Seventeen years after the first forged carbon watch, Audemars Piguet is launching the new 43mm Royal Oak Concept reusing this material, confirming the brand’s desire to push its limits through continuous research and development.
Royal Oak Concept
We are all familiar with Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, one of the most iconic and well-crafted watches in watchmaking history. Thanks to its unique design, which stemmed from the pencil of master Gerald Genta, it has managed over the years to become one of the most sought-after models on the market, significantly helping to spread the Le Brassus brand around the world.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the model, in 2002 Audemars Piguet decided to create the Royal Oak Concept collection, which, for the first time in history, introduced significant innovations with respect to the iconic model with its octagonal bezel. Indeed, the particularity of this collection lies in the modern reinterpretation of the lines and materials of the first edition of the Royal Oak from 1972, with the aim of showing the brand’s ability to continuously innovate. This is also reflected by the limitedness of its editions, and the fact that each component is handcrafted precisely in the AP style.
The first Royal Oak Concept in 2002 was the CW1, a watch that sought to anticipate the future with this design that differed from the watches made by the brand until then. It was made entirely of titanium, and inside was a tourbillon. At 12 o’clock, the Dynamograph indicated the torque level in the mainspring, allowing the user to understand its power reserve status.
Over the years, several Concepts have been released whose common denominator is always the same: to enhance the brand’s skill from a technical and futuristic point of view. Among these models we find complications such as tourbillon, GMT or split-seconds chronographs. Below we can note the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon made in rose gold set with 208 baguette-cut blue sapphires, which features a flying tourbillon at six o’clock, visible thanks to an openwork dial also in rose gold.
The New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date
The watch that has just joined Audemars Piguet’s cutting-edge collection showcases the skill of the artisans at Le Brassus and the brand’s strength in constantly investing in research and development, innovating and improving its products not only technically.
This new watch, with a diameter of 43mm, sees the use of colored forged carbon for the first time. As I mentioned earlier, AP already used this material in 2007 but, today, it has gone further by including blue pigments that give character and special shades to the case.
To do this, a technology called Chroma Forged (CFT) was used, which allows carbon to be colored without altering its physical properties such as resistance to moisture, high temperatures, and impact. This new technique involves coloring the carbon filaments directly and not the resin, thus paving the way for new developments and design possibilities for the house’s watches.
Looking at the watch, we can see the presence of another all-black material. The bezel, crown, pushers, and case back, in fact, are made of black ceramic allowing the blue coloring of the dial counters, flange, and strap to stand out, especially in the dark.
The dial is skeletonized, allowing a glimpse of the new, highly complex caliber 4407, which builds on the 4401 of the 2019 AP Code 11.59. Here we find four complications: split-seconds chronograph, flyback, GMT, and grand date.
Final considerations
With this collection, Audemars Piguet sought to take its iconic model a step higher, adding complications worthy of a great house, all within watches inspired by a touch of imagination and flair with new materials and colors. This is also found in today’s watch, in which attention to detail and research into materials are certainly at the forefront, enhancing the brand’s skills.
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