AUDEMARS PIGUET – Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin Openworked Edition

AUDEMARS PIGUET – Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin Openworked Limited Edition

SIHH 2017

Openworking — also known as skeletonisation — involves cutting away material to reveal the mechanical artistry contained within. It is among the most exacting performances in watchmaking: cutting too much can jeopardize tolerances or affect shock resistance. Achieving the right balance between the beauty of the revealed components and the safeguarding of their performance’s precision is a rare art.

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Audemars Piguet has been a master of this intricate process since the 1930s. Today, it performs it in precisely the same manner: filing, decoration and finishing exclusively done by hand. The reasons for this are both aesthetic and technical. For example, a milling machine produces perfectly acceptable rounded angles, but it cannot produce the perfect interior angles (or v-cut angles) that so superlatively reflect light, expressing the artistry of Haute Horlogerie.

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Introduced in 2012, the original Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin marked the Royal Oak's 40th anniversary and was originally available only in platinum, followed by the launch of a yellow gold version in 2016.

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Demand from connoisseurs around the world has led to the creation of two new limited edition versions in 2017 - one in brushed 18-carat pink gold with matching bracelet, the other in stainless steel. Just like their platinum and yellow gold predecessors, each model features the mesmerizing
Audemars Piguet in-house caliber 2924 hand-wound skeleton movement, comprising 216 components  - but in two very different finishes.

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The pink gold model (available in 50 examples) features a pink gold mainplate and bridges, while the movement of the steel version (available in 100 examples) is rhodium plated in cool, understated tones.

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These will be the very last Royal Oak Extra-Thin Openworked watches featuring this exact skeleton design to be produced. Keep your eyes open for what will be coming next!

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Reference 26518OR.OO.1220OR.01 - Pink Gold Limited Edition - 50 pieces
Reference 26513BA.OO.1220BA.01 - Yellow Gold Limited Edition - 50 pieces
Reference 26518OR.OO.1220OR.01 - Stainless Steel Limited Edition - 100 pieces

MOVEMENT
Hand-Wound: Calibre 2924
Total diameter: 31.50 mm (14 lignes)
Total thickness: 4.46 mm
Number of jewels: 25   
Number of parts: 216
Minimal guaranteed power reserve: 70h
Frequency of balance wheel (Hz): 3 (=21,600 vibrations /h)
FUNCTIONS
Tourbillon, power-reserve, hours and minutes.
CASE

• 18-carat Pink Gold
• 18-carat Yellow Gold
• Stainless Steel

Glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback
Water-resistant to 20 m.
DIAL
Openworked
Slate grey dial

• Pink gold applied hour-markers 
• Pink yellow applied hour-markers 
• Steel applied hour-markers

Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
BRACELET

• 18-carat Pink Gold bracelet with AP folding clasp.
• 18-carat Yellow Gold bracelet with AP folding clasp.
• Stainless Steel bracelet with AP folding clasp.

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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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