Audemars Piguet Mini Royal Oak

Audemars Piguet has launched a new “Mini Oak” 23mm collection. It is available in three versions: yellow, pink and white gold, all with Frosted Gold trim. Inspired by ancient Florentine jewelry techniques, the Frosted Gold finish was previously realized by jewelry designer Carolina Bucci and adapted by Audemars Piguet in 2016.

The new Mini Oak models accommodate many types of finishes in a small size of 23 mm. The diamond dust effect of the brushed gold contrasts with the polished chamfers that outline the octagonal bezel and the individual links of the tapering bracelet. The case and sides of the bracelet have a satin finish, which adds even more texture to this tiny piece. The solid back cover combines sandblasting, satin finish and polishing.

The watch features a tone-on-tone Petite Tapisserie dial with gold luminescent hour markers that match the case color. The signature Audemars Piguet at 12 o’clock is printed in black on a cartouche. The Royal Oak Mini trio of watches is equipped with a 2730 caliber, quartz movement with a battery life of more than seven years. In addition, the Calibre 2730 is equipped with a “switch”: by simply pulling on the crown, the owner can temporarily deactivate the battery. The Mini is waterproof up to 50 meters.

The reduced features are a direct response to current consumer demand, and the design has been updated to work in a modern context. AP took elements from one of their most successful modern “women’s” releases (37mm Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding LE by Carolina Bucci) and implemented the same matte gold finish, which is achieved through tiny indentations made on the gold surface using a diamond tool, which creates a shiny effect similar to precious stones. Moreover, there is not a single gemstone in sight.

Small watches are on trend. This statement should not come as a surprise to anyone in the watchmaking world. And, obviously, brands are listening to what consumers are asking for. Brynn Wallner, founder of Dimepiece, a platform dedicated to everything about women and watches, has made a significant contribution to the revolution of small watches. Wallner should be given credit for the gigantic successes in the revival of tiny watches. Royal Oak fans will undoubtedly embrace the introduction of the mini size. The Royal Oak is an invariable symbol of Genta design, but beyond that, it is a widely recognized design among those who are completely far from the watch lovers community.

When Gerald Genta first created the Royal Oak in 1972, the bold design of the model had a distinctly masculine touch, because although the 39 mm diameter watch was not too big by today’s standards, it was large for that time. However, by 1976, just four years later, Audemars Piguet realized that she wanted to create a more feminine counterpart, but one that would go beyond creating a smaller version of Genta’s creation.

To achieve this, the brand brought in Jacqueline Dimier, who was appointed head of design at AP in 1975. She continued to rethink Genta’s design in a way that preserves its innovative and unmistakable character, giving it lightness and femininity. Like the original Royal Oak, Dimier’s 29mm Royal Oak II, No. 8683, is another innovation for luxury sports watches.: To this day, the 8683 and its gemstone counterpart (numbered 8756) are the smallest self-winding Royal Oak models ever created.

Since then, Audemars Piguet has continued to design Royal Oak for women, collaborating, for example, with fourth-generation jeweler Caroline Bucci. She created the first version of the iconic model in “matte gold” back in 2016. Now, under the powerful female leadership of Audemars Piguet, Ilaria Resta as global CEO and Ginny Wright as CEO of North America, the brand remains at the forefront of creating watches for a female collector audience.

The history of the Royal Oak Mini dates back to the 1980s, when the newly introduced miniature quartz movements opened up new horizons for compact, high-performance watches. So in 1980 Audemars Piguet released a 26mm quartz version of the Royal Oak and an even smaller 24.5mm version six years later.

Ultimately, the brand’s research into miniaturization culminated in 1997 with the monumental 25th anniversary of the model. In the same year, AP introduced the smallest Royal Oak ever built, the Reference 67075, which measured just 20 mm. This model was equipped with the 2601 Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber, which was not only the thinnest quartz movement of its time, but also one of the smallest movements in the world.

The 67075 was released in a limited edition of 1,254 copies, of which 465 were in stainless steel, 328 in yellow gold, 272 in steel and two-tone yellow gold, a total of 101 in white gold and only 88 in rose gold. Then, later that year, AP added two iterations of the jeweled miniature model. Today, AP has reimagined this tiny version of an instantly recognizable model with new proportions, architecture, design, and performance.

Although the modest size and “matting” technique undoubtedly give the new Royal Oak Mini models femininity, the architecture of the iconic model remains intact. Case sizes have been decreasing exponentially over the past few years, and celebrities like Timothy Chalamet and Bad Bunny are pushing the boundaries of how small men’s wristwatches can be. The Royal Oak Mini is the newest member of the prestigious Royal Oak family, and what they lack in size is offset by the external effect.

Technical Specifications Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold Quartz 23mm

yellow gold, rose gold, white gold. Indexes: overhead.