Audemars Piguet Celebrates 50 Years Of The Royal Oak With A New Design
6 min read
Audemars Piguet is back with a new design evolution for the Royal Oak. The new self-winding and self-winding chronograph references in 34, 37, 38, and 41 mm show small ergonomic adjustments in terms of case, bracelet, and dial design, while maintaining the general aesthetic standards of the original Royal Oak model from 1972. While the majority of the new watches use the dedicated "50-years" oscillating weight, the 37 mm references also feature the Calibre 5900, a new self-winding mechanism.
With the launch of five new calibres, a new generation of the Royal Oak 'Jumbo,' a dedicated "50-years" gold oscillating weight, and a fresh design evolution making its premiere on numerous models, the 2022 offering elevates the Royal Oak created by Gerald Genta to new heights.
A TRIBUTE TO THE ORIGINAL WATCH
The original Royal Oak 5402 aesthetics have been preserved in the stainless steel "Jumbo" variant. The watch's classic "Petite Tapisserie" dial and "Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50" hue compliment the steel case and bracelet, which are hand finished with satin-brushing and polished chamfers.
The dial's blue colour was originally achieved using galvanic bath, but it is now achieved through PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) to ensure a more uniform colour across the collection. An antique guilloché copying machine cut out hundreds of miniature truncated pyramids on the dial's thin metal plate to create the "Petite Tapisserie." Thousands of diamond shapes are carved out at the same time in the tiny grooves that separate the square bases.
CASEBACK IN SAPPHIRE
In contrast to the original model, the sapphire caseback here in rhodium-toned 22-carat pink gold allows for a view of Calibre 7121 and the anniversary oscillating weight. The Haute Horlogerie embellishments on the Calibre 7121 are visible through the sapphire caseback.
SMOKED HUES REFINED
A pink gold and a yellow gold model are available in the new "Jumbo" line, both featuring the signature "Petite Tapisserie" dial in new smoked colours. The smoked grey hues of the 18-carat pink gold model contrast with the smoked yellow-gold tones in the 18-carat yellow gold variant.
AN EXCLUSIVE RESEARCH AND REINTERPRETATION
This exquisite timepiece, exclusive to the AP Houses, contrasts its hand-finished 950 platinum case and bracelet with a smoked green dial with a sunburst pattern on the base. It's one of the few 39 mm models polished from this valuable material that's made it into the Royal Oak core collection today.
The vibrant green colour is achieved by drizzling green food colouring into the dial's protective lacquer. The smoked effect on the dial's periphery heightens the intensity of the colour while also adding depth.
Calibre 7121
The current "Jumbo" collection, which comes in a variety of materials and dial colours, pays homage to the timeless masterpiece from 1972. The four versions are driven by the Calibre 7121, a new selfwinding movement with a specific "50-years" oscillating weight that matches the case colour.
A NEW DESIGN EVOLUTION
Larger polished chamfers on the case and bracelet create a slimmer appearance with stronger light interplay between the satin-brushed and polished surfaces. In addition, the caseback has been significantly recessed into the case to allow for a more comfortable fit on the wrist.
To properly announce the tapering links, the first links of the integrated bracelet in stainless steel and other metals have a more dramatic fall in thickness. For enhanced comfort and visual appeal, all of the bracelet links are thinner and hence lighter. When viewed from the side, the bracelet's first links, where the case and bracelet meet, are now trapezoid in shape. In 2012, gold models were the first to have their thickness reduced.
3D GOLD SIGNATURE
Many of the new watches in the 34, 37, 38, and 41 mm sizes have the new 24-carat gold 'Audemars Piguet' signature, which was generated by galvanic growth, a chemical technique similar to 3D printing. For enhanced refinement, this long-form signature is presented without the AP monogram.
What a way to celebrate 50 years of the Royal Oak!
