weight can be admired through the glare-proofed sapphire caseback. This hour, minute, second and date movement features 50 hours of power reserve, ideal for a contemporary lifestyle.
The Frosted Gold finishing takes inspiration from an ancient Florentine jewellery technique, reinterpreted by Carolina Bucci in her contemporary jewellery creations. The jewellery designer assisted the manufacture’s craftspeople in developing it into a horological craft suited to the Royal Oak’s case and bracelet. Tiny indentations are created on the gold surface with a diamond-tipped tool, giving a shimmering effect similar to that of precious stones, like “diamond dust”. This finishing highlights the Royal Oak’s unique geometry and design codes, while capturing attention from a distance. Today, the technique resulting from the collaboration between the two workshops is adapted once more, this time to enhance the 34 mm model with an added touch of femininity and refinement.
The collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Carolina Bucci debuted in 2016 when the manufacture challenged the jewellery designer to reinterpret the original Royal Oak for women sketched by Jacqueline Dimier in 1976. The resulting Royal Oak timepieces paved the way for numerous Frosted Gold models across the Manufacture’s collections. These timepieces blending jewellery and fine watchmaking pay tribute to the Manufacture’s long history of jewellery watches.
Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Flyback Chronograph 43 mm
Limited to 100 pieces, the new selfwinding timepiece combines flying tourbillon with flyback chronograph in a new 43 mm case. This limited edition is powered by a new aesthetic interpretation of the Manufacture’s selfwinding movement with flying tourbillon and flyback chronograph originally released in the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection. While the flyback function enables to restart the chronograph without stopping or resetting it first, the flying tourbillon making its rotation at 6 o’clock compensates for the effect of gravity.
Adapted to the watch’s new diameter, Calibre 2967 presents a more sportive aesthetics attuned to the collection’s identity. Redesigned, the architectural titanium bridges adorned with black PVD coating incorporate titanium inserts for a two-tone contrast. While the titanium bridges have been finished with satin-brushing and hand-polished angles, the inserts present an alternation of sandblasted and polished surfaces for more visual appeal. In addition, the bridges’ external chamfers have been meticulously polished to remove the black PVD coating to further the contrast of colours and textures. The bridges also reveal part of the multi-layered movement’s two-tone components on both sides of the watch. Similarly, the flying tourbillon cage showcases the rhodium-toned balance wheel pulsating within. In addition to uncovering part of the gear train, the sapphire caseback presents the collection’s openworked oscillating weight in 22-carat gold coated with black PVD.
With 65 hours of power reserve and water-resistant to 100 metres, this complicated limited edition is fit for sporty adventures.
The timepiece’s titanium case presents larger polished chamfers on the edges, while the bezel and glare-proofed sapphire crystal have been vertically curved for a contemporary touch. The titanium sapphire caseback, finished with circular satin-brushing, is engraved with “Royal Oak Offshore Limited Edition of 100 Pieces.”
Two transparent chronograph counters, outlined with a black outer ring, leave the view of the two-tone movement unencumbered. The movement’s dark hues are also illuminated by more assertive 18-carat white gold hands, a white transferred minute track on the black inner bezel, as well as applied rhodium-toned AP initials realised in galvanic growth, appearing without the long-form signature. Last but not least, the red chronograph hands add a vivid touch of colour.
This timepiece is fitted with the new interchangeable strap system complementing the latest Royal Oak Offshore models. The timepiece is offered on a black interchangeable rubber strap, with an additional black hand-stitched “large square-scale alligator strap, and the AP folding clasp in sandblasted titanium. The Royal Oak Offshore collection also presents an assortment of two elegant calfskin straps in beige or brown fitted with the interchangeable system.
