The Meaning of Audemars Piguet's New Watch, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar ...

According to Michael Friedman, the Head of Complications for the brand, "AP had long been known for complex case designs that were hand-finished in varying techniques to create contrast and play of light For example, the distinct and overt combination of satin and mirror finishing has adorned our wristwatches for over a century [] In 1955 Audemars Piguet introduced the world's first perpetual calendar wristwatch with leap year indication, in 1978 we introduced the world's first extra thin self-winding perpetual calendar wristwatch, and in 2019 we introduced the world's thinnest self-winding perpetual calendar wristwatch ever" The latest design is a stunning new interpretation of their iconic watch, the Royal Oak.

"The Royal Oak is one of the most important watch designs to ever be created, probably in the top 5 of all time," says Highsnobiety founder David Fischer On the conception of the Ultra-Thin, Friedman says, "When Giulio Papi became determined to lead his team to create an ultra-thin perpetual calendar wristwatch, it came from a desire to have a complicated watch that could fit under the cuff of any sleeve or jacket [] Fortunately, computer modeling provides the tools to test and refine an idea before the prototyping begins.

The geometry for the final mechanism was indeed so complex and unconventional that Giulio stated that had he been limited to pencil and paper as watchmakers would have been doing up until only a generation ago, it would have taken significantly longer and he may never have achieved the end result." Gray goes on, "I don't categorize Audemars Piguet as baroque because the real flash is inside of the watch That humble rumble." The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin is a true icon of today, and a bonafide staple of the new luxury Whether the Royal Oak is the right watch for you is something only you can decide, even if now is not the time, or even ten or twenty years from now. Source