Sound always played a role in the art of watchmaking, even before watches became a staple piece of accessories worn on the wrist. Think back to the old days when the tolling told the time of the bell. Audemars Piguet has always been building bridges with the music world and played a role in developing chiming watches. Now the Manufacture has created five references of the Royal Oak that is a tribute to the world of music.
The Royal Oak Offshore collection celebrates the long-standing relationship with music. This version features a Tapisserie dial that references the motifs of an equalizer, knurled-textured studs reminiscent of jack plugs, and crown guards that draw inspiration from the fader on mixing consoles.
The watches will come in 37mm and 43mm sizes in titanium, gem-set 18-carat white gold and black ceramic and will be available for both men and women. Because the Manufacture decided to spotlight the coloured pattern of the dial, it did not insert a date window onto any of the references. The watches are driven by two self-winding hours, minutes, and seconds movements.
Watches in the 37mm size are powered by the new Calibre 5909. The watch is also the first in its size to integrate self-winding hours, minutes and seconds movement. The movement is based on the Calibre 5900 and replaces the house Calibre 3120. The movement has a power reserve of 60 hours.
The 43mm variations are fitted with a Calibre 4309, the most recent movement created by the Manufacture in this size. In watchmaking, size does matter, and the generous size of the Calibre 4309 allows for optimal timekeeping precision and a power reserve of at least 70 hours when the watch is not worn.
The titanium iteration features blue dials that serve as a background for the printed VU coloured meter that delivers a shimmering contrast. The dial also features the AP monogram in polished white gold at 12 o’clock and 18-carat white gold hour markers. The 37- and 43-mm versions feature interchangeable rubber straps in various colours.
The Black Ceramic edition is dedicated to music and comes in a 43mm diameter model crafted from black ceramic. The watch has a monochrome aesthetic and features contrasting titanium elements – the studs that recall the jack pattern, the fader-inspired crown guards, and the strap pin buckle. The dial is given a burst of colour with ten colours printed onto the Tapisserie motif.
The Gem set watches come in 37- and 43 mm models crafted from white gold. The dial on these iterations is set with “Harmony”- cut stones and features a blue aventurine dial that depicts a musical VU meter. The ten colours creating the columns of the equalizer are achieved by the invisible setting technique of rubies, peridots, tsavorites, green, blue, and orange sapphires.
The 37 mm features 166 stones that total 3.7 carats, while the larger 43 mm variant features 230 stones and totals 6.15 carats. These watches are also fitted with a polished AP monogram at 12 o’clock and 18-carat white gold hour markers. The watches also feature interchangeable straps in turquoise, yellow and green.
The limited-edition watches are available at audemarspiguet.com.
