AUDEMARS PIGUET – ROYAL OAK Selfwinding Chronograph 41mm Black Ceramic

 

AUDEMARS PIGUET – ROYAL OAK Selfwinding Chronograph 41mm Black Ceramic 50th Anniversary - 2022

 UNVEILS ITS FIRST 41 MM
ROYAL OAK SELFWINDING CHRONOGRAPH CRAFTED IN BLACK CERAMIC

Le Brassus, September 2022 – Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer, Audemars Piguet, is pleased to unveil a new version of its 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph, for the first time, crafted in black ceramic. As the Manufacture celebrates the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary, this new reference features the collection’s latest dial design and “50-years” dedicated anniversary oscillating weight.

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The Manufacture reveals its first 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph entirely crafted in black ceramic for the occasion of the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary. The pink gold accents illuminating this all-black timepiece provide an elegant contrast. © Courtesy of Audemars Piguet

EXPERTLY CRAFTED IN BLACK CERAMIC

This latest version of the 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph is encased in black ceramic with contrasting pink gold accents appearing on the dial. Beyond its aesthetic charms, ceramic requires much expertise. 

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It necessitates a complex manufacturing process and the use of several hand-finishing techniques. Its composition unites Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) powder with a specific binder, albeit the precise composition of the ceramic remains a closely guarded secret. Once the material is sintered at a temperature of approximately 1400°C, its final colour is revealed, appearing homogenous throughout.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTOWhile black ceramic exhibits a contemporary appearance, it draws on the traditions of the Manufacture’s craftsmanship. Each ceramic component is pre-polished and pre-satin-brushed prior to being finished by hand, culminating in polished chamfers juxtaposed with Audemars Piguet’s trademark satin-brushed and polished surfaces. The resultant material is ultra-resistant, scratchproof and attractively engaging with light.

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The black dial incorporates a Grande Tapisserie pattern and matching counters enhanced by fine pink-gold-toned threads. Additional pink gold highlights, including applied hour-markers, Royal Oak hands and the Audemars Piguet signature, deliver eye-catching contrast.

AN EVER EVOLVING DESIGN

To celebrate the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary, this new 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph housed in black ceramic sports the collection’s new evolutionary dial design. The artisans have harmonised the size of the luminescent facetted hour-markers and the hands – both recognisable codes of the Royal Oak – while retaining their aesthetics, reinforcing the coherence between the different models across the collection, regardless of diameter and material.

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In addition, the logo has been reworked. A gold Audemars Piguet signature endowed with a unique topography now replaces the applied AP monogram and the printed “AUDEMARS PIGUET” at 12 o’clock. The embossed signature adorning the new Royal Oak “anniversary” models was originally conceived for the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection. Made of thin layers of 24-carat gold, the signature is achieved through a chemical process akin to 3D printing known as galvanic growth. Each letter is connected with links approximately the size of a hair and placed on the dial by hand with tiny legs almost invisible to the naked eye.

By increasing the size of the small seconds display, all three counters share the same diameter, augmenting readability. The central sweep seconds hand features a new style of counterweight encompassing a new trapezoidal openworked profile. For its part, the black ceramic bracelet has been slightly revised for more visual appeal. The pins connecting the links to the studs are no longer visible on the bracelet’s sides, but fitted directly into the studs.

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Lastly, this new version of the 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph is fitted with a dedicated anniversary openworked oscillating weight in blackened 22-carat gold, which features the “50-years” logo and the engraved Audemars Piguet signature. On this occasion, the oscillating weight has been blackened in order to match the colour of the case – a practice usually reserved for complicated timepieces. Similar to the case, the oscillating weight has been finished with alternating satin-finished surfaces and polished chamfers.

A FULLY INTEGRATED CHRONOGRAPH

At the heart of each reference is the Manufacture’s latest generation chronograph movement, the selfwinding Calibre 4401. It is fully integrated and features a column wheel and a flyback function. Unlike a regular chronograph, the flyback function allows the wearer to stop, reset and start the chronograph in one simple action. The column wheel works in collaboration with a vertical clutch system. 

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When starting or stopping the chronograph, the hands respond accordingly without any hint of jumping. Furthermore, the push-pieces feel smooth when pressed. A patented zero resetting mechanism ensures that each one of the counter hands instantaneously resets to zero. The movement is adorned with refined finishing, including Côtes de Genève, circular graining, circular satin and polished chamfers throughout, all of which are visible via the sapphire caseback.

AT THE VANGUARD OF CERAMIC

Audemars Piguet’s first foray into ceramics can be traced back to around 1986 when the Manufacture released the feminine Bamboo collection. This series of models featured two-tone bracelets, pairing diamond-set gold with ceramic in red, white or black hues.

Ceramic materials reappeared in the company’s portfolio in the early 2000s, albeit they were presented in a completely different style. The Manufacture’s innovative spirit has also led it to release Royal Oak Offshore and Royal Oak Concept references encompassing cutting-edge materials paired with ceramic elements.

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 Black ceramic made its appearance in the Royal Oak collection in 2017 with the first all-black ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in a case diameter of 41 mm. For the first time in the Manufacture’s history, the watch presented a bracelet fully crafted in ceramic, enhancing the collection’s silhouette and hand-finishing techniques. This model was complemented with a white ceramic version a year later. Other Royal Oak complications dressed in black ceramic followed, including the Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked (2018), the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked (2019), the Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin (2019), the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked (2020), as well as the Royal Oak Selfwinding in 34 mm (2021).

Audemars Piguet continues to experiment with the material and expand the collection’s offering today with its very first Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph all crafted in ceramic.

“Born in Le Brassus, raised around the world.”

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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model:   Royal Oak Selfwinding / 41 mm

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Ref. 26240CE.OO.1225CE.01  

 
MOVEMENT
Selfwinding Calibre 4401
Total diameter                 32 mm (14 lignes)                   
Total thickness                6.8 mm               
Number of parts                381               
Number of jewels            40                           
Minimum power reserve guaranteed    70 h           
Frequency of balance wheel        4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour)   

FUNCTIONS
Flyback chronograph, hours, minutes, small seconds and date.
CASE
Black ceramic case, glareproofed sapphire crystal, sapphire and titanium caseback, black ceramic push-pieces and screw-locked crown, water-resistant to 50m.
DIAL
Black dial with Grande Tapisserie pattern, black counters, pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
BRACELET
Black ceramic bracelet with titanium AP folding clasp.

🔴 Price : incl. VAT 66'700 CHF 💰
 

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Press Release - 2022
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Audemars Piguet (Marketing) SA
Route de France 16 - Case postale 16
1348 Le Brassus - Switzerland
Phone : + 41 21 642 39 00
Fax : + 41 21 642 34 02
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