Thursday, January 27, 2022

AUDEMARS PIGUET – ROYAL OAK “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked - 2022

AUDEMARS PIGUETROYAL OAKJumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked 39 mm - 2022

 THE ROYAL OAK "JUMBO" EXTRA-THIN OPENWORKED

COMES BACK WITH A NEW CALIBRE
AND A CONTEMPORARY DESIGN

Le Brassus, January 2022 – Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet introduces a brand new generation of Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked (ref. 16204) on the occasion of the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary. Available in either stainless steel or 18-carat pink gold, this watch houses the Manufacture’s new dedicated selfwinding extra-thin openworked movement, Calibre 7124, as well as the Royal Oak’s “50-years” anniversary oscillating weight visible through the sapphire caseback. 

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The watch’s highly contemporary design reflects the Manufacture’s ever-more creative reinterpretation of age-old techniques attuned to the Royal Oak’s uncompromising spirit.

CALIBRE 7124
MICROMECHANICS AND HANDIWORK

The two new timepieces premiere Calibre 7124, the openworked derivative of the Manufacture’s extra-thin selfwinding movement, Calibre 7121, which powers the newly released 16202 references. Both calibres were developed in parallel, which means that the position and geometries of the different components equipping both movements have been meticulously conceived from the start to obtain a harmonious and well-balanced openworked version.

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Making no compromise, Calibre 7124 brings together precision, performance, age-old openworking expertise and extra-thinness. Measuring a mere 2.7 mm in height, this extra-thin selfwinding openworked hour and minute movement contains more energy than its predecessor Calibre 5122 (3.05 mm), thanks to its larger barrel.

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Like Calibre 7121, Calibre 7124 is equipped with a contemporary slim oscillating weight mounted on ball bearings that utilises two reversers *1 developed in-house to ensure bidirectional winding. In addition, its balance wheel is fitted with inertia blocks that have been directly inserted within the balance wheel to avoid unnecessary friction.

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Its openworked architecture requires artisans’ manual dexterity and attention to detail. Introduced at Audemars Piguet in the 1930s, the art of openworking consists of removing as much material as possible from the movement bridges and plate without impairing its functions. Light passes through, revealing the mechanism’s finesse and purity. The preliminary geometries of the mainplate and bridges are cut through computer numerical control (CNC) machining, before being perfected by electric discharge machining (EDM). This manufacturing process enables to remove small amounts of material with extreme precision to reach the desired shape. Each component is then finished and decorated with age-old techniques. The 324 polished V angles that can be admired on both sides of the watch reflect the meticulous handiwork that went into their realisation as this level of craftsmanship can only be done by hand.

*1 In a selfwinding movement, reversers convert the oscillating weight’s bidirectional swings into a unidirectional rotation to wind the mainspring.

HIGHLY CONTEMPORARY AESTHETICS

The case and bracelet of the two Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked timepieces have been finished with the Manufacture’s signature alternation of satin-brushed and polished surfaces all the way down to the bracelet folding clasp.

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The stainless steel version is complemented with a matching rhodium-toned openworked movement offering a unique play of light. The rhodium-toned 22-carat pink gold “50 years” oscillating weight – that can be found on Royal Oak anniversary models throughout 2022 – similarly blends with the movement’s grey shades on the caseback side. The 18-carat pink gold hour-markers and hands, as well as the pink-gold toned gear train and balance wheel peeking through the openworked bridges offer a subtle contrast, while reinforcing the watch’s contemporary monochromatic aesthetic.

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The 18-carat pink gold timepiece marries different tones: the slate grey openworked bridges and mainplate are complemented with a light grey openworked barrel at 11 o’clock, which reveals the coiled mainspring – the watch’s main source of energy. The barrel subtly echoes the white gold hexagonal screws securing the bezel onto the case. In addition, the pink-gold toned balance wheel and gear train, further accentuated by the 18-carat hour-markers and hands, add depth and light to the watch. 

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The 22-carat pink gold anniversary oscillating weight offers a similar contrast on the caseback side.

AN EVER-MORE CONTEMPORARY TAKE ON AN AGE-OLD CRAFT

Evolving with each decade, the Royal Oak collection has included more than 50 openworked models to this day, fitted with different movements and coming in a variety of sizes, materials and styles – the result of numerous decades of passion and expertise passed down across generations.

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During the early years of its history, Calibre 2120 and its derivatives, including Calibre 2121 which powered the first Royal Oak, remained hidden inside watch cases. The arrival of quartz overturned these codes: it was time to highlight and reveal the beauty of mechanical movements and the traditional expertise utilised.

In the early 1970s, a few young watchmakers at Audemars Piguet set about rediscovering the art of openworking in which the brand had excelled in the 1930s and 50s, abetted by their elders, and the company’s first dedicated openworking workshop saw the light of day. The vision of Managing Director Georges Golay at the time was ambitious, as the operation kicked off with a hundred openworked examples of Calibre 2120 — a painstaking task amounting to 150 hours of work for a single movement. The first watch (Model 5442) was delivered in November 1973 and some 30 watches were crafted annually until 1976. In 1978, 300 openworked watches fitted with Calibre 2120 were produced within Audemars Piguet’s walls. By 1984, the workshop counted a dozen artisans entirely dedicated to the art of openworking.

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Openworking first appeared in the Royal Oak collection in 1981 with a pendant version, Model 5710BA, followed in 1986 with Model 25636 equipped with the ultra-thin selfwinding perpetual calendar Calibre 2120/2800. However, this art truly established itself into the collection in the 1990s – a decade that witnessed many openworked Royal Oak models in a variety of sizes and styles.

The first openworked “Jumbo” was launched in 1992 – a one-of-a-kind model (14811), whose dial was decorated with a finely chased oak motif, auctioned off to support the new Audemars Piguet Foundation. Several other openworked “Jumbo” models equipped with extra-thin Calibre 2120 were introduced in very small series until the year 2000. While some models were graced with gemset hands (e.g. 14789, 14793 and 14814), others featured highly stylised designs, such as Models 14884 and 12518 (a unique 125th anniversary creation) which featured a naval anchor against a background of stormy waves surrounded by ropes. 

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Manufacture’s latest hand-wound movement, Calibre 2121.

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Openworking returned in the “Jumbo” collection in 2010 with Model 15305, this time equipped with selfwinding Calibre 3129 measuring 4.31 mm in thickness. The movement’s galvanic treatment elegantly contrasted with the stainless steel case. Two years later, the Manufacture launched a new slate grey openworked “Jumbo” limited edition for the Royal Oak’s 40th anniversary, powered by the new Calibre 5122 which was framed in an elegant 950 platinum case. In 2014, an 18-carat pink gold version was released.

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This year, the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked makes its come back once again with a new movement and a refined aesthetic testifying to the Manufacture’s uncompromising spirit.


Born in Le Brassus, raised around the world.” 
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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model: ROYAL OAKJumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked / 39 mm

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Reference:  16204OR.OO.1240OR.01 - Pink Gold 
 
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Reference:  16204ST.OO.1240ST.01 - Steel
 
Movement
Selfwinding Calibre 7124
Total diameter 29.6 mm (12 ¾ lignes)
Total thickness 2.7 mm
Number of jewels 31
Number of parts 211
Minimum power reserve guaranteed 57 h
Frequency of balance wheel 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour)
Functions
Hours, minutes
Case
  • Stainless steel case
  • 18-carat pink gold case
Diameter: 39.00 mm
Thickness: 6.10 mm
Glare-proofed sapphire crystal and caseback
Water-resistant to 50 m
Dial 
  • Slate grey openworked movement, pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating, black inner bezel.
  • Rhodium-toned openworked movement, pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating, rhodium-toned inner bezel.
Bracelet
  • 18-carat pink gold bracelet with AP folding clasp
  • Stainless steel bracelet with AP folding clasp.

 New Product Overview 2021

Price:   $ 90,400 Steel 💰
 
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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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Wednesday, January 26, 2022

CHOPARD – L.U.C XP XP Urushi Year of the TIGER Edition

CHOPARDL.U.C XP Urushi Year of the TIGER Ethical Gold Special Edition 2022

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An exceptional creation inspired by an optimistic Zodiac sign

It’s become a tradition: Chopard Manufacture annually presents a new timepiece eagerly awaited by collectors for its timelessly elegant dial adorned with a motif inspired by the Chinese zodiac calendar according to the perfectly preserved ancestral Urushi lacquer technique. 

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This year, the L.U.C collection welcomes the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger timepiece, an 88-piece limited series dedicated to the Tiger. Housed in an ultra-thin case, its L.U.C 96.17-L movement testifies to the watchmaking expertise of the Artisans at Chopard Manufacture.

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The Year of the Water Tiger will begin on 1 February 2022 and end on 21 January 2023. A sign of Earth and recurrent emblem in Chinese artistic depictions, the tiger has long been associated with the figure of the emperor and state dignitaries.  

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It symbolises fortune, wisdom, intelligence and creativity. It is therefore a resolutely optimistic zodiac sign, an auspice that Chopard has seized upon in interpreting one of its most artistic creations.

A meticulous display of strength and majesty

True to tradition, Chopard works with the finest Japanese lacquer craftsmen, who produce dials using the ancestral Urushi lacquer technique.

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The 88 dials of the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger timepiece are produced in the workshops of the century-old company Yamada Heiando and crafted by Master lacquer artist Minori Koizumi who devotes no less than 160 hours to this meticulous task.

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n accordance with Maki-e technique, gold flakes – placed between layers of lacquer made from the sap of the Toxicodendron vernicifluum tree – light up a background featuring a tiger perched above a bay surrounded by cliffs, against a starlit background.

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Claws out and jaw turned sideways, it appears to be deliberately flaunting its strength and majesty. The lacquerer’s attention has been focused on each detail of this scene in order to reveal its blend of realism and lyrical beauty.

 Ethical gold, refined execution

The case of the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger timepiece is entirely carved from 18-carat rose gold, sourced from an ethical supply chain pioneered by Chopard. It measures 39.5 mm in diameter and its slim bezel ensures a broad dial opening.

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In addition to its graceful design and refined ornamental execution, the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger is also an ultra-thin timepiece measuring a mere 6.80 mm thick.

Mechanical performance

This thinness is enabled by a 3.30 mm-thick in-house L.U.C 96.17-L movement that is self-winding despite its extremely modest size. It is equipped with a micro-rotor – a small off-centred oscillating weight made of 22-carat gold – which is incorporated into the overall thickness of the calibre.

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Its strong inertia enables it to ensure efficient winding of the two barrels, which are stacked according to Chopard Twin technology and store the energy required for the L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger timepiece to offer a total 65-hour power reserve.  

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Once off the wrist, it will remain on time and accurate for more than two and a half days, neatly corresponding to a long weekend.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Collection : L.U.C

Model:  Chopard L.U.C XP Urushi Year of the Tiger Edition

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 Reference : 161902-507   – 88-piece limited edition in ethical 18-carat rose gold with special Year of the Tiger dial

Movement
    Mechanical self-winding L.U.C 96.17-L

    Winding via an ethical 22-carat gold micro-rotor
    Total diameter: 27.40 mm
    Thickness: 3.30 mm
    Number of jewels: 29
    Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
    Power reserve: 65 hours

    Two barrels stacked according to Chopard Twin technology
    Bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève motif
Functions and displays
    Central display of the hours and minutes
Case
    Ethical 18-carat rose gold
    Total diameter: 39.50 mm
    Thickness: 6.80 mm
    Water resistance: 30 metres
    Ethical 18-carat rose gold crown with L.U.C logo: 4.00 mm
    Vertical satin-brushed sides and inter-horn space
    Polished bezel and case-back
    Glareproofed sapphire crystal
    Exhibition caseback
Dial and hands
    Dial hand-crafted in Japan using the Urushi lacquer technique with special Year of the Tiger décor
    Gilded Dauphine-type hours and minutes hands
Strap and buckle
    Hand-sewn blue alligator leather strap with nubuck lining
    Polished Ethical 18-carat rose gold pin buckle


Availability: limited to 88 pieces

Price: EUR 22,900 / 25 400 $

 

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Press Release - 2022
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