In the history of modern watchmaking, there is a before and after the Royal Oak, experts say. His arrival, which did not meet any of the traditional codes of timekeeping, will really move the lines. When designing the eight-bolt Royal Oak octagonal case, designer Gérald Genta confided that he was inspired by a diving helmet and its bolts. A challenge all the more daringAudemars Piguet was a very old watch factory.
However, the independent family business continues to make audacity one of the cornerstones of its identity. The proof is the ultra-complicated automatic watch RD#4, crowned last November at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix. This annual ceremony awarded him the Aiguille d’Or, which rewards the most impressive watches in all categories. A work of engineering and watchmaking know-how, the RD#4 movement has nearly a thousand components and powers twenty-three complications in an ultra-modern 18-karat rose gold case.
The irrevocably innovative spirit of production is further expressed in collaboration with Matthew Williams, founder and designer of the alternative fashion brand 1017 ALYX 9SM. While this American envisions disruptive clothing, a mix of New York influences and subversive culture, he favors high quality materials and details. For his very personal vision of the Royal Oak, he chose the absolute luxury of 18 carat yellow gold. A true (golden) bridge between the world of urban fashion and the world of fine watchmaking, the collection boasts such a minimalist aesthetic that the chronograph model is losing its shelves! Only the hands remain, which rotate at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock on an elegant gold dial decorated with a vertical satin finish. Counters also disappear on the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph, revised in yellow or white gold. It became iconic on the wrist of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The collection, remastered by designer Matthew Williams, benefits from the mechanical sophistication of three latest-generation automatic calibers, specially created and equipped with a gold oscillating weight, beneath its apparent simplicity. Time is still in gold with Audemars Piguet’s Code 11.59 watch, which caused a sensation when it was launched in 2019. Revised in proportions that better suit a woman’s or slimmer wrist, this dial is adorned in purple or ivory. The wave decoration, guilloched in the old style by the Swiss craftsman Yann von Kaenel, is pierced with hundreds of tiny voids that allow you to play with light and color. The luxury and finesse of details completely characteristic of haute watchmaking.