Two of Audemars Piguet’s areas of expertise, the perpetual calendar and the ultra-thin movement, come together in this masterpiece.
Check below for other novelties from Audemars Piguet.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Collection - SIHH 2018
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Collection - SIHH 2018
This special model, which has been in development for five years, finally came out as one of Audemars Piguet’s SIHH 2018 novelties. Of course, the main reason for the long waiting period is due to the fact that the technological limits have to be forced to the extreme. The geometry of the movement, which had a three layer structure in its original form, is presented to the likes of watch enthusiasts in the form of a single layer compressed by re-designing and then adding extra complications. The result is; the world’s thinnest full size oscillating rotor perpetual calendar movement with a total thickness of 2.89mm only.
Let’s take a closer look at the model that shattered the records.
The case of the model is made of platinum –one of the most precious metals on earth. This choice is of course not a coincidence. On the contrary, it is only a tool to glorify the movement that beats at the heart of the model. The use of solid gold in luxury watchmaking is a fact that we often encounter. In order to eliminate the durability problems caused by the soft structure of the metal, 18K gold alloys with a content of 75% pure gold are used in the industry. However, the situation for platinum is quite different. Due to its physical properties, the Grade 950 i.e. 95% percent pure platinum case, bezel and bracelet do not only feel heavy , but also provides a perception of high quality by their superior craftsmanship.
The case measures 41mm in diameter and stands out with its octagonal bezel, which became a signature of the brand. It has a very thin structure that will create almost a two-dimensional impression when viewed from the sides. The new model’s case, which is even 2mm thinner than the non-complication Royal Oak Jumbo model’s with a total height of 6.3mm, has been designed without compromising the structural durability thanks to the Audemars Piguet’s engineers’ selflessly work.
The model’s case is equipped with scratch resistant sapphire crystals on both sides and it is water resistant to 20 meters which is an adequate rate for such an elegant model. The RD # 2 engraving, located on the rear side of the watch, is only one of the model-specific details.
Audemars Piguet’s in-house Caliber 5133, which measures 32mm x 2.89mm, can be enjoyed to its finest detail. 37 jewels self-winding movement is composed of 256 individual parts. Operating at 2.75Hz, the movement provides a power reserve time of 40 hours when fully wound.
The blue "Grande Tapisserie" pattern dial, now associates with the Royal Oak model family, is designed in a very minimalistic way that allows the user to read a variety of information without being eye-straining. Positioning the moon phase indicator, which is an indispensable feature for the perpetual calendar complication, at 12 o’clock is definitely a brilliant choice as the brand pays homage to its very first perpetual calendar model issued back in 1955 by this detail. Apart from this, it is also possible to read the day, date, month, year and day/night indicators from the dial as well.
As an Audemars Piguet classic, the bracelet shines with its superior workmanship and quality. The new model’s bracelet also comes on a double-folding clasp as in the other Royal Oak versions.
Audemars Piguet pushes the boundaries of traditional hi-end watchmaking without sacrificing refinement and quality with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak RD#2 Perpetual Chronograph Ultra-Thin model. The new model, designated with the reference 26586PT.OO.1240PT.01, seems to be a very hard to get timepiece in terms of price and availability.
