The dial on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is one of the most iconic dials in the watch world and there is more than meets the eye to its making and different textures. Audemars Piguet released the Royal Oak in 1972 with a dial featuring a ‘Clous de Paris’ guilloché motif that is referred to by AP as ‘petite tapisserie’. Then in 1993, the Royal Oak Offshore was released with a similar type of tapisserie but there are small nuances between the two and the rest of Royal Oaks and Royal Oak Offshores out there.
Posts tagged #Posts 2013
Rare Bird: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II Titanium. Seven Years After its Launch, Still One of the Top Grails Among AP Collectors.
On August 23, 2006, Audemars Piguet presented the Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II in Istanbul, Turkey. Today, seven years later, this iconic watch is still one of the most coveted timepieces among Audemars Piguet watchlifestylers as well as watch collectors in general. This watch, honoring the Brazilian Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello —Ayrton Senna's disciple— is a perfect example of the forward thinking and cutting edge design that Audemars Piguet has always had since the launch of the Royal Oak in 1972.
Macros: Audemars Piguet Calibre 3126/3840. The Beating Heart of All Modern Royal Oak Offshore Chronographs.
The Audemars Piguet calibre 3126/3840 is the beating heart of all modern Royal Oak Offshore Chronographs —with the exception of the Rubber Clad— since 2007 and is the movement that replaced calibre 2226/2840 that was originally fitted on all Royal Oak Offshore Chronographs from 1993 through the beginning of 2007.
Rare Bird: Piaget 50th Anniversary Altiplano Fob Watch. Number One of Twenty-Five.
Just like other watchlifestylers, we love to run into fascinating timepieces every once in a while. This time we came across an ultra rare Piaget 50th Anniversary ultra-thin squared-shaped Altiplano fob watch in rose gold. But what makes this example even more desirable or rare, is the fact that this is number one out of only twenty-five pieces ever made. Even though it is not the most popular model, for those that appreciate Piaget timepieces, it is definitely a must have in their collection.
Insider: Glashütte Original Senator Panorama Date. Elegance and Superb Craftsmanship Straight from the Birthplace of German Watchmaking.
The Glashütte Original Senator Panorama Date ref. 100-03-32-42-04 was one of the novelty timepieces presented at Baselworld 2013. This watch is a quintessential example of the superb craftsmanship of this manufacture straight from Saxony, the birthplace of German watchmaking. The Senator Panorama Date is available in stainless steel or rose gold and is part of the extensive Glashütte Original Senator line-up.
Macros: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore Dials. The Different Types of Tapisseries.
We often run into watchlifestylers that are curious about the differences between the different types of 'tapisseries' on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore dials. While many know their names, few know the difference between them. Now, how does Audemars Piguet create these iconic 'Clous de Paris' guilloché pattern dials?
The brass dial is engraved by a burin —a precision metalwork chisel— that reproduces the motif on a disc attached to the machine, like a pantograph. A pointer rotates across the disc from the periphery to the center. The system is combined with a tool that forms the little lozenges between the pyramidal squares and takes between 20 and 50 minutes, depending on the dial's diameter. It's a delicate operation. A mere skip is all it takes to damage the piece as the slightest impact is as visible as dust on a mirror. Here's a video courtesy of Audemars Piguet showing the work to create one of these iconic dials.
Insider: Bell & Ross Grande Date WW1-96. Vintage Looking, Superb Sunburst Dial and a Big Date.
Bruno Belamich—Bell— and Carlos A. Rosillo—Ross—, two boyhood friends, formed the Bell & Ross brand in 1993. Known for its iconic aesthetics with their oversized watches and distinctive easy-to-read dials, Bell & Ross continues to position itself as a strong player in the watch collecting arena.
Their BR01 instrument series, perhaps the most popular within the brand collection, was based on airplane cockpit instruments. The BR WW1-96 is part of the Vintage series and is reminiscent of the first pilot watches of the 1920s and designed to resemble the look of a pocket watch but on a strap.
This beautiful watch comes fitted with a black alligator strap and a massive 45mm stainless steel case that wears nicely and comfortably for a watch of this size. The sunburst dial on this timepiece is just magnificent. At first glance, it appears to be jet black; however, upon closer inspection and while exposing the watch to a bright source of light—especially natural light— you get the mesmerizing effect of its sunburst finished dial in charcoal gray.
Insider: MCT Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps Sequential One S100 and S110. Changing the Face of Time with Prisms.
The workshop of MCT —Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps— is located in the heart of the Swiss watchmaking region of Lake Neuchâtel. Each watch is made by hand and a single watchmaker follows its assembly from the beginning to the end to ensure the ultimate quality and traceability. The Sequential One is product of a collaboration between designer Eric Giroud and concept engineer Jean-Francois Mojon. This fascinating timepiece is very unique because of its monumental hour numerals, ingenious for its in-house movement and pioneering for its mechanism of sequential display. This manufacture lead by François Candolfi is living example of the level of innovation and the creative spirit of independent watchmaking companies. In order to ease the review of this timepiece, let's start with a video produced by MCT that clearly explains the complexity of this mesmerizing timepiece.
Insider: Breguet Classique 'La Musicale' ref. 7800. A Fascinating Musical Playing Timepiece.
The Breguet “La Musicale” ref. 7800BB/11/9YV is one of the most fascinating and mesmerizing complications we have reviewed recently. This amazing timepiece turns into a musical box that plays a crystal-toned version of "The Thieving Magpie” overture by Rossini. The music can be played on demand or as an alarm —a melodic reminder at a desired time.
This watch features a robust white gold case measuring 48mm in diameter and 16.3mm in thickness that is fitted with two off-centered push buttons on the left side of the case and two off-centered crowns on the right side. The top push button is used to activate the musical box on demand and the bottom one is used to turn the alarm/musical reminder between the on and off positions. The bottom crown is used to wind and power up the alarm module and also to set the desired alarm time. The top crown is used to wind the movement and set the hours and minutes. This watch is not fitted with a seconds hand or a seconds register in order to keep its design nice and clean.
Insider: Linde Werdelin SpidoSpeed Black Orange. A Perfect Match to an Exceptionally Rare McLaren MP4-12C Project Alpha.
The Linde Werdelin, just like this McLaren, comes with an exceptional design and fantastic craftsmanship. The SpidoSpeed Black Orange features a tripartite stainless steel case measuring 44mm in diameter. This watch is fitted with a two-part black galvanic dial with a perlage surface base center that almost appears like carbon fiber. The dial features orange glossy registers with perforations —the exact same hue of the orange of the Hermès boxes— that are located as follows: hour chrono register at six, running seconds at 9 and chrono minute register at 3 o'clock. The hands are diamond cut and fitted with gray luminescent material that is very bright when exposed to darkness and quite long lasting.
Insider: Ulysse Nardin Freak Phantom. A Superb Horological Complication with No Winding Crown.
Ulysse Nardin was born in Le Locle, Switzerland on 22 January 1823, a region that was already home to a wealth of watchmaking activities. Ulysse started as an apprentice to his father Léonard-Frédéric a watchmaker and then went to work with William Du Bois, one of the greatest experts of his age in precision timepieces, notable marine chronometers and astronomical watches. Ulysse began specializing in complicated watches, and quickly spotted the potential of a niche market as maritime transport grew. In 1846, at the tender age of 23, Ulysse Nardin founded the company that still bears his name today.
After Ulysse Nardin's death in 1876, two generations of his descendents took over the company to later sell in 1983 on the brink of collapse and with just a handful of watchmakers remaining on the team. That year, 1983, marked a turning point in the history of Ulysse Nardin. During a visit to Switzerland, Rolf W. Schnyder, a visionary entrepreneur and watch fanatic soon got together a small group of investors with himself at their head to purchase the company.
Experience: Fourteen Vintage Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Advertisements. From 1972 to 1998.
Presented in 1972 as the first sports watch in stainless steel priced higher than most gold timepieces, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak made a statement immediately. A watch made for those that want the best and won't settle for less. A watch than can only be spotted by those that are in the know and a timepiece that after 40 years has remained true to its essence and core values.
These vintage advertisements are living testament of the launch and evolution of an iconic timepiece. Well thought out taglines and powerful images characterize these ads. Here, you will find fourteen of the most iconic and our favorite Royal Oaks advertisements of all-time —all the way from 1972 thru 1998.
Because "Some Things In Life Speak for Themselves" and the Royal Oak is "Known Only By Those Who Know", everyone knows now that "It Takes More than Money to Wear the Royal Oak".
Now, let's start enjoying the eye candy and the time machine.
Insider: Audemars Piguet Millenary Minute Repeater in Pink Gold. A Noble Horological Complication.
The Audemars Piguet Millenary Minute Repeater ref. 26371OR.OO.D803CR.01 in pink gold —presented at the Watches and Wonders Salon in Hong Kong last year— is fitted with an 18K pink gold oval shaped case —measuring 47mm in diameter and 15.79mm in thickness— with enamel off-centered hour/minute dial at 3, an off-centered seconds sub-dial at 7 and minute repeater lever at 9 o'clock. This Millenary Minute Repeater features the Audemars Piguet Direct-Impulse Escapement and a flat double balance-spring.
The beautiful white enamel dial features Roman numerals with blued hands and the finely tuned blued steel gong is fully visible around the circumference of the face of the watch. A perfectly balanced dial with very intricate and nicely finished touches.
Insider: Linde Werdelin SpidoLite II Titanium Red. Stunning Craftsmanship with Great Design.
Even though most of you are very familiar with Linde Werdelin, we will share some background information about this amazing manufacture for those watchlifestylers that are still not quite familiar with it.
Linde Werdelin was founded eleven years ago in 2002 by two fine Danish gentlemen. The name comes from its founders Morten Linde and Jorn Werdelin. Since its conception, Linde Werdelin has focused on creating some of the most unique and fascinating timepieces with very avant-garde Danish design and fully Swiss made.
Linde Werdelin also produces digital instruments for skiing —the Rock— and diving —the Reef— that can be clipped to the top of their mechanical watches. Their watches are designed to carry the Reef or the Rock and they are made in very limited quantities making them super exclusive.
Rare Bird: Bell & Ross Vintage WW1 Régulateur Pink Gold. Only 99 Pieces Available and Here's One of Them.
During Baselworld 2013, Bell & Ross unveiled several novelties and this coveted Vintage WW1 Régulateur in Pink Gold is one of them. The Vintage WW1 Régulateur is a limited edition watch comprised of only 99 pieces in pink gold —extremely difficult to find, but we were lucky enough to find one.
A 'régulateur' a.k.a. regulator, is a watch with non-coaxial hour and minute hands, which means, that the hour and minute hands do not share the central pinion position on the dial but are independently placed. On regulators, the minute hand is traditionally the most important hand and it is typically placed on the central pinion at the center of the dial.
Insider: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore LeBron James Limited Edition. A Collection of Live Close-ups and Wrist Shots.
Last year we reported live from Miami during the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore LeBron James launch party and we presented you images of the new watch inside the showcase.
This time, we are bringing you some very personal and closeup images of the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore LeBron James limited edition ref. 26210OI.OO.A109CR.01 that we took last year while attending the SIAR in Mexico City.
As it is customary with our insider reviews, we have now included the mandatory wrist shot for your viewing pleasure. Now, please enjoy the eye candy!
Experience: The Audemars Piguet Museum. An Unforgettable Afternoon in Le Brassus.
A while back, while we were in Switzerland, we had the opportunity to visit the Audemars Piguet Museum in Le Brassus, a lifetime experience for any Audemars Piguet watchlifestyler.
Our appointment at the museum was scheduled for 1:30pm on a gloomy Friday. Considering that we were staying in Zürich and the drive to Le Brassus is almost three hours long, we knew we had to be on the road by 10 o'clock in order to be there on time. Here's a picture while we were getting ready to go pick up our car, right before breakfast time. This classic Hermès belt has been worn along with several Audemars Piguet Jumbos in the collection since the 90s.
Insider: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph ref. 26288. One of Our Favorite Tourbillons in The Market.
This time we are talking about one of our favorite tourbillons in the market, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph ref. 26288OF.OO.D002CR.01. This is a grail for many watchlifestylers and one hell of a watch. This Offshore is not only one amazing horological complication, but perhaps one of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronographs with the most mesmerizing wrist presence.
This robust timepiece featuring a tourbillon, also features an integrated column wheel 30-minute chronograph —quite a complication. This watch is fitted with an 18K pink gold case measuring 44 mm in diameter and 16.60 mm in thickness, an anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal, an anti-reflective coated display case back, a forged carbon bezel, a black ceramic screw-down crown and black ceramic chrono pushers.
Insider: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15400. The Largest Royal Oak Ever Made.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15400 is the largest Royal Oak ever made with an over-sized case with a diameter of 41 mm. This fantastic reference —also available in rose gold— is a clear result of the continuous evolution of the Royal Oak and the manufacture's constant forward thinking.
Since its launch in 1972, the Royal Oak has gone through several design modifications including at least 12 references in 39mm, 12 in 36mm, 15 in 33 mm and even a rectangular Royal Oak ref. 6005. Today, the Royal Oak continues to embrace its core values just like it did 40 years ago regardless of its size. For some Royal Oak purists, bigger means betraying the original Jumbo. We have to admit that it took us a good year and months to come around; however, we can say with confidence that ref. 15400 is just as good.
Insider: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin ref. 15202ST. Almost Like the Original Jumbo From 1972.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin ref. 15202ST.OO.1240ST.01 is as close as you would get nowadays to the feeling of owning the iconic Royal Oak Jumbo ref. 5402ST from 1972. While this redesigned Jumbo maintains the sleek lines of the other Jumbos and most of the core elements present in the ref. 5402, there are subtle differences that are worth discussing.
The new Jumbo, referred to as Extra-Thin by Audemars Piguet, is fitted with a sapphire crystal display case back just like the previous Jumbo ref. 15202. The original Jumbo 5402 from 1972 featured a unique monoblock case design, making it even thinner and more sleek.
