Le Brassus, July 2021 – Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet is delighted to expand its Royal Oak Selfwinding collection, established in April 2020, with new references shimmering with Frosted Gold – a jewellery technique developed in 2016 in collaboration with Italian jewellery designer Carolina Bucci. The 18-carat white gold piece is further enhanced with a Tapisserie dial in new shades of blue. This unique combination celebrates the savoir-faire and refinement at the heart of the Manufacture’s craftsmanship.
Contrasting plays of light for the slenderest wrists
The new 18-carat white gold Royal Oak model 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 glareproofed sapphire caseback. This hour, minute, second and date movement features 50 hours of power reserve, ideal for a contemporary lifestyle.
A refined frosted gold finishing
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.
A long-standing friendship built on creative challenges
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.
A sophisticated armour in shades of black
Audemars Piguet’s summer collection finds inspiration in its variegated materials and colours. The latest 34 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding explores the creative possibility of black ceramics by combining advanced technology with time-honoured craftsmanship. The timepiece’s robust build hand finished to the nines offers inspiring contrasts and plays of light.
Black ceramics’ aesthetic beauty also lies in its technical complexity, each ceramic model requiring dedicated manufacturing and hand-finishing processes. Making its appearance in the 34 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding collection, the composition and manufacturing of this unyielding material had to be adapted to the watch’s diminutive size, without compromising on the Royal Oak’s proportions, aesthetic codes and finishing techniques.
Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) powder, mixed with dedicated binder content is transformed into ceramics through a complex industrial flow requiring different stages of high-precision machining. The exact composition of ceramics remains the secret of its manufacturers. Pigments of colours are added to the powder before the manufacturing process, making it an integrant part of the material. The components achieve their final colour only once they have been sintered at more than 1400°C. Reaching a homogeneous colour across all components represents an additional challenge as pigments are extremely sensitive to temperature variations.
Each ceramic component is pre-polished and pre-satin-brushed, before being finished by hand with the Manufacture’s trademarked alternation of satin-brushing and polished chamfers. This light, yet ultra-resistant and scratchproof material protects the movement like an armour, while the detailed hand finishing embellishes the case and bracelet with an ever-changing play of light.
The depth and intensity of black ceramics is illuminated by scintillating pink gold accents. Eight hexagonal screws, exceptionally crafted in 18-carat pink gold, secure the bezel to the case, while bringing a subtle touch of colour. Each has been meticulously finished by hand.
Understated elegance
The Royal Oak Selfwinding timepiece sports a black “Grande Tapisserie” dial highlighted with 18-carat pink gold hour-markers and hands to further the watch’s understated two-tone aesthetics.
The dial’s guilloché design—one of the Royal Oak’s trademarks—is achieved following an in-house know-how no longer taught in horology school. Little squares are carved out on the dial’s thin metal plate by an engraving machine dating back to the 1970s that reproduces the motif of a pattern. Small diamond shapes are simultaneously cut out in the thin grooves separating the squares in a seamless “weave” that creates a tapestry appearance. This process requires utmost dexterity and precision.
Effortlessly versatile
The selfwinding movement, Calibre 5800, has been conceived for the Royal Oak’s 34 mm line unveiled last year and features 50 hours of power reserve and water resistance up to 50 metres deep. Part of its inner workings and dedicated pink gold oscillating weight are visible through the watch’s sapphire titanium caseback. Keeping with tradition, the movement has been assembled and finished with “Côtes de Genève,” circular graining as well as satin- and sunray-brushing.
When pioneering ceramics meets fashion
The first external components honed from ceramics made their debut at Audemars Piguet in the late 1980s. Around 1986, the feminine Bamboo collection welcomed different models with two-tone bracelets often combining diamond-set gold with ceramic links in hues of red, white or black. The shade of the dial frequently matched the ceramic components, enhancing the timepiece’s two-tone design.
Black ceramics returned decades later, this time in a completely different style. In the early 2000s, new materials and alloys inspired by technical fields as diverse as aeronautics and automotive sports made their way into the watchmaking industry, the Royal Oak Offshore and Royal Oak Concept collections being perfect platforms to experiment with these high-tech materials. In 2006, the Manufacture released the Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello Chronograph II, the first Audemars Piguet watch to present a black ceramic bezel complemented with matching push-pieces and crown. This automotive-inspired timepiece heralded a new generation of sports watch boasting ceramic bezels in variegated shades, including white, blue and khaki. In 2009, Audemars Piguet released a 37 mm Royal Oak Offshore for the smaller wrists featuring a forged carbon® case, topped off with a black ceramic bezel set with diamonds for a more feminine touch.
In 2011, the Manufacture went a step further, presenting its first black ceramic case with the Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy Chronograph. With its 48 mm diameter, this extreme and ultra-resistant sports watch presented a bold, yet sophisticated style of its own.
Black ceramics took on a more refined look when it made its appearance in the Royal Oak collection in 2017 with the first all-black ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in a case diameter of 41 mm. For the first time in the Manufacture’s history, the watch also presented a bracelet fully crafted in black ceramics, enhancing the collection’s silhouette and hand-finishing techniques. This model was complemented with a white ceramic version a year later. Other Royal Oak complications dressed in black ceramics followed, including the Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked (2018), the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked (2019), the Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin (2019), as well the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked (2020).
Today, the 34 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding in black ceramics paves the way for multifaceted mechanical timepieces conceived for the slenderest wrists, combining high-tech materials with timeless chic.
Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph in 38 mm pink
For the first time, the Manufacture is offering a solid 18-carat pink gold timepiece with a bezel that has been set with an array of baguette-cut amethysts. These purple gemstones surround and match the tones of the timepiece’s purple dial to perfection. Developed by the Manufacture’s artisans, the timepiece’s dial displays a range of purple hues that dance and change colour in the light.
A new selfwinding chronograph reference in 38mm
This new reference, combining pink gold and purple tones, expands the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 38 mm range that was first unveiled by the Manufacture in 2019. Both elegant and stylish, its pink gold case and bracelet feature alternating polished and satin-finished surfaces that are the signature of Audemars Piguet. The case houses the selfwinding Calibre 2385 with the following functions: chronograph, hours, minutes, small seconds and date, while the pink gold caseback has been finished with a sandblasted and satin-finished decoration and features a “Royal Oak” engraving.
A new purple dial for endless variations
The purple dial has been decorated with a “Grande Tapisserie” pattern, offering an unprecedented colour-changing effect akin to that of a chameleon – a first for the Manufacture. This is achieved thanks to a new colour treatment that consists of applying multiple layers of purple PVD to the dial. The tones range from pink to purple, passing by all the different nuances of blue, depending on the angle of the watch and the play of light.
The dial is completed by three chronograph counters, also in purple. The 18-carat pink gold applied hour-markers and the Royal Oak hands are designed to match the case and bracelet, providing an enchanting contrast with the colour of the dial.
Amethyst – between excellence and technical challenges
The bezel of this new chronograph is set with 32 baguette-cut amethysts (~2.85 carats) which harmoniously blend with the purple chameleon dial. This is the first time that the Manufacture presents a bezel entirely set with purple gemstones.
Amethysts are a type of mineral quartz that often come in different shades of purple. These diverse hues make the gemmologist’s task particularly difficult as they need to search for gemstones that have uniform and identical hues in order to create a harmonious gem setting. Nowadays, these gems are recognised and appreciated for their healing properties and powers that are said to ward off negative energy. The gemstones are often used in jewellery as they offer an alternative to the more popular precious stones as well as new colour options.
Amethysts bring a refined elegance to the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph, while at the same time charging it up with positive energy.
Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked
This autumn, Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet will complement its Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked series with three new references in 41 mm and two in 37 mm, all displaying a rainbow bezel composed of multicoloured gemstones. The attention to detail at the heart of these timepieces and their interplay of colours, materials and refined decorations draw inspirations from diverse worlds, including Haute Joaillerie and Haute Couture.
The scintillating effect of the Frosted Gold case and bracelet is emphasized by the array of vivid and brilliant rainbow-coloured gemstones carefully selected to reach a harmonious colour spectrum. These contrasted plays of light illuminate the Manufacture’s state-of-the-art openworked double balance wheel mechanism visible on both sides of the watch. Blending age-old techniques with contemporary design, these new timepieces radiate timeless elegance.
Rainbow of multi-coloured gem-stones
Audemars Piguet presents a new rainbow bezel set with 12 different types of multi-coloured gem-stones, including ruby, tsavorite, emerald, topaz, tanzanite, amethyst and a variety of coloured sapphires. Each of the 32 baguette-cut gemstones composing the rainbow has been meticulously chosen to offer vivid hues, a smooth gradation and seamless harmony when combined. The progressing shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple also bring out the octagonal geometry of the bezel.
The 32 gemstones have been individually cut and polished to present sharp and clear angles, before being set by hand on the gold bezel. Perfectly aligned, the gemstones reflect light to create a unique optical experience akin to that of a rainbow.
A shimmering “diamond-dust” effect
The case and bracelet of the 37 and 41 mm models in white, pink or yellow gold shimmer with Frosted Gold – a finishing technique first produced in collaboration with Carolina Bucci in 2016 for the 40th anniversary of the ladies’ Royal Oak. The jewellery designer has reinterpreted this ancient technique in her contemporary jewellery creations and 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 sparkle effect similar to that of precious stones, like “diamond dust.” Superposed to the bezel’s polished bevels, this finishing highlights the Royal Oak’s unique geometry and design codes, while capturing attention from a distance.
Blending patented innovation and age-old savoir-faire
The rainbow bezel and Frosted Gold case open onto the openworked Manufacture movement, Calibre 3132, and its double balance wheel mechanism. This patented innovation, released by Audemars Piguet in 2016, improves the watch’s precision and stability. By incorporating two balance wheels and two hairsprings assembled on the same axis, the system oscillates in perfect synchrony. Visible on both sides of the case, the double balance wheel confers a rare glimpse at the watch’s beating heart.
In addition, the openworked bridges reveal part of the gear train on the dial and caseback sides. An Audemars Piguet speciality since the 1930s, openworking is an art balancing aesthetics and function. Highly trained experts create the movement by starting with the end design and working backwards. Cut too little in the wrong place and it looks wrong. Cut too much and the movement’s functionality is compromised. Solving the puzzle demands horological mastery and profound knowledge of materials and finishing techniques.
Close-up on the 41 mm and 37 mm novelties
A vivid combination debuting in 41 mm
For the first time, the Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked in 41 mm displays a rainbow-coloured bezel. Frosted Gold models in yellow and pink gold also make their debut in the collection.
Keeping with the aesthetics of the current 41 mm offering, the new yellow, pink or white Frosted Gold case and bracelet are contrasted by the openworked movement’s slate grey NAC-coated bridges and enhanced by the dial’s black inner bezel. The two-tone design is accentuated as the double balance wheel at 8 o’clock takes on yellow gold-toned, pink gold-toned or rhodium-toned hues to echo the case’s colour. Similarly, the hour-markers and luminescent Royal Oak hands are crafted in yellow, pink or white gold.
The 37 mm collection expands its offering
The Manufacture releases two new 37 mm Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked references in 18-carat pink and yellow gold for the smaller wrists to complement the 18-carat white gold piece launched in 2019. Both sport a matching pink or yellow gold-toned openworked movement, sharply contrasted by the blackened openworked barrel at 1 o’clock which discloses the watch’s mainspring.
In the same tone as the movement and case, the pink or yellow gold hour-makers and luminescent Royal Oak hands blend in to foreground the artistry of Calibre 3132.
***
The new Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel in 37 and 41 mm will be exclusively available in Audemars Piguet’s Boutiques as of October 2021.
“Born in Le Brassus, raised around the world.”
Through the lens of Harley Weir
Drawing synergies between Haute Couture and Haute Horlogerie, photographer Harley Weir explores how a timepiece or a Couture look reflects the wearer’s personality and free-spirited attitude.
Eclectic in colour, savoir-faire, materials and style, the Audemars Piguet 2021 summer collection finds inspiration in diverse worlds to present a kaleidoscopic view of the contemporary woman. Blending tradition with avant-garde, the variegated timepieces offer creative contrasts, from the sleek aesthetics of black ceramics to the shimmering sparkle of Frosted Gold or the vivid hues of multicoloured gemstones. These multifaceted mechanical pieces will be true statements when worn on the wrist.
«My inspiration for the shoot was to think about the way the watch was made and its different materials and then think about how the woman is made, what is part of her personality, what is her character, who she is… fashion has always intrigued me as well in that sense, building your character.
I love this idea that people wear part of themselves visually, so the people can show on their bodies what they desire inside.» – Harley Weir, Fashion photographer
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Technical Specifications and Price
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding 34mm Ref. 77353BC.GG.1263BC.01
Functions
- Hours, minutes, centre seconds and date.
Movement specifications
- Selfwinding Calibre 5800
- Total diameter: 23.9 mm (10½ lignes)
- Total thickness: 9 mm
- Number of jewels: 29
- Number of parts: 186
- Minimum guaranteed power reserve: 50 hours
- Frequency of balance wheel: 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hours)
Case
- Hammered 18-carat white gold case, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, water-resistant to 50 m.
- Case thickness: 8.8 mm
Dial
- Light blue dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern, white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
Bracelet
- Hammered 18-carat white gold bracelet with AP folding clasp.
Price
- 49.400,00 €
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Black Ceramic Selfwinding 34mm Ref. 77350CE.OO.1266CE.01
Functions
- Hours, minutes, centre seconds and date.
Movement specifications
- Selfwinding Calibre 5800
- Total diameter: 23.9 mm (10½ lignes)
- Total thickness: 9 mm
- Number of jewels: 29
- Number of parts: 186
- Minimum guaranteed power reserve: 50 hours
- Frequency of balance wheel: 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hours)
Case
- Black ceramic case, 18-carat pink gold screws, glareproofed sapphire crystal and titanium caseback, water-resistant to 50 m.
- Case thickness: 8.8 mm
Dial
- Black dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern, pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
Bracelet
- Black ceramic bracelet with AP folding clasp.
Price
- 45.200,00 €
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 38 mm Ref. 26319OR.AY.1256OR.01
Functions
- Chronograph, hours, minutes, small seconds and date.
Movement specifications
- Selfwinding Calibre 2385
- Total diameter: 26.2 mm (11½ lignes)
- Total thickness: 5.5 mm
- Number of jewels: 37
- Number of parts: 304
- Minimum power reserve guaranteed: 40 hours
- Frequency of balance wheel: 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)
Case
- Case in 18-carat pink gold, bezel set with 32 baguette-cut amethysts, glareproofed sapphire crystal, screw-locked crown, water-resistant to 50 m.
Dial
- Purple dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern, purple chronograph counters, 18-carat pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
Bracelet
- 18-carat pink gold bracelet with AP folding clasp.
Gem setting
- 32 baguette-cut amethysts, ~2.85 carats (bezel)
Price
- 81.800,00 €
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked 41 mm Ref. 15412OR.YG.1224OR.01-A
Functions
- Hours, minutes, centre seconds and date.
Movement specifications
- Selfwinding Calibre 3132
- Total diameter: 26.6 mm (11 ¾ lignes)
- Total thickness: 5.6 mm
- Number of jewels: 38
- Number of parts: 245
- Minimum guaranteed power reserve: 45 h
- Frequency of balance wheel: 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)
Case
- Hammered 18-carat pink gold case, bezel set with 32 “rainbow” baguette-cut multicoloured gemstones, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, screw-locked crown, water-resistant to 50 m.
- Case thickness: 10 mm.
Dial
- Openworked slate grey dial, pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating
Bracelet
- Hammered 18-carat pink gold bracelet with AP folding clasp.
Price on Request
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked 41 mm Ref. 15412BA.YG.1224BA.01-A
Functions
- Hours, minutes, centre seconds and date.
Movement specifications
- Selfwinding Calibre 3132
- Total diameter: 26.6 mm (11 ¾ lignes)
- Total thickness: 5.6 mm
- Number of jewels: 38
- Number of parts: 245
- Minimum guaranteed power reserve: 45 h
- Frequency of balance wheel: 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)
Case
- Hammered 18-carat yellow gold case, bezel set with 32 “rainbow” baguette-cut multicoloured gemstones, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, screw-locked crown, water-resistant to 50 m.
- Case thickness: 10 mm.
Dial
- Openworked slate grey dial, yellow gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
Bracelet
- Hammered 18-carat yellow gold bracelet with AP folding clasp.
Price on Request
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked 41 mm Ref. 15412BC.YG.1224BC.03-A
Functions
- Hours, minutes, centre seconds and date.
Movement specifications
- Selfwinding Calibre 3132
- Total diameter: 26.6 mm (11 ¾ lignes)
- Total thickness: 5.6 mm
- Number of jewels: 38
- Number of parts: 245
- Minimum guaranteed power reserve: 45 h
- Frequency of balance wheel: 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)
Case
- Hammered 18-carat white gold case, bezel set with 32 “rainbow” baguette-cut multicoloured gemstones, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, screw-locked crown, water-resistant to 50 m.
- Case thickness: 10 mm.
Dial
- Openworked slate grey dial, white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
Bracelet
- Hammered 18-carat white gold bracelet with AP folding clasp.
Price on Request
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked 37 mm Ref. 15468OR.YG.1259OR.01-A
Functions
- Hours, minutes, centre seconds and date.
Movement specifications
- Selfwinding Calibre 3132
- Total diameter: 26.6 mm (11 ¾ lignes)
- Total thickness: 5.6 mm
- Number of jewels: 38
- Number of parts: 245
- Minimum guaranteed power reserve: 45 h
- Frequency of balance wheel: 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)
Case
- Hammered 18-carat pink gold case, bezel set with “rainbow” baguette-cut multicoloured gemstones, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, screw-locked crown, water-resistant to 50 m.
- Case thickness: 10 mm.
Dial
- Pink gold-toned openworked dial, pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating
Bracelet
- Hammered 18-carat pink gold bracelet with AP folding clasp.
Price on Request
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked 37 mm Ref. 15468BA.YG.1259BA.01-A
Functions
- Hours, minutes, centre seconds and date.
Movement specifications
- Selfwinding Calibre 3132
- Total diameter: 26.6 mm (11 ¾ lignes)
- Total thickness: 5.6 mm
- Number of jewels: 38
- Number of parts: 245
- Minimum guaranteed power reserve: 45 h
- Frequency of balance wheel: 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)
Case
- Hammered 18-carat yellow gold case, bezel set with “rainbow” baguette-cut multicoloured gemstones, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, screw-locked crown, water-resistant to 50 m
- Case thickness: 10 mm.
Dial
- Yellow gold-toned openworked dial, yellow gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
Bracelet
- Hammered 18-carat yellow gold bracelet with AP folding clasp.
Price on Request
