Audemars Piguet, despite pandemic restrictions, still had a full plate of new rollouts for luxury watch aficionados this past year. The Swiss manufacturer remains one of the brands for luxury watch collectors. More recently the Swiss watchmaker released three new timepieces called the Royal Oak Self-winding Flying Tourbillon, and they are something to get excited about.
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Audemars Piguet has been in the watch industry for a long time, since 1875 in fact. And the company remains the oldest private fine watchmaking manufacturer never to have left the hands of its founding families. It has workshops in Le Brassus, Switzerland, in the Vallée de Joux, otherwise or as the watchmaker claims, “the cradle of fine watchmaking”.
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Three watches in the Flying Tourbillon series
You may be wondering what a tourbillon is. It is an addition to the mechanics of a watch escapement fitted to increase its accuracy. The component was developed around 1795 and patented by French-Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet.
For those who like to see the inner mechanics of watchmaking, the Selfwinding Flying Tourbillons are sure to peak your interest.
The first of the three watches comes in an ultra-light titanium case and bracelet with a sandblasted slate grey dial. This is for somebody looking for something elegant yet robust. It has white gold hour markers and the hands are treated with a luminescent coating.
And now the Showstopper
The second is the showstopper in my opinion. It’s the biggest statement of the three, glimmering in 18 carat pink gold. The watch has a smoked grey sunburst tapisserie dial. And the third model evokes emotion with a sunburst smoked blue in stainless steel with Evolutive tapisserie pattern. This third option is for those looking for a watch that offers practicality but still offers lots of pizazz.
All three watches feature the flying tourbillon at the 6 o’ clock position. That adds complexity and sophistication to the timepiece. All three timepieces have a 41 mm case diameter and are 10.4 mm in thickness. The watches are water resistant to 50 m. So if you’re looking for a watch for serious deep dives, this collection may not be it.
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65-hour power reserve
Audemars Piguet uses a Manufacture Calibre 2950 movement with 27 jewels, and a frequency of balance generating 3 Hz or 21,600 vph offering a respectable 65-hour power reserve.
The proportions of the Flying Tourbillon have been done carefully. Audemars Piguet does not overwhelm the flow or elegance of its dial with the opening at the 6 o’ clock. It’s just enough to get lost in the intricacy of the mechanism for a brief moment. That maintains a flow in the dial as a whole, allowing for easy reading of the time during quicker glances.
Statement-making bracelets
Then there’s the quality and uniqueness of the bracelets. The brushed metal and its broad, robust links are unmistakable. The bolts of the bezel have come to identify the brand and are a visual testament to its durability.
The collection is sure to be a coveted one for horology enthusiasts and luxury timepiece collectors alike.
Daron Halajian received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ryerson University. He has worked for American Express as a Travel and Lifestyle Consultant servicing elite clientele. He writes in both English and Armenian and his works have appeared in publications in Beirut, Los Angeles, Montreal and Toronto.
