Audemars Piguet launches Royal Oak self-winding flying tourbillon New appearance and new trends.
The tourbillon regulator first entered the Royal Oak in 1997 as a novel automatic movement with a hammer winding mechanism. Audemars Piguet has just announced the 41mm Royal Oak self-winding flying tourbillon. This is a tribute to the original 1997 watch, but it is different-this is the first Royal Oak equipped with a flying tourbillon.
The new model is launched in three variants, which are superficially similar to the existing Royal Oak Tourbillon-it is very much like an octagonal watch-but there are significant differences in both aesthetics and mechanics.
The titanium version immediately stood out, not only because the brand rarely uses metal, but also because the dial has a grained surface instead of the traditional guilloche pattern.
It is powered by the latest cal. The automatic movement 2950 is undoubtedly a subtle reference to AP’s status as a pioneer manufacturer of watch tourbillons-the brand launched its first automatic tourbillon watch in 1986.
Royal Oak watches are attractive in most appearances-usually the simpler the better-not only because of their design, but also because of the complex and complicated case surface. The unique feature of the titanium tourbillon is its clean, modern dial, which complements the industrial chic style of the case design.
The important thing is that this is not just a makeover. This is the first instance of calibration. At the Royal Oak in 2950. Although this movement is not a completely new movement, it is relatively new, and it was introduced in Code 11.59 last year.
As an automatic movement, it is an upgrade to the current Royal Oak Tourbillon with a manual winding movement. More importantly, calibration. The 2950 movement has a variety of attractive technical characteristics, including the large watch-style winding lugs, which will attract real watch nerds.
In other words, the brand new Royal Oak Tourbillon can be said to be the fair value of the iconic watch design and well-designed internal movement. As far as AP’s product line is concerned, its pricing is relatively good. Among the three versions, titanium has a unique case material and dial, which is the most eye-catching and most affordable product.
For titanium, although titanium is rare, there are quite a few discoveries in Royal Oak offshore companies, but titanium can improve the sportiness of the watch without affecting the luxury factor, because of the quality of metal finishing Same quality as steel.
But the titanium version is unique to the dial. The dial is decorated with a granular frosted surface, no decoration but fine details, in sharp contrast with the complex mechanical structure of the tourbillon. Combined with the case, the dial creates a low-key appearance, reminiscent of the original Royal Oak in 1972.
All three variants also have a co-applied logo at the 12 o’clock position, which is the first use of Royal Oak. The logo has been introduced in code 11.59. It is a sturdy 24k gold applique that is fixed to the dial in a traditional way, with tiny pins inserted into the holes in the dial. But it uses a completely high-tech method to manufacture: by repeatedly plating a thin layer of gold in the mold, “grow up” by electroplating.
Like the logo, the hands and hour markers are also solid gold, despite the 18k purity. On steel and gold watches, they are paired with a dial decorated with Evolutive Tapisserie guilloche, which is derived from the traditional checkerboard pattern of the Royal Oak and is radial and has a smoky effect to darken the edges.
Among the many new movements launched by the Associated Press for code 11.59 last year, 2950 is a self-winding movement that is very suitable for sports watches, especially when compared to the manual winding movement in the early Royal Oak tourbillon.
The tourbillon cage uses AP’s trademark three-arm design, but it is a tourbillon in flight, unlike most other tourbillon movements of the brand. The reason for being in a “flight state” is that the carriage is only supported underneath, and there is no bridge on the dial. The tourbillon cage rotates under the drive of the last gear in the gear train, while transferring energy to the escapement and balance wheel, thus saving time.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon 41 mm
Ref. 26530ST.OO.1220ST.01 (steel)
Ref. 26530TI.OO.1220TI.01 (titanium)
Ref. 26530OR.OO.1220OR.01 (pink gold)
Diameter: 41 mm
Height: 10.4 mm
Material: Steel, titanium, or 18 pink gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water-resistance: 50 m
Movement: Cal. 2950
Functions: Hours, minutes, and tourbillon regulator
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 65 hours
Strap: Matching metal bracelet