Good news for lovers of elegant complications and cult watches: the Manufacture in Le Brassus has just presented its very first Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Automatic.
It is available in three references with a diameter of 41 mm, fitted with a case in steel, titanium or pink gold finished by hand with alternating satin and polishing.
“The first Royal Oak Tourbillon was launched in 1997 to celebrate the collection's 25th anniversary.
This new version with a flying tourbillon and an automatic mechanism gives this great classic the aesthetics of its time, ”
explains Michael Friedman, responsible for complications.
Each has its own finishes and dials.
The steel version has a smoky blue Tapestry dial, with a sunburst pattern radiating in a gradient from the tourbillon cage at 6 o'clock.
The reference in titanium features an azure slate gray sandblasted dial, breaking with the traditional Royal Oak Tapestry pattern.
Finally, the third model is entirely made in 18-carat pink gold, from the case to the bracelet, with a smoked gray and sunray Tapestry dial embellished with pink gold hands and indexes.
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Diode SA - Denis Hayoun /
Small common point of this flying trilogy with the new Code 11.59 collection by Audemars Piguet: the Audemars Piguet signature applied and 24 carat gold on the dial is made up of thin layers of gold, obtained by galvanic growth, a chemical process similar to the 3D printing.
Each letter is thus connected to the others by fine filaments almost invisible to the eye.
Then the signature is affixed by hand on the dial using tiny feet.
These three new models beat to the rhythm of a Caliber 2950, the latest generation of automatic movement from the Manufacture du Brassus launched in 2019, with a 65-hour power reserve, and combining a flying tourbillon with a central rotor.
It was in 2018 that the first Audemars Piguet wristwatch equipped with this complication was launched, within the Royal Oak Concept collection.
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Diode SA - Denis Hayoun /
An exercise in extreme transparency, the hand-finished flying tourbillon cage is visible both on the dial and through the caseback.
The gaze can thus dive into some of the regulating components of the watch allowing rotation.
As for the back of the case and the movement, it is a real exercise in watchmaking decoration style, between Côtes de Genève, satin finishing, snapping, and hand-polished chamfers.
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