Thursday, August 12, 2021

AUDEMARS PIGUET – Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding 34 mm

 

Audemars PiguetRoyal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding 34 mm Light Blue Dial - 2021

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AUDEMARS PIGUET REVEALS A NEW ROYAL OAK FROSTED GOLD SELFWINDING MODEL IN 34 MM

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Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet is delighted to expand its 34 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding collection, established in April 2020, with a new reference shimmering with Frosted Gold – a jewellery technique developed in 2016 in collaboration with Italian jewellery designer Carolina Bucci.  

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The 18-carat white gold piece is further enhanced with a Tapisserie dial in new shades of blue. This unique combination celebrates the savoir-faire and refinement at the heart of the Manufacture’s craftsmanship.

CONTRASTING PLAYS OF LIGHT FOR THE SLENDEREST WRISTS

The new 18-carat white gold Royal Oak model shimmers with Frosted Gold. The sparkle effect adorning the case and bracelet provides a rich contrast with the polished bevels of the bezel, screws, crown and links.  

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In harmony with the timepiece’s design, the newly introduced light blue PVD-coated dial subtly plays with ambient light. 

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It is enriched with a “Grande Tapisserie” pattern, as well as white gold hour-markers and hands matching with the case. The 34 mm diameter offers an ergonomic aesthetics perfectly suited to the slenderest wrists. 

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Calibre 5800 and its dedicated pink gold oscillating weight can be admired through the glareproofed sapphire caseback. This hour, minute, second and date movement features 50 hours of power reserve, ideal for a contemporary lifestyle.

A REFINED FROSTED GOLD FINISHING

The Frosted Gold finishing takes inspiration from an ancient Florentine jewellery technique, reinterpreted by Carolina Bucci in her contemporary jewellery creations. 

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The jewellery designer assisted the Manufacture’s craftspeople in developing it into a horological craft suited to the Royal Oak’s case and bracelet.  

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Tiny indentations are created on the gold surface with a diamond-tipped tool, giving a shimmering effect similar to that of precious stones, like “diamond dust.” This finishing highlights the Royal Oak’s unique geometry and design codes, while capturing attention from a distance.  

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Today, the technique resulting from the collaboration between the two workshops is adapted once more, this time to enhance the 34 mm model with an added touch of femininity and refinement.

A LONG-STANDING FRIENDSHIP BUILT ON CREATIVE CHALLENGES

The collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Carolina Bucci debuted in 2016 when the Manufacture challenged the jewellery designer to reinterpret the original Royal Oak for women sketched by Jacqueline Dimier in 1976.  

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The resulting Royal Oak timepieces paved the way for numerous Frosted Gold models across the Manufacture’s collections. These timepieces blending jewellery and fine watchmaking pay tribute to the Manufacture’s long history of jewellery watches.

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Born in Le Brassus, raised around the world.”

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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model: 
Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding / 34 mm


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 Ref. 77353BC.GG.1263BC.01

MOVEMENT
Selfwinding Calibre 5800
Total diameter 23.9 mm (10½ lignes)
Total thickness 3.9 mm
Number of jewels 29
Number of parts 186

Minimum guaranteed power reserve 50 hours
Frequency of balance wheel 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hours)
FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, centre seconds and date.
CASE
Diameter: 34 mm
Thickness: 8.8 mm
Glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback
Water-resistant to 50 m.
DIAL
Light blue dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern
White gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
BRACELET
Hammered 18-carat white gold bracelet with AP folding clasp.

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Press Release - 2021
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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, August 11, 2021

MONTBLANC – Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Edition

 

MONTBLANCStar Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon White Gold Limited Edition 2021

The Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Limited Edition 18 perfectly demonstrates the mastery of a classic and traditional artisanal aesthetic combined with an innovative spirit.

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The patented Suspended Exo Tourbillon complication was developed entirely in-house and required three years of development. The “Exo” is derived from the Greek for “external” or “outside” and refers to the large balance wheel which is positioned outside of the tourbillon’s rotating cage.

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The Montblanc engineers’ idea, when developing the innovative patented Suspended Exo Tourbillon, was to create a one-minute tourbillon that would be more visible, further revealing its beauty. This particular patented construction allowed them to keep a large and impressive balance wheel, eliminating the need to increase the size of the movement or the case. The massive balance wheel is raised 3.2 mm higher than the dial and appears to be floating above it. This suspended position has been made possible thanks to a dedicated tourbillon bridge with only one arm which is curved, creating a three-dimensional look and a fine watchmaking aesthetic.

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Thanks to its asymmetric construction, the alignment of the Exo Tourbillon bridge, with its solitary arm, represents a horological challenge. The complexity of the patented Exo Tourbillon comes from the dimensions of the long axis that need to be extremely precise, along with the complication construction itself, which requires that the balance’s axis must be perfectly perpendicular to the movement.

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In terms of performance, the Exo Tourbillon saves more energy than a conventional tourbillon as the cage is smaller in size and free of the weight of the balance wheel. It is also balanced by two gold pillars that equilibrate the cage. The fact that the balance is positioned outside of the rotating cage also means that it isn’t affected by the inertia of the cage.

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The large balance wheel, beating at the traditional frequency of 18’000 oscillations per hour plays an important role in the performance of the timepiece thanks to its impressive 18 screws.

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Following pure horological tradition, the Manufacture movement calibre MB M16.68 is entirely decorated in the Montblanc Manufacture in Villeret with hand-crafted finishings such as Côtes de Genève stripes, inner angles, circular graining, beveling and a mirror-polished pawl with the hand-finished Minerva arrow.

The entirely polished 44.8 mm case comes in 18 K white gold and features a sapphire crystal on the case back which reveals the beauty of the hand-finished manually wound movement calibre MB M16.68. It also provides a totally transparent view of the Exo Tourbillon from the front to the back.

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The sophisticated three-dimensional dial of the Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Limited Edition 18 is constructed in eight different parts that have been decorated entirely by hand using traditional watchmaking techniques. The base is in 18 K gold and has been highlighted with a hand-made guilloché pattern in places, and a sandblasted decoration in others, with polished steps framing the different finishing techniques. A refined guilloché pattern completes the aesthetic. A silvery-white dome at 12 o’clock, with an azuré decoration in the centre, houses the hours and minutes counter, mirroring the three-dimensional effect of the outstanding Suspended Exo Tourbillon.

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This exclusive Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon is limited to 18 pieces, paying tribute to the year the Montblanc Manufacture was founded in Villeret in 1858. The timepiece comes fitted with a blue alligator leather strap and a triple folding clasp with security pushers.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

MODEL  Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Limited Edition 18


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 Ident. 127767

Movement
Montblanc Manufacture Calibre MB M16.68
Type of movement Mechanical movement with manual winding mechanism, patented one-minute Suspended Exo Tourbillon
Dimensions Diameter = 38.30 mm; height = 10.60 mm
No. of components 218
No. of rubies 19
Power reserve Approx. 50 hours
Balance Screw balance, diameter = 14.5 mm; moment of inertia = 59 mgcm²
Frequency 18,000 A/h (2.5 Hz)
Hairspring With Phillips terminal curve
Plate Rhodium-plated German silver with circular graining on both sides, hand-chamfered edges
Bridges Rhodium-plated German silver with “Côtes de Genève”, hand-chamfered edges
Going-train Faceted arms, diamond polished surfaces
Displays Off-centered hours and minutes, small second at 6 o’clock
Patented Exo Tourbillon (one revolution per minute to indicate the seconds) with one arm-bridge at 6 o’clock

Habillage
Case
18K white gold, polished case
Crystal Scratch-resistant, domed antireflective sapphire crystal on both sides
Back 18K white gold with inset pane of sapphire crystal
Dimensions Diameter = 44.8 mm ; Height = 15.03 mm
Watertightness 3 bar
Crown 18 K white gold with Montblanc emblem in mother-of-pearl
Dial
18K white, silvery-white with sandblasted finishing and aventurine,
domed hour and minute-counter with an azuré motif in the center
and an opaline decoration on the external ring, black Arabic numerals,
18K white gold leaf hour and minute-hands
Wristband
Blue Sfumato alligator-skin strap with a 18K white gold triple folding clasp


Certified by the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500

Limited Edition: 18 pieces

The retail price is 109’000 euros.

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Press releases - 2021
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