Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore, also known as The Beast, muscled its way onto the scene in 1993 as a beefier and bolder version of its famous sibling, the Royal Oak. Drawing its inspiration and name (offshore) from the world of powerboat racing popular in the 1980s, the ROO family expanded, and in 2010 surfaced […]
Since its debut in 1993, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore has served as the brand´s most expressive, aggressive, and experimental platform. Bigger, bolder and much more muscular than the original Royal Oak, the Offshore quickly proved its “Beast” nickname, while becoming a showcase for material innovation and colour exploration. The 2021 redesign marked an […]
We closely and thoroughly examined the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked when it was introduced in steel (16204ST) for the RO´s 50th anniversary, for the model has become a reference for how Audemars Piguet approaches skeletonisation within an icon. Since then, it has been followed by precious-metal executions in white gold (16204BC) and yellow gold […]
Launched by Audemars Piguet in 2019, the compact Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 38mm was welcomed by men and women alike. Fitted with a modified Frédéric Piguet 1185 ébauche, the big news for the most compact RO chronograph is the introduction of a brand new in-house calibre with a longer power reserve and a 4Hz frequency. […]
For its 150th anniversary, Audemars Piguet has chosen a format that predates the wristwatch yet remains central to the brand’s most ambitious technical expressions: the pocket watch. The new 150e Héritage pocket watch directly references the Manufacture’s historic ultra-complicated pocket watches of 1899 (L’Universelle) and 1921 (La Grosse Pièce). It is also connected to milestones […]
A perpetual calendar is a complication very much dear to Audemars Piguet. Since the mid-20th century, the manufacture in Le Brassus has offered many variations on how this “celestial” mechanism could be presented, displayed and used. From the world’s first leap-year perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1955, to the ultra-thin automatic QPs of the late 1970s, […]
Audemars Piguet continues to refine one of its most emblematic complications with the launch of a new Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar in 41mm, entirely crafted in “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” ceramic. More than a new colourway, this release brings together two of the Manufacture’s most significant recent developments: the darker, historically rooted blue ceramic […]
With 3 of its 4 main collections based on the original Royal Oak design, it’s fair to say that Audemars Piguet is a bit conservative in some aspects. But, from time to time, and not without great boldness, the brand releases something unexpected and not octagonally designed. As the best example of what AP can […]
What We KnowToday, amongst a sea of new releases from Audemars Piguet, the Offshores also get some time in the spotlight. In total, there are five new Offshores—three Offshore divers, and two new takes on the 43mm Offshore Chronograph.First, the 42mm Royal Oak Offshore Diver gets three new colorways, replacing the previous green, grey, and blue trio in the collection. The first, ref. 15720ST.OO.A403CA.01 in "Deep Teal" is a bit more subtle update, giving a dark blue dial, pink gold accents on
What We KnowFinally! Audemars Piguet's smaller Royal Oak Chronograph variant gets a long-overdue in-house movement. Since its introduction in 2019, the 38mm Royal Oak Chrono has featured the trusty, ultra-thin chronograph movement, the Frédéric Piguet 1185 (branded as AP's Caliber 2385). A movement design that debuted all the way back in 1988, it held steady as the winning option for many high-end brands looking for a compact integrated chronograph caliber, with Audemars Piguet using it since
What We KnowAmong the most coveted pieces in Audemars Piguet's catalog, Openworked watches have become a favorite among modern clientele. It was only two weeks ago that we shared this white ceramic skeletonized tourbillon, and while feedback was mixed, I guarantee that AP isn't sitting on extras wishing they could sell them. Versus other brands' "skeletonized" or "open dial" watches (even those in ceramic cases), even a cursory look shows that AP goes far beyond just cutting away a dial. And t
What We KnowIn one of the most surprising releases from Audemars Piguet in a long time (this and their new pocket watch are arguably the most surprising in at least a decade), the brand has just announced a completely new, small, complicated wristwatch, with no connection to recent product lines. In fact, it inaugurates a whole new collection called "Neo Frame," with products featuring aperture-based displays and built around shaped cases, including (in this instance) the Streamline Modern mov
What We KnowLast year, for Audemars Piguet's 150th Anniversary celebration, I headed to the brand's headquarters in Le Brassus, where the team announced the impressive Caliber 7138, a major overhaul of their iconic Quantieme Perpetual movement that enabled complete adjustment of every single indication via the crown. At the same time, the brand curiously did not discontinue its skeletonized execution of the outgoing movement, saving it for one last "farewell" edition: the Royal Oak Perpetual C
Audemars Piguet has, unexpectedly but (in my opinion) happily, returned to its pocket watch roots, launching an incredibly complicated watch called the "150th Heritage." In fact, there are two watches, made in platinum and measuring 50mm by 23.4mm, with eight more planned in 18k white gold. The idea for this watch came from a conversation between AP’s CEO Ilaria Resta and the iconic watchmaker Giulio Papi in late 2023. In 20 months, he had created the mechanics we see today. This is (to my kno
The watch culture in the Netherlands has been steadily growing over a good number of years, and we’re able to show another new and rather neat watch project to the already diverse group of brands and watchmakers stemming from our small country. Founded by two Dutchmen with a deep passion for watches and developed over […]
We left the road nearly 30 minutes ago, our convoy of Land Rover Defenders now following an invisible line through an orange-walled canyon. There is a faint two-track resembling a trail taken by other vehicles, but it weaves an erratic line around rock piles, small dune formations, and the occasional caravan of slack-jawed dromedaries. There's seemingly little rhyme or reason to this wayfinding. The lead vehicle doesn't follow the track, choosing instead to break trail on a more direct line to
After several years working closely with Greubel Forsey, Michel Nydegger has now spent a year and a half at the helm of the brand founded by Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey. With a deep, first-hand understanding of the manufacture, its philosophy, and its people, Nydegger offers a thoughtful perspective on leadership and sustainability at one […]
What We KnowThe Chicago-based Oak & Oscar team is continuing their experimental series with the new Humboldt ExP-02. If you get partway through this story and it's of interest to you, be warned, there are only 20 pieces, and they're available via a lottery that closes at 11:59 pm Central Time on February 3. The concept for the team was simple: push the boundaries of their personal techniques to create something they've never done before.The result is a 39.5mm by 12.4mm stainless steel tool
Here’s the third of the five collaboration watches done by Louis Vuitton with some of the most revered independent watchmakers. Indeed, following the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie made with Rexhep Rexhepi, founder of Atelier Akrivia, and the LVKV-02 GMR 6 made with Finnish-born watchmaker Kari Voutilainen, it’s time now for LV to unveil its project […]
What We KnowJust announced at an event in Tokyo, Japan, this is the new and very limited LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius, the latest in Louis Vuitton's high-profile collaborations with independent watchmakers. This time, the famed luxury brand has partnered with the Swiss independent brand De Bethune to create both a 10-piece limited-edition titanium travel watch and a pair of watches that come with a companion LVDB-03 Sympathique clock, which can both wind and set the paired watch. Dubbed the Louis