Audemars Piguet has announced a fleet of new releases for 2024. The highlights for these 2024 novelties include the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer” made in collaboration with the famous singer and the Sand Gold Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41mm in a brand-new gold alloy.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer”
Following on from the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar x Travis Scott Audemars Piguet have been quick to continue their range of musical collaborations with the release of the new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar x John Mayer. Mayer is typically associated with Rolex due to the John Mayer Daytona, but while that one is a nickname, his name is actually attached to this Royal Oak. A perpetual calendar in white gold with a 41mm diameter and a “Crystal Sky” dial.
That dial is produced using a highly involved combination of high-tech production techniques. First the brass dial is embossed using a stamp that was formed using electroforming, which means it was create atom by atom, resulting in an exacting and precise pattern. The dial is then coated in a deep blue PVD layer with a metallic sheen that makes the dial glitter and glimmer as light plays across it. The result is a dial that has a similar appearance to aventurine glass except that it’s far more complex and has a captivating 3D texture.
Powering the watch is the calibre 5134, a movement that first debuted in 2015. The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer” has been confirmed to be the last limited edition watch to house this movement, so its retirement is imminent almost a decade after its first use. It has a 40-hour power reserve with manual winding and beats at a frequency of 2.75 Hz. It’s limited to 200 pieces and is price on request.
Price and Specs:
Audemars Piguet Sand Gold Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41mm
The big news here is the launch of a new proprietary alloy of gold, which Audemars Piguet are calling sand gold. It falls on the spectrum between white gold and pink gold, which results in a very pale yellow tone. It’s an 18-carat alloy consisting of gold, copper and palladium that’s designed to be less susceptible to discolouration than other types of gold.
This new allow has been introduced on the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41mm, a model first released in 2022. It measures 41mm in diameter and features a skeletonised dial revealing the calibre 2972. It’s a pretty stunning movement with a 65-hour power reserve and automatic winding. It’s also interesting to see the three-dimensional architecture created in matching sand gold instead of the traditional materials used in movements.
As you’d expect from a watch with such intense skeletonization and haute horological flying tourbillon calibre, the Sand Gold Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41mm is price on request.
Price and Specs:
More details at Audemars Piguet.
