Audemars Piguet has led the way in watchmaking since its establishment in 1875, pushing the boundaries of techniques, materials, and design. As the brand continues to foster collaborations that transcend traditional realms, it has merged haute horology with music, movies, sports, art, and fashion. The latest unveiling of 21 new watches reflects this innovative spirit. Here are our favourite Royal Oak novelties.
1. Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
Audemars Piguet teamed up with American singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso John Mayer to release this beautiful Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. Among the 41mm white gold watch’s standout features is its “Crystal Sky” dial, crafted to evoke Mayer’s desired emotional resonance.
The complex surface is embossed using an atom-by-atom process called electroforming, while the blue is applied via physical vapour deposition. According to Mayer, the dial is like gazing at a moonless night, providing a profound sense of depth and nature, alongside the technical prowess of a perpetual calendar. To enhance legibility and aesthetic harmony, he made subtle modifications to the perpetual calendar display that only become apparent on closer inspection.
The timepiece is powered by the self-winding calibre 5134, which will be phased out to make way for the next evolution of Audemars Piguet’s perpetual calendar mechanism. Limited to just 200 pieces, this collaboration combines technical excellence and a grand heritage.
2. Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked
As part of this timepiece, Audemars Piguet introduces Sand Gold, a novel expression of gold that blends gold, copper, and palladium to create a unique shade of white and pink gold. To ensure the watch’s open-worked movement, calibre 2972, matched its Sand Gold case and bracelet, it galvanised and colour-matched the inner bezel, open-worked bridges, and mainplate. The result is a wristwatch that appears seamless from all angles.
3. Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding
Audemars Piguet’s latest iteration of the Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding presents a 37mm yellow gold case adorned with the brand’s beautifully textured frosted finishing. The hammered finish on both the case and bracelet is a technique introduced to the Royal Oak collection by jewellery designer Carolina Bucci in 2016 to add sparkle and texture. Its dial matches the golden hue and features a hand-applied black spray varnish to create a vignette effect at the centre. Skilled artisans perform this process to achieve a captivating organic gradient effect. This timepiece is powered by the manufacture’s latest self-winding calibre 5900.
4. Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon
The 41mm stainless steel timepiece houses Audemars Piguet’s self-winding calibre 2950, an evolution of the brand’s first flying tourbillon watch from 2018. Despite the impressive technical features, it’s the captivating smoked burgundy dial that steals the show. Through a sunburst finish and translucent tinted lacquer treatment, the dial evokes the deep velvety hue of a Burgundy Grand Cru wine.
5. Royal Oak Selfwinding
Last but not least, the 34mm Royal Oak Selfwinding in pink gold with its soft pink Grande Tapisserie dial will certainly capture the hearts of many. It offers a discreet option within Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak line-up. The elegant pink dial was achieved through atomic layer deposition, showcasing meticulous attention to detail, even down to the perfectly matched colour of the date wheel. Watch enthusiasts will appreciate this thoughtful design touch. The watch is further buoyed by the self-winding calibre 5800 beating within, promising the perfect balance of beauty, strength, and technical excellence.
