The Royal Oak Concept first greeted us in 2002 in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Royal Oak. To mark the occasion, Audemars Piguet released a special edition – originally limited to one piece – taking inspiration from concept cars. However, because the demand for this edition was so overwhelming, the watchmaker made the decision to increase the number of pieces to 150. This powerful model, which went on to instigate the rise of an entirely new aesthetic for 21st century haute horlogerie, is now celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The new Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT features a sandblasted titanium case with a diameter of 44 mm. For the first time, the timepiece’s titanium case is topped by a green ceramic bezel, highlighting the high-tech aesthetic of the Royal Oak Concept.
Although green ceramic was first introduced to Audemars Piguet in 2018 in the Royal Oak Offshore collection, this year the material makes its debut in the Royal Oak Concept. The black movement is visible through the sapphire case back. Pushers in green ceramic with a titanium push-piece protection adorn the 16.1 mm thick case.
The dial remains true to its design codes. Once again, the architectural movement takes centre stage. Green ceramic accents playfully ensure colour homogeneity of various elements as well as consistent colouring across the board. The new Royal Oak Concept adds a little contrast with the help of several rose-gold coloured accents.
The rose-gold hands with luminous material as well as the AP logo at 12 o’clock stand out against the darker tones of the dial. Meanwhile, the white indexes on the black inner bezel provide a bright contrast. Audemars Piguet place the display of the second time zone – also called GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) – over a sapphire disc, sitting at 3 o’clock. It is set via the pusher at 4 o’clock, where one press adjusts the time by one hour.
The display of the second time zone, which is based on 12 hours, consists of two discs arranged one above the other. The first hour disc completes one revolution in 12 hours and is made of sapphire. The second day/night disc, on the other hand, which completes one rotation in 24 hours, is made of polished brass and marks the day with the white half and the night with the other green-coloured half. A crown position indicator is located at 6 o’clock and features the letters H, N and R, which stand for the time-setting, neutral and winding positions of the winding stem, respectively.
The hand-wound calibre 2954 consists of 348 individual parts and is equipped with a parallel double barrel system, combining the prestige of the flying tourbillon with ultra-modern displays. It ensures that the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT runs for up to 10 days, giving it a power reserve of around 237 hours.
The friction of the two barrels, which are fed simultaneously into the wheel train via a single barrel, is used to compensate for fluctuations in torque. This increases the accuracy and reliability of the Royal Oak Concept.
A green rubber strap with a folding clasp in sandblasted titanium AP completes the style of the watch. The timepiece is alternatively available with a black rubber strap. Price is available upon request.
