Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon Tamara Ralph 26630OR.GG.D626CR.01

Collaboration between watch brands and designers, artists, musicians, trendsetters, artisans, comic book characters, action heroes, etc. is in the order of things. It’s hard to imagine a brand that wouldn’t succumb to some kind of external intervention to cause a stir among young collectors or even experienced collectors looking for something fresh.

Since the presentation of the “shocking” Royal Oak model in 1972, Audemars Piguet has always kept his finger on the pulse of modern trendsetters. The latest collaboration involves Australian high fashion designer Tamara Ralph. Based on the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon, Tamara Ralph came up with an impressive watch with warm shades of gold and contrasting textures, presented at her recent spring/summer 2024 show in Paris.

Tamara Ralph is one of the most famous couturiers. She has dressed some of the world’s most famous and richest women in her coveted, custom-made creations. Commenting on the collaboration, Tamara Ralph said: “My goal in creating this product is to convey the spirit and craftsmanship of both my brand and Audemars Piguet. The complexities of watchmaking create a foundation from which to play with textures, colors, and design, allowing the mastery of high fashion to emerge.”

Originally conceived as a one-off series to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Royal Oak in 2002, the Royal Oak Concept or ROC became a collection in 2008 and has since become the brand’s platform for technical experimentation, combining innovative technical solutions with avant-garde design and the latest materials and usually embodied in massive men’s models with a diameter of 44 mm. The model chosen to create Tamara Ralph is the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon, a 38.5mm diameter model specifically designed for women that debuted in 2018 and appeared in a matte gold case in 2020.

Italian jeweler Carolina Bucci introduced Audemars Piguet to the ancient Florentine technique of making brushed or hammered gold in 2016. The matte finish adopted by the brand to decorate the cases is implemented in AP using a diamond-tipped tool to create tiny indentations in the metal. The result is a restrained sheen that looks like frost, but never catches the eye. The embossed surface is not only beautiful to look and feel, but also extremely durable and scratch-resistant.

The legendary octagonal bezel of the Royal Oak model in 18K rose gold and the upper surfaces of the hexagonal case have a special finish. The pronounced polished tilt of the bezel stands in stark contrast to the restrained gloss. Along with the satin-finished sides of the case, these contrasting textures highlight the dynamic architecture of the Royal Oak Concept. The rose gold hexagonal crown, which follows the shape of the company’s hexagonal steel screws on the bezel, is decorated with a translucent cabochon-cut sapphire at the tip.

The 38.5 x 11.9 mm case is waterproof to a depth of 20 meters. The layered dial, which Audemars Piguet says is inspired by the “bold femininity and textured details of Tamara Ralph’s couture creations,” is decorated with four overlapping round rose gold plates.

Although the watch is 11.9 mm thick, it feels like you’re looking into a deep well, like Alice in Wonderland when she falls down a rabbit hole. As a fashion designer, Tamara Ralph plays with textures, volume and color — elements that are recreated in a multi-layered arrangement of concentric rings on the dial.

The floating diamond tourbillon at 6 o’clock combines technical precision and refined aesthetics. The tourbillon carriage defines the design of the dial. A tourbillon motif with a diamond-encrusted central ring and four rose gold concentric rings expands towards the dial with a series of stepped rings that gradually decrease in size as they reach the perimeter.

Tamara Ralph highlights each ring with her own color, starting with brown for the ring closest to the tourbillon, and rising from bronze to pink and yellow gold. Graduated colors, shifting from dark to light, enhance the feeling of depth and are decorated with a smooth satin finish in the form of sun rays. There are no hour markers, and the semi-shaded rose gold hour and minute hands are offset from the center and covered with a luminescent insert.

The shiny sapphire crystal of the back cover, held by an octagonal rose gold frame, demonstrates a manual winding mechanism operating at a frequency of 3 Hz (21,600 half-vibrations per hour) and providing a power reserve of 72 hours. The hand-wound AP 2964 axles are visible through the back cover. Like the dial, the bridges are decorated with a series of circles emanating from the floating cage of the tourbillon and increasing in size as they reach the periphery. A single bridge is visible in the holes, on which the cage of the floating tourbillon is fixed, and the details of the gear mechanism. The mechanism operates at a frequency of 3 Hz and has a power reserve of 72 hours.

The ensemble is rounded off by an alligator leather strap with a pearl bronze hue and a folding AP clasp in 18K rose gold, as well as an additional alligator leather strap in the color of chocolate pearls.

The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon Tamara Ralph ref. 26630OR.GG.D626CR.01 is available in a limited edition of 102 copies.

WATCH

Caliber 2964, manufactured, floating tourbillon with manual winding, 207 components, 17 stones, 3 Hz / 21,600 half-vibrations per hour, power reserve 72 hours, functions: hours, minutes, floating tourbillon.

HOUSING

Diameter 38.5 mm, thickness 11.9 mm, 18k rose gold, forged, brushed and polished. Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the front and back, 18k rose gold crown with translucent cabochon cut sapphire, water resistant 20 m.

DIAL

Layered with shades of brown, bronze, pink and yellow gold, rings decorated with sunburst trim, a tourbillon at 6 o’clock with a diamond-encrusted circle and four concentric rings, semi-shaded rose gold hands with luminous tips.

STRAP

Bronze-colored alligator leather with pearl trim, pink gold AP folding clasp, additional brown alligator leather strap with pearl trim.

FEATURES

Limited edition – 102 copies.

REFERENCE

26630OR.GG.D626CR.01

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