Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet introduces its first-ever Royal Oak collection tailored specifically for delicate wrists: the 34mm Self-Winding Watch crafted entirely from black ceramic, and the 34mm Self-Winding Frosted Gold Watch in 18K white gold. The new black ceramic model is adorned with rose gold accents, creating a striking two-tone contrast that exudes a sense of contemporary elegance. The timeless and versatile black hue accentuates the wearer’s individual style with effortless sophistication. Meanwhile, the 18K white gold Frosted Gold variant features a fresh blue “Tapisserie” patterned dial, presenting a unique combination that showcases the brand’s expertise in traditional craftsmanship and exquisite design aesthetics.
Exquisite black “armor”
This year, Audemars Piguet‘s summer collection of wristwatches draws inspiration from a rich array of materials and colors. The new 34mm Self-Winding Watch from the Royal Oak series combines modern advancements with exquisite traditional craftsmanship, boldly exploring the innovative potential of black ceramic. This robust timepiece, meticulously hand-finished, showcases subtle contrasts in texture and captivating light-play effects.
The beauty of black ceramic also lies in its intricate technical complexity. Ceramic timepieces require specialized manufacturing and meticulous hand-finishing processes. When crafting the 34mm Self-Winding Watch from the Royal Oak series, the specific composition and production processes of this sturdy material must be specially tailored to the watch’s smaller dimensions. This ensures that the timepiece maintains the Royal Oak series’ consistent proportions, aesthetic standards, and impeccable finishing.
In detail, the process begins by mixing zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) powder with specialized binders. Through a series of intricate procedures and high-precision machining, the mixture undergoes precise processing to form ceramic, the exact composition of which remains a proprietary trade secret of manufacturers to this day. Pigments must be added to the powder before the manufacturing process begins to ensure thorough integration with the material. The ceramic components must be fired at temperatures exceeding 1,400°C to achieve their final color. Given the sensitivity of pigments to temperature variations, ensuring color consistency across all components presents a significant challenge. Each ceramic component undergoes pre-polishing and satin-finishing treatments before being meticulously hand-finished with Audemars Piguet‘s signature alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces. Ceramic material offers both lightweight properties and exceptional resistance to abrasion and scratches, akin to a “suit of armor” protecting the movement. The case and bracelet undergo meticulous hand-finishing, resulting in an interplay of light and shadow.
The deep and rich black ceramic is complemented by sparkling rose gold details. Eight hexagonal screws made of 18K rose gold fix the bezel to the case, adding subtle color embellishments. Each screw is carefully hand-finished.
Understated elegance
The Royal Oak series self-winding watch uses a large “Grande Tapisserie” plaid black dial, embellished with 18K rose gold hour markers and hands, further highlighting the watch’s low-key two-tone aesthetic.
As a signature element of the Royal Oak series, the intricately engraved “tapisserie” pattern on the dial requires Audemars Piguet watchmakers to utilize specialized techniques passed down through generations in the brand’s atelier, skills that are no longer taught in contemporary watchmaking schools. Craftsmen employ engraving machines dating back to the 1970s to reproduce the patterns from templates, meticulously carving tiny squares on the metal baseplate of the dial. Meanwhile, they cut tiny diamond-shaped patterns within the fine grooves between the squares, creating a dense “woven” texture reminiscent of jacquard fabric. Achieving this level of craftsmanship demands unparalleled flexibility and precision from the artisans involved.
Calm and multi-faceted charm
The timepiece is equipped with the Calibre 5800 automatic winding movement, specifically designed for last year’s release of the 34mm Royal Oak series. It boasts a power reserve of 50 hours and a water resistance of up to 50 meters. Through the sapphire crystal exhibition caseback crafted from titanium, one can admire a portion of the movement’s inner workings, including the specially designed rose gold rotor. Upholding the tradition of exquisite watchmaking, the movement undergoes meticulous assembly and various finishing techniques, including Geneva striping, perlage, satin-brushing, and radiating sunburst polishing.
Distinctive light effects specially designed for slender wrists
The new 34mm Self-Winding Frosted Gold Watch from the Royal Oak series features an 18K white gold case adorned with the exquisite frosted gold technique, emanating a brilliant radiance. The shimmering finish of the case and bracelet contrasts sharply with the polished facets of the bezel, screws, crown, and bracelet links. The captivating light effects of the new light blue PVD-coated dial resonate with the watch’s design, creating an enchanting harmony. The dial is intricately engraved with the “Grande Tapisserie” large checkered pattern, while the white gold applied hour markers and Royal Oak hands complement the tone of the case. The 34mm case size is ergonomically designed to perfectly suit the needs of wearers with slender wrists.
Through the anti-reflective sapphire crystal bottom cover, the Caliber 5800 movement and its exclusive rose gold automatic rotor can be seen clearly. The movement has hours, minutes, seconds and date display functions, and a power reserve of 50 hours, making it an ideal choice for modern lifestyles.
Superb frost gold retouch
The frosted gold finishing technique draws its inspiration from the rich tradition of Florentine jewelry craftsmanship, reimagined in a contemporary context by jewelry designer Carolina Bucci in her modern jewelry creations. With her assistance, Audemars Piguet artisans have developed this jewelry technique into a watchmaking art suitable for adorning Royal Oak series cases and bracelets. By using tools with diamond-tipped points to hammer the metal surface, tiny indentations are created, producing a shimmering “diamond dust” effect reminiscent of gemstones. This finishing technique complements the distinctive shape and design aesthetics of the Royal Oak series, enhancing its recognizability. Today, the collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Carolina Bucci has evolved to perfection, imbuing the new 34mm timepieces with a distinct feminine allure.
Innovation Challenges and Long-lasting Friendships
Audemars Piguet’s collaboration with jewelry designer Carolina Bucci began in 2016. At that time, Audemars Piguet challenged Carolina Bucci to interpret the Royal Oak women’s watch designed by Jacqueline Dimier in 1976 in a new way. The resulting Royal Oak series of watches laid the foundation for many subsequent frost gold watches. The watch decorated with frost gold technology perfectly combines high-end jewelry design and advanced watchmaking technology, and is also a tribute to Audemars Piguet’s long history of jewelry watch development.
Technical Parameters
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Automatic Watch // 34 mm
No.: 77350CE.OO.1266CE.01
Functions: hours, minutes, central seconds, date display
Case: black ceramic case, 18K rose gold screws, anti-reflective sapphire crystal and titanium bottom, water-resistant to 50 meters
Dial: Black dial, engraved with the “Grande Tapisserie” pattern, luminescent rose gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands
Strap: black ceramic strap with AP folding clasp
Movement: Caliber 5800 self-winding movement
Overall diameter: 23.9 mm (10 ½ lignes)
Total thickness: 3.9mm
Number of gems: 29
Number of parts: 186
Minimum power reserve guarantee: 50 hours
Balance frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 times/hour)
About Replica AP Watches：
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