Audemars Piguet x 1017 ALYX 9SM x Designer Matthew Willams: A New Series Of Royal Oak & Royal Oak Offshore Unveiled
5 min read
The creator of the company 1017 ALYX 9SM and American designer Matthew Williams worked with Audemars Piguet to create a line of Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore watches that mix the Manufacture's recognizable codes with the designer's elegant touch.
The designer, who was born in Chicago, uses high-quality, cutting-edge, and highly sophisticated materials to create surprising and disruptive products while sticking to a comprehensive sustainable strategy. A number of Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore references are included in the firmly modern collection, which is the first to feature a similar minimalist style.
“A collaboration like this allows for me to explore and extend my knowledge to another area of excellence,” says Matthew Williams, Designer and founder of 1017 ALYX 9SM.
These understated watches, which range in diameter from 37 to 42 mm and are suitable for all wrist shapes, enable the wearer's personality to come through and serve as a link between the fashion and haute horlogerie sectors.
The gold dials have been simplified by Matthew Williams and Audemars Piguet to accentuate their exquisite vertical smooth finishing in an effort to create a style that is as pure and uncluttered as possible. As a result, classic monochromatic clocks are created using cutting-edge watchmaking methods and polished aesthetics.
All of the 18-carat yellow gold that goes into making the two Royal Oak versions is used. The hours, seconds, and minutes are displayed on the 37 mm Self-winding model. To draw attention to the beautiful vertical smooth finishing of the gold dial, the hour markings and date aperture have been deleted. The signatures "Audemars Piguet" and "1017 ALYX 9SM" are added to the understated dial's simple design. The 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph pushes the dial's minimalism to its absolute conclusion by getting rid of the chronograph counters altogether and only having the hands at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock move.
The two Royal Oak Offshore models have the same design aesthetic, removing everything but the most essential details from the dial. These 42 mm limited edition watches come in either 18-carat white gold or yellow gold, giving them a modest yet sparkling look. These models feature the Manufacture's interchangeable strap system and come with an additional strap made of dark black rubber for striking contrast.
The 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding is powered by the Manufacture's newest selfwinding movement with an integrated flyback Chronograph, Calibre 4409, while the two 37 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding models are powered by Calibre 5909, which beats at a frequency of 4Hz and has 60 hours of power reserve.
The Calibre 4404, which has an incorporated chronograph and a flyback feature, is used in the two Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore versions. Each model includes a sapphire crystal caseback that reveals the oscillating weight that was created especially for these limited editions. It is made of 22-carat yellow or white gold and has the signature "1017 ALYX 9SM" engraved on it.
