Audemars Piguet Releases a Raft of Novelties for 2024

Ahead of Watches and Wonders (W&W) 2024, Audemars Piguet has released several new timepieces as part of its Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore, Code 11.59, and Selfwinding lines. The most notable among these is a collaboration piece with musician John Mayer. Here’s all you need to know about the AP watches on offer. 

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ‘John Mayer’ Limited Edition

To begin with, the 200-piece Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar 'John Mayer' Limited Edition (Ref. 26574BC.OO.1220BC.02) is a 41 mm white gold watch designed to be the final incarnation of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar limited edition, complete with the Manufacturer's self-winding Calibre 5134. The dial of the watch has been designed in close collaboration with the seven-time GRAMMY Award-winning artiste, known for his love of watches. It is inspired by a crystal sky and features an embossed motif made of irregular shapes resembling crystals with sharp angles and facets that add depth. According to the brand, “stamping die was created atom by atom, through a metal deposition process known as electroforming”.

 The month and leap year indications are at 12 o'clock, with the date subdial spotted at 3 o'clock. A moon phase is displayed in an aperture at 6 o'clock, while a day-of-the-week subdial is located at 9 o'clock. The weeks are displayed in white on the dial's blue outer ring, accentuated by the blue second hand. The watch is powered by Calibre 5134 — it will be the last watch to flaunt the movement, which has a 40-hour power reserve. Finishing the watch is an 18 ct white gold bracelet with an AP folding clasp.

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ROYAL OAK SELFWINDING

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Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding 43 mm

 The new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding (Ref. 15605SK.OO.A350CA.01) is a two-tone watch with a 43 mm stainless steel case and a blue rubber-coated bezel. This makes it one of the rare Royal Oak Offshore models without a chronograph feature. The athletic piece also features revised crown guards and a blue inner bezel. The smokey blue Méga Tapisserie dial features rhodium-toned gold attached hour markers and Royal Oak hands as well as a date window at 3 o'clock. 

 The watch is powered by the automatic Calibre 4302, which features a patented mechanism for stability and precision while adjusting the watch; it beats at 4Hz and has a power reserve of around 70 hours. A similar rubber strap surrounds the casing. Additionally, the novelty comes with an interchangeable black rubber strap. 

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Audemars Piguet Selfwinding 34 mm

The new petite and attractive 34 mm models include an 18 ct pink gold model with a pink dial (Ref. 77450OR.OO.1361OR.01) and a dual-tone stainless steel watch with pink gold on the bezel and links (Ref. 77450SR.OO.1361SR.03). Both watches have Grande Tapisserie dials and date windows at 3 o'clock, and are powered by Calibre 5800, which provides 50 hours of power reserve. The new watch's pink tint was achieved by ALD or Atomic Layer Deposition, while the grey dual tone of the bi-material watch was created using PVD. The sapphire caseback allows you to see the movement and the gold oscillating weight.

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Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding 37 mm

The 37 mm Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding (Ref. 15550BA.GG.1356BA.01) watch in 18 ct yellow gold has a frosted finish. The bezel and the bracelet sport a “glittering” look from hammered gold  — this is inspired by an age-old jewellery-making method that originated in Florence. Carolina Bucci, a jewellery designer, has reinterpreted the method. Marks are chiselled into the gold with a diamond-tipped tool. The polished and satin finishes on the case as well as on the sides of the bezel and the bracelet contrast with this appearance.

Furthermore, the watch has a smokey dial with black on the corners and gold in the centre. The “smoked” gradient is sprayed from the dial's perimeter to the centre, then out again. The effect is a deeper tone along the edges, with no distinct demarcations. The watch is powered by Calibre 5900, which has a high 4Hz frequency and a power reserve of 60 hours.  

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Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon

Two new references have been added to the line, both with 41 mm cases and glare-proof sapphire glasses. The first is Ref. 6730ST.OO.1320ST.05, which is made of stainless steel and has a smoked burgundy sunburst dial. The second is Ref. 26730OR.OO.1320OR.05, which is made of 18 ct pink gold and has a sandblasted grey dial. Their dials have attached white gold or pink gold hour markers and hands respectively. The flying tourbillon spinning on the dial at 6 o'clock is each watch’s standout feature. Both models are powered by the automatic calibre 2950, which has a power reserve of 65 hours. The timepieces are completed with matching bracelets with AP folding clasps. 

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Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked

 The 39 mm Royal Oak "Jumbo" Extra-Thin Openworked (Ref. 16204) watch, previously available in pink gold, yellow gold, and steel, now comes in 18 ct white gold. The current creation pays tribute to the dynamic style and beauty of the original Royal Oak from 1972. The brand has used grey tones to boost the legibility of the freely disclosed Calibre 7124 on the dial, which shows the barrel, the escapement, and the gear train. The mechanism is coated in several shades of grey to achieve a deeper look; wearers can see the black finished inner bezel, which is slightly darker and accentuates the dial's openwork feature. The dial has Royal Oak hands and 18 ct white gold attached hour markers. With a power reserve of about 57 hours, the timepiece is completed on an 18 ct white gold bracelet with an AP folding clasp.