Audemars Piguet continues to raise the bar as it toasts an illustrious milestone, and while its lineup is plenty eye-catching on its own, the inner specifications of a new Audemars Piguet watch consistently raise the bar, as is the case with its newest Royal Oak timepiece.
Audemars Piguet watches tend to set the pace in the luxury world, at least as far as an impressive blend of bold looks and precise craftsmanship is concerned (there’s a reason Jay-Z, among others, is a fan of the company’s wrist candy). The company notes that with its latest release, “simple is complicated,” and so while its textured dial and visually appealing case might strike the same chord as other Audemars Piguet watches, the end result offers more than meets the eye.
To be more specific: The new Jumbo Extra-Thin Selfwinding Tourbillon Chronograph RD #5 150th Anniversary does the nearly impossible by taking the Royal Oak silhouette and then retooling it with an inner movement that manages to blend both a flyback chronograph and flying tourbillon construction in an impossibly small package.
Accordingly, just 150 units worldwide are available when it comes to the suitably rare timepiece, which Audemars Piguet says “marks a new era of complications, offering a balance of lightness, durability, and brilliance.” The company notably toasted its 150th anniversary with a new green ceramic Royal Oak Offshore this spring, among a suite of other covetable and ultra-exclusive releases. Of this new edition, Bulk Metallic Glass makes up the caseback and bezel, while the sleek 39mm titanium case delivers imperceptible thinness and utterly chic style.
The trademark cushioned geometric AP Royal Oak case is offset by a striking blue “Petite Tapisserie” dial in equally recognizable Audemars Piguet fashion. Its hour markers and its 18-carat white gold luminescent bathtub hands also stand out in handsome and elegant fashion alongside a refined AP script logo. An integrated titanium bracelet finishes off the remarkably rare timepiece in streamlined style, and is another sort of Audemars Piguet signature.
That the watch manages to look and feel as thin on the wrist seems to be a testament to Audemars Piguet ingenuity, while its dual functionality is also exceptionally difficult to pull off at a such a small scale in terms of thickness (the dial is just 8.1mm thick). The all-new Calibre 1800 achieves a degree of precision that’s not to be overlooked.
As the watchmaker says, the new Jumbo Extra-Thin Selfwinding Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5 150th Anniversary succeeds at “combining technical sophistication, performance and iconic design with a new standard of ergonomic refinement.” As one might expect, pricing information is available upon request for the stunning new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak achievement.
