On Monday, March 29th, Audemars Piguet announced their new releases for 2021 during their “Social Club”. You may have already read about a big piece of AP news in our previous article, but it is time to see the releases in detail!
Audemars Piguet 2021: Code 11.59
In one sentence: the triumph of the “two tone”.
The [Re]Master 01 (which you can read about in this article), started this trend, and it has been continued by the Code 11.59: more colours on the same case. The result? Spot on!
So here we are, with two additions to the Code 11.59 family, undoubtedly the most debated collection in the brand’s history. The pink gold and white gold cases (which emphasize AP’s intent to only use precious metals), have now been combined with black ceramic.
As always, this in-house automatic flyback chronograph features a plethora of details. One which is very much worth mentioning is the dial: look at the smoked effect and how it plays with the light, particularly towards the middle. Speaking of middle, that middle section, or, layer, of the case is such a great addition. The idea of having the octagonal part of the case contrasting the rest further highlights the fusion of shapes that makes this watch.
To top it all off: a perfect strap, which makes the watch really aggressive and out of the ordinary. Bravo, AP, as always.
Audemars Piguet 2021: Royal Oak Offshore Diver
New movement, new strap…new watch! This Diver is the same, gool ol’ Offshore, but with a new identity. Available in three colours (khaki, gray and blue), this is a watch with an entirely new aesthetic, but above all, a new function.
Aside from its in-house movements, this time, we turn our attention to the strap: for the first time on this watch, Audemars Piguet has developed a system which allows you to replace the strap and buckle in complete autonomy.
They also changed the movement and tweaked different aesthetic elements, which make the Offshore much more desireable.
Audemars Piguet 2021: Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
Great news: the new Offshore Chronograph is 43mm – slightly smaller than the previous one – something that many had been wanting for time now.
We find five very versatile colors, with new ergonomics and two important details. The first is the 4401-in-house calibre: a very technologically advanced movement, which we are very pleased to see being incorporated in the various different AP collections.
The second innovation, the quick release, really hammers the Diver soul of this watch home. I tried it myself, and I can tell you that it is really comfortable and done very well, but first and foremost easy to use.
Audemars Piguet 2021: Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Flyback Chronograph
Although it looks a lot like it, this is not a concept, believe it or not. With this piece, Audemars Piguet reconciles two (well, actually, 3) complications that I love to see together: a chronograph (flyback) and a tourbillon.
Measuring 43mm across, only 100 of these futuristic looking masterpieces will be made. Simply put, it looks stunning, and I cannot emphasize how badly I want to try this on! As far as I’m concerned, this is perhaps the finest piece of the Offshore collection. However, like many things in life, it might not be for everyone, though.
Audemars Piguet 2021: Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph
The protagonist here, once again, is the cal. 4401 that powers this watch…. it’s about time!
The beauty of this movement, in aside from its quality and construction, lies in the Flyback complication, which allows you to restart the chronograph without having to actually press the reset button it or stop it.
The big talking points for this release are the 41mm dimensions, full pink gold construction, the new blue and brown Grande Tapisserie dials, and – obviously – matching bracelets and straps. In fact, I would go as far as to say that these straps could make this watch sit right at home in formal contexts!
Although I am not a huge fan of the sapphire caseback (and detest date windows on chronographs), I am very pleased with this release overall.
Audemars Piguet 2021: Royal Oak “Jumbo” with factory diamond set
You probably know already, but diamonds are kind of my thing…
And now, they seem to be AP’s thing, too, as we have 3 new versions. Choosing the Jumbo case (39mm) was the perfect move: it’s a size that, in my opinion, can be comfortably worn by men and women alike!
The dials and indices are beautifully toned… and even though I do not love cases and bracelets which are set with brilliant-cut diamonds, this watch surely puts bust-down pieces to shame… that is, if ever you were considering one.
To find out more about watches with precious stones click here.
Audemars Piguet 2021: green, the colour of hope…
You’ve made it this far, and we know that this is what you clicked for… so here we are: the new, green AP Royal Oak, and all its flavours!
The five variants, which probably sold out in seconds, were and are everything that we didn’t know that we wanted.
Audemars Piguet 2021: Green Royal Oak “Jumbo”
It is the most beautiful 15202 I have seen thus far. Far better than blue…
Of course, it’s not steel, but platinum: a much more fitting metal for the likes of Audemars Piguet. But, as great as it may be, the platinum construction isn’t why you’re here.
That beautiful green dial is really something, isn’t it? Smoked, sun-burst, minimalist, classic…
I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that this was my favourite release by far!
It is not a limited edition, but rumor has it that the production will be very scarce. Also, they are exclusively available through the AP House (the “houses” that AP has all over the world, one of which is in Milan), and all already accounted for…
Do I dream of seeing one on my wrist? Yes.
Would I like it more than any other watch in the catalogue? Also yes.
Will I be wearing one in the near or even distant future? I sure hope so.
Audemars Piguet 2021: Green Royal Oak Flyback Chronograph
This is a limited edition of 125 yellow gold pieces with that stunning green dial, transposed on the classic Grande Tapisserie texture. Unlike previous models, on this iteration we have the caliber 2385, a “plain and simple” movement, without the flyback function.
Hey, you can’t have everything, right? Plus, the green more than makes up for the flyback’s absence.
I’d be keen to see what a leather strap could add to this watch, and even though I think it is less striking than the Jumbo, it is still a wonderful piece of horology.
Audemars Piguet 2021: Green Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon
The three variants of this flying tourbillon all feature a 41 mm case and that textbook Tapisserie dial in, yes, you guessed it, green!
The rose gold version is limited to 10 pieces, the titanium one to 50, and the titanium variant with the white gold bezel and emeralds to 15.
I’ll let you guess which one’s my favourite.
Making everything in a limited edition was an interesting choice, but still understandable. The titanium version is really, unorthodox, in a way, but I think it’s done on purpose. I think that AP is making a bold prediction on then next most popular material after steel.
If it weren’t for the 41mm cases, I might have preferred them to the Jumbo
Audemars Piguet 2021: the Collab with Marvel
More details are to follow soon, but at the moment, it has been confirmed that Audemars Piguet will collaborate with Marvel to produce some watches inspired by the characters of the comics and movies. The press release also talks about timepieces that drew inspiration from old Gerald Genta pieces featuring characters.
We’ll try to be ahead of the pack when more news breaks. I personally can’t wait!
Audemars Piguet 2021: No more 15202?
In case you missed it, I’ll leave you with a link to our article regarding the discontinuation of the Royal Oak Jumbo starting in 2022. That really took us by surprise…
Let us know which was your favorite and whether you expected something else..!
-Translated by Claudio F. & Patrick R.
