Watch Forums - Revolution Online - Audemars Piguet Exceptional horological innovations... http://revo-online.com/forums/main/list.php?10 Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:13:49 -0500 Phorum 5.2.13 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008949,1008949#msg-1008949 Lost Worlds: The Restoration Workshop At Audemars Piguet Le Brassus (4 replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008949,1008949#msg-1008949
A couple of days before the Schumacher event, I visited the restoration department, located just up the road from the Hotel des Horlogers, which is now owned by Audemars Piguet. Many of the pieces there I was asked to refrain from commenting on or photographing --they were being restored for clients who do not wish images of their watches to be made public and Audemars Piguet scrupulously respects their desire to be discreet. However, there was still an embarrassment of riches to photograph.

The restoration department is capable of taking in and repairing any watch ever made by Audemars Piguet, and under certain circumstances will also work on watches not made by them, but of significant historical interest, or which have a special connection to Audemars Piguet.



This minute repeater is quite small by modern standards but has the most exquisite sound I've ever heard in any repeater, anywhere. Made in 1946, it is a scant 31mm in diameter but puts most modern repeaters to shame. If you'd like to see the video of it in action just cliquez ici.



Wristwatch, sonnerie --beautifully composed dial on a technical tour-de-force.



Pocket watch, in-line perpetual calendar. I think this should be re-made in a Millenary case and I know at least one person in Le Brassus who thinks so too ;-) so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It's a fantastic design and a great example of the combination of almost whimsical virtuosity and technical sophistication that was, and still is, such an essential part of the Audemars Piguet identity.



Complications of course are a long-standing speciality of Audemars Piguet's . . .



. . . up to, and including, grand complications --again, the term is used somewhat loosely these days but traditionally it means a minute repeater, perpetual calendar, and rattrapante chronograph.



Perpetual calendar module, partially disassembled





One of the most impressive sights are the archives --the physical archives --of parts for calibres that are no longer in production. They're kept safe at the repair workshop, sleeping the sleep of decades or even centuries until they are called on. Should a part be needed that is not in stock or in the archives, it can of course be re-manufactured although the investment in time and skill can, in such a case, be considerable.



Balance complete, kept carefully locked away for a rainy day.





The wooden boxes actually help in keeping the steel parts in good condition as the wood absorbs humidity and helps retard rust.



Work in progress. L/R, split, bimetallic compensating balance with heat-blued plain steel balance spring with overcoil; escapement lever (this is a so-called "moustache" lever; the moustache was intended to poise the lever but watchmaking practice eventually concluded that, especially for higher frequency watches, the moustache counterweight added undesirable inertia; balance staffs. The blue stuff is watchmaker's putty (Rodico.)



A watch can come in looking very rough. Restoration may involve a whole plethora of tasks, including cleaning and refinishing parts; re-adjusting, cleaning and oiling the mechanism, and re-fabricating broken, hopelessly corroded, or missing parts. The work has to proceed slowly as it requires not only a mechanic's skill but a conservator's sensitivity; as many original parts as possible should be restored and preserved.





Part of the minute repeater train. I am always a little awestruck by the sight of a pre-CNC minute repeater --to think that something like the steps on the four-armed minute snail (center of the movement) were made with hand operated precision tools is incredible.



In this particular watch, the steel gongs for the repeater were so badly corroded that it was necessary to make new ones. This is one of the most delicate tasks that can fall to a restorer. Steel wire of the right composition has to be shaped, tempered, mounted in the steel foot by which it's affixed to the movement plate; and its tone has to be controlled by tempering it correctly as well as filing the tip to tune it, and filing material away from the foot to allow it the correct degree of freedom of movement as it vibrates.

At the restoration workshop, heating the steel gong to temper it is done the old-fashioned way; the gong is heated in a pan filled with brass shavings to evenly distribute the heat, over an ancient-looking alcohol lamp.



These two pieces of equipment have been used in the restoration department for decades.



The result of all this work, however, is almost miraculous; the watch emerges gleaming like a jewel.



Seeing this last watch was very exciting. It is a watch made by Robert Robin, made circa 1785/86. It is running, with Robin's direct impulse escapement. That escapement, as AP fans know, was the inspiration for the Audemars Piguet Direct Impulse Escapement, which has been used in the Cabinet Piece No. 5, Millenary Minute Repeater, and, of course, the ChronoAP Jules Audemars. (For very in-depth analysis of the development of the AP escapement, see Part One and Part 2 of our archived coverage from 2007.)







Audemars Piguet Cabinet Piece No. 5, with AP Direct Impulse Escapement



Jules Audemars Chronometer with AP Escapement, (aka "ChronAP")

Watchmaking has a depth of history not often remembered or discussed nowadays, when so much emphasis is placed on what is new. If we don't forget what came before, we're in a better position to appreciate what comes next!

--Jack
]]> Jack Forster Audemars Piguet Wed, 02 Jan 2013 06:12:54 -0600 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008733,1008733#msg-1008733 World Without Royal Oaks: A Very Special Vintage Audemars Piguet Repeater (2 replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008733,1008733#msg-1008733
Please forgive the long radio silence --the East Coast of the USA, and New York in particular, were hit with a storm of historic proportions. We have had no electricity, internet connection, cell phone coverage, heat, or hot water since last Monday evening (the 29th) and power was fully restored only today. Still waiting on the heat and hot water but it's a start.

I thought I would celebrate by sharing something very special with you all.





This is a video I shot a few weeks ago at Audemars Piguet Le Brassus, in the restoration department --a remarkable place and a serious horological enthusiast's paradise. Far from the madding crowd, and the hurly-burly world of the latest Royal Oak Offshore limited edition, complicated watches that are the real lifeblood of Audemars Piguet's history and heritage are repaired and restored.

The repeater above (and please turn up your speakers to enjoy the sound --I apologize for the hand-shake but I'm still breaking in a new camera and breaking myself into it) was made sometime in the late 1940s. Its sound is incredible. The depth, richness, sweetness and comparatively high volume it produces all represent a treasury of secrets that have in many cases been lost during the Great Horological Dying of the late 1970s and 80s but anyone who cares for real quality instead of superficial pomp and circumstance will be moved by its quiet beauty. In other words, it sounds unbelievably gorgeous, and just why was something I had a chance to discuss with Giulio Papi the next day, at APRP.

According to him one of the major reasons is the construction of the case. It is not water resistant, which means it can act as a Helmholtz resonator. An example of a classic Helmholtz resonator is a bottle when you blow across its mouth --the drop in pressure this causes inside the bottle produces a corresponding compensatory internal pressure rise, as air flows back in. In short the volume of air "bounces" in and out of the bottle, with a natural frequency just like that of a spring (in fact the same equations can be used to describe a spring coefficient and the Helmholtz resonance.)

This effect produces a very efficient transmission of sound energy, prolongs the decay of each note, and provides a rich palette of secondary tones that give a chromatic richness absent in many modern repeaters.

The case, as well, is not machined but stamped, which work-hardens the surface of the metal, makiing it more stiff and a better resonating surface. Most modern cases are machined, which means the metal does not have the optimal properties for acoustic transmission.

There are a plethora of other factors as well but these two alone are worth thinking about. Audemars Piguet has researched this piece in particular, as well as many others, in an attempt to better understand the gorgeous richness of vintage repeaters and how that might be achieved again. To Giulio Papi this is one of the most exciting areas of current research; though much knowledge was lost, the ongoing effort to reverse engineer the results achieved in the golden age of chiming wristwatches presents a really fascinating intellectual challenge.

It's very important to listen critically to minute repeaters --quality varies enormously, and in general in the last few years the yen for bragging rights to have the loudest repeater has drowned out, literally, much of the appreciation of the more subtle and ultimately more important aspects of a repeater's performance. After all, we don't say the best musician is the one who makes the loudest noise.

--Jack]]> Jack Forster Audemars Piguet Thu, 08 Nov 2012 17:43:35 -0600 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008627,1008627#msg-1008627 Live from Berlin: First Look At The Royal Oak Offshore Michael Schumacher Limited Edition (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008627,1008627#msg-1008627
If you know Formula 1 racing you know Michael Schumacher's name --heck, if you don't know F1 you've probably heard of him. Born in Germany, a longtime resident of Switzerland, Schumacher got his start in racing with karting. When he was four years old his father modifed his pedal kart with a motorcycle engine, and shortly thereafter the (very) young Schumacher crashed into a lamp-post. Seeing which way the wind was blowing, his parents got him to the local carting track (where there were no lamp-posts to run into) and by age six he was a member of the club. It wasn't easy to keep him there; his parents were hardworking but not affluent, and his mother worked at the track while his father took on a second job in order to fund the young boy's --well, it's hard to characterize it as an obsession; by then it seems to have already become a way of life. (I often wonder what someone with a genius for something that's an aspect of the modern world would have done had they been born in another era. What did the paleolithic Schumachers do? Run fast?)

Their investment, to put it mildly, paid off. Michael Schumacher has gone on to become one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, holding or breaking numerous records throughout his career. Enormously wealthy, famously aggressive on the track, fiercely protective of his family's privacy, he's a legend in the automotive world --one of the few athletes who deserves the epithet --and one of his many interests is the watchmaking of Audemars Piguet. A long-time AP collector, he's now also the co-designer of the limited edition Royal Oaks that bear his name.

Picture time:

The event (a press conference and question-and-answer session, reception and dinner) took place in a cavernous abandoned power station in Berlin.



You know it's a party when they start up the fog machines!.





Power station control room where the watches were shown and the press conference took place. The urge to play with the buttons was nearly irresistible.



In person, the 43 year old Schumacher still radiates single minded determination and unhesitating decisiveness, whether he's describing racing, watches, or (in one case) flatly refusing to discuss any aspect of his family life to the press.







After the press conference, the watches.

Three versions are available: titanium with grey strap, 18k pink gold with grey strap, and platinum with a blue strap. All with the calibre 3120/3840 --Audemars Piguet's in-house selfwinding base calibre with Dubois-Depraz chronograph module. There are a number of subtle design elements that reference the F1 world and Schumacher's career, including seven stars on the tachymeter scale representing his seven World Championship wins --2 in blue for Benetton, and 5 in red for Ferrari. All with "Cermet" ceramic bezels.

Titanium:





Pink gold:





Platinum:





Titanium on the wrist:



1000 are available in titanium, and 500 pieces each in gold or platinum; available through Audemars Piguet boutiques.

Dinner afterwards in the enormous and dramatic interior of the power station:





According to Schumacher this is just the first series of watches from what he and Audemars Piguet expect to be a long term relationship. Asked if he was considering working with any of the other collections --I asked specifically about the Millenary --Schumacher said that while he's open to many possibilities, for now he feels that the Offshore collection is the best reflection of the motorsports world he takes as a point of reference for watches on which he works with Audemars Piguet.

Jack
]]> Jack Forster Audemars Piguet Sat, 20 Oct 2012 11:34:43 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008549,1008549#msg-1008549 Headed to Geneva for a visit with AP! (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008549,1008549#msg-1008549
Back Thursday, will try to file a report as soon as possible.

Jack]]> Jack Forster Audemars Piguet Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:37:50 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008526,1008526#msg-1008526 AP Royal Oak: Journey from Avant-Garde to Iconic Timepiece (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008526,1008526#msg-1008526


The beginning of a journey takes but one step. In an age of square and round watches, the industry gripped in the throes of the quartz crisis was trying to outcompete itself on a battlefield of watch straps and materials. Standing above the fray and towards even more risk was a company near the brink, that company was Audemars Piguet (AP) and they were bent on stepping in a new direction.


This extra-flat self-winding tourbillon from AP is STILL the thinnest tourbillon today. It was made in 1986, proof of Audemars Piguet’s watchmaking primacy. (As seen at exhibition)

Having covered the unique design of the Royal Oak previously, I was filled with quiet anticipation at looking from the perspective of the Piguet family; Introduced as an avant garde case design, the Royal Oak polarised watch lovers around the world into camp “gotta have” and “oh I don’t know”. According to CEO ad interim Francois-Henry Bennahmias, “When we first introduced the Royal Oak in 1972, visitors from other brands came over to our booth to offer congratulations and words of support but while walking away, they were whispering about the end of Audemars Piguet.”


The exhibition takes visitors through the paces of Audemar Piguet’s heritage and history


As the chartered bus whisked us away from Art Plural Gallery towards the Old Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, I had enough time to ponder and digest the impact and risk taking daring-do of a family which by and large spat in the face of the quartz crisis and declared- the future is still mechanical when they first released the series A Royal Oak.

And they were right.


Finished base automatic calibre with solid gold oscillating weight.

To say the exhibition was educational would do the brand great disservice. The truth is, the exhibition lit something in me previously dormant- I was never a huge fan boy of Audemars Piguet, in fact my only exposure to the marquee at any depth was limited to the handful of Schwarzenegger movies. Did the octagonal case shape strike my fancy? Indeed it did, that’s what drew me to a Baume & Mercier Riveria (I own one) in the first place, but did I understand the Royal Oak’s position in history at the time? I did not.


This machine used to make the “tapisserie” dial is still used today.

Here I was, at the art deco inspired former KTM railway station pondering over brie, beetroot salmon and champagne- with knowledge gleaned from master watchmakers and senior executives; my mind was bursting with new factoids- the dial design? That’s called “tapisserie” pattern. Did you know it’s not stamped? No way! Did you know each bracelet link is finished by hand? Get out of here! Did you know it was AP that started the big watch trend in 1993 before EVERYONE else (Hublot included)? F#@k off.

Should you attend the exhibition? You bloody well should, even if not for love of watches, I think the Royal Oak 40 Years display can teach you a thing or two about the importance of – risk taking, innovation and trust (of your gut and in the designer you hired).

Consider me their newest fan.

Limited spaces: Pre-book your slot- Registration can be done at here.
Time: 10 – 14 October 2012
Venue: 30 Keppel Road, Former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station







]]> madonna Audemars Piguet Thu, 11 Oct 2012 23:10:18 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008497,1008497#msg-1008497 40 Years of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Exhibition Finally Opens in Singapore (10th to 14th October 2012)! (14 replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008497,1008497#msg-1008497 see the show preview posted earlier).

While the exhibition proper will open only tomorrow, invited Audemars Piguet VIPs are having an enjoying an exciting preview as this report is posted, the media had it earlier in the day at the historical Tanjong Pagar Railway Station (no longer used as a train station).




Audemars Piguet CEO ad interim Francois-Henry Bennahmias explained the origin of the Royal Oak Design at the exhibition press conference held in AP Art Gallery, Singapore.

Jaw
TBC...]]> Jaw Audemars Piguet Wed, 10 Oct 2012 07:36:04 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008332,1008332#msg-1008332 40 Years of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, What to expect at the Singapore Exhibition, A Teaser. (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008332,1008332#msg-1008332
tease.jpg







1972 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and its designer Gerald Genta.


1972 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ref. 5402ST


1972 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ref. 5402ST in the box.


The same exhibition in Milan.


In awe?


The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak original designer, Gerald Genta.


Le Brassus as photographed by Dan Holdsworth, where Audemars Piguet is situated.
]]> Jaw Audemars Piguet Wed, 26 Sep 2012 08:01:22 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008275,1008275#msg-1008275 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Skeleton Piece Unique raised SGD170,000 for the Kidz Horizon Appeal (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008275,1008275#msg-1008275 special memory of avid watch collector Mr Duncan Wang. This unique piece was put up on auction,
fetching a handsome S$170,000 at the Kidz Horizon Appeal Ball held at the Ritz Carlton on 1 September
2012. Generously donated by the late Duncan Wang’s family, the unique skeleton piece retailed at
S$87,000 and was hammered down within 8 minutes of the auction. Held at the Ritz Carlton Millenia
ballroom, the event saw more than 500 guests gathering to raise funds for Singapore’s underprivileged
cancer-stricken children who are suffering from chronic or terminal illnesses.

Themed Great Britannia and Beyond, the ballroom was transformed into a London tube station and all
things British. As part of the annual event, 4 items were put up for auction that evening, with the
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak timepiece receiving outstandingly intense competition and raising the most
significant sum for the evening. The event was also graced by Guest-of-Honor Mr. Teo Chee Hean. The
night ended with a total of S$1,004,888 worth of funds raised. Dr Caroline Low-Heah, Chairperson of
Kidz Horizon Appeal, couldn’t be more pleased “The evening wouldn’t have been possible if not for the
generous participation of the donors. My committee and I thank everyone for their kind support. The
amount raised will now be put into good use in providing medical care for the chronically ill children in
KK Hospital for women and children.”




]]> reginaw Audemars Piguet Sat, 22 Sep 2012 12:16:42 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008137,1008137#msg-1008137 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 40 Years Exhibition - Beijing (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008137,1008137#msg-1008137 After kicking off in New York, stopping in Milan then Paris and its stint here in Beijing, the exhibition will continue to its final stop in Singapore in October. The Beijing exhibition will be open to the public from August 31st to September 3rd.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, launched in 1972, is considered as the world’s first luxury sports watch that broke the rules of fine watchmaking and sparked a complete paradigm shift in the industry. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of this world-famous iconic timepiece, the Swiss Manufacture from Le Brassus in the Vallée de Joux has put together a unique and ephemeral global travelling exhibition.

In 1875, Le Brassus in the Vallée de Joux became the birthplace of Audemars Piguet. Today, to facilitate lovers of watchmaking from all over the world to perceive the charms of the Vallée de Joux, the three artists Sebastien Leon Agneessens, Quayola and Dan Holdsworth have used installation, photography, sound and film in the exhibition to reflect Audemars Piguet’s origins, mastery and artistry as well as to tell the stories of Audemars Piguet and the Royal Oak in an unprecedented way.
The Manufacture has curated 100 exceptional timepieces ranging from the very first Royal Oak in 1972 to the latest collections recently launched at the 2012 SIHH as well as those set with the finest jewelry, the most complicated watches, borrowed pieces from the private collections of the most avid watch enthusiasts and limited edition pieces one would be hard-pressed to find in the market. The exhibition in Beijing will also have the privilege to showcase for the first time the number 10/100 of the platinum edition of the Royal Oak Leo Messi limited series, launched earlier this year in three versions of 1000 pieces worldwide. The number 10/100 of the limited edition platinum models will be up for auction in December. The entire proceeds of the auction will be donated to the Foundation Lionel Messi (Leo Messi Foundation) to help educate and treat underprivileged children.

The design behind the exhibition lies in the creative hands of Sebastien Leon Agneessens, who drew his inspiration from the origins of the brand in Le Brassus to create installation works Fragments and Between Now and Then. Hundreds of tubular sticks of different heights symbolizing the lush forests of the valley area are treated as organ-like sound sculptures surrounding the exhibition. Fragmented mineral rocks typically found in the Vallée de Joux, on the other hand, are made to be the showcase. The angular and multi-faceted exterior of each of the fragments and its dark reflective metal surface inspired by the Royal Oak creates a natural contrast with the wooden interior that reflects Audemars Piguet’s long tradition and humble origins. Each of these fragmented units is a journey of discovery of the origins and savoir-faire of the brand.
Apart from 100 iconic timepieces and invaluable memorabilia dating back to the beginning of the 70s, visitors will also have the opportunity to closely observe the artistry of Audemars Piguet’s craftsmen through a watchmaker’s area that includes a brocading dial machine.

The exhibition also has dedicated areas displaying exclusive creations of photographer Dan Holdsworth and digital artist Quayola. Dan Holdsworth spent several weeks in the Vallée de Joux to document the Valley at its stillest hours, capturing the ancient forests and glacial topography under the celestial presence of mist or moon to convey the extraordinary temporal significance vested in the landscape. His contemporary lens captures the incredible link between nature, man and his creations, the complex movements that have become the beating hearts of each Audemars Piguet timepiece, continues to live in Le Brassus of the 21st century and inspires the watchmakers of today as they pursue their never-ending quest to unravel the mysteries of nature. While Quayola's work for Audemars Piguet 40-years exhibition is a study and celebration of ‘matter’ itself, the substance of all physical objects. The installation focuses on a continuous transformation and metamorphosis of matter: from the grace, complexity and unpredictability of geological forms, to the perfection, beauty and precision of man-made objects of art. Through a process of continuous mutation and metamorphosis, it explores simultaneously classical art, 1970s sculpture and contemporary digital aesthetics.

To celebrate the opening of the Royal Oak 40 Years Exhibition, Audemars Piguet held an illustrious gala dinner on August 29th and an influencer’s party on August 30th. Nearly 500 distinguished guests were present at the opening ceremony, with many celebrities invited from all over the world. Famous American actor Chris Noth, renowned Chinese stars Hu Jun and Zhang Yuqi as well as international supermodels Du Juan, Chen Bike and Kang Qianwe all wore Royal Oak watches as tribute to the avant-garde hundred-year Manufacture. Sound, also an integral part of the evening’s program was provided by The Irrepressibles, a band Audemars Piguet selected because of its reflection of one of the brand’s core values: passion. The band’s theatrical stage presence captured the crowd’s attention and was one of the evening’s highlights.








]]> reginaw Audemars Piguet Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:01:43 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008060,1008060#msg-1008060 Audemars Piguet Ambassadors’ Cup Golf Tournament (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1008060,1008060#msg-1008060
Audemars Piguet’s enviable roster of Ambassadors including Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, and Lee Westwood participated in the event, which included 34 clients. Before guests took the course, there was a breakfast and instructional clinic with the ambassadors.

In other related news, Audemars Piguet was the Official Timekeeper sponsor of The Barclays 2012 held at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, NY where McIlroy, McDowell, Poulter, and Westwood competed.

Tournament prizes provided by Audemars Piguet for the Ambassadors’ Cup included:

1st prize – Audemars Piguet wall clock and trophies
2nd prize – Audemars Piguet golf bags

The Audemars Piguet Golf Ambassador Team represents the company’s commitment to golf by gathering an array of exceptional players for the brand. This illustrious pro-golfer roster also includes Cristie Kerr, Morgan Pressel, Belén Mozo, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Darren Clarke and Anthony Kim. All are devotees of Haute Horlogerie and proudly wear Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore watches. These collections embody a perfect combination of elegance, excellence and strength, qualities that Audemars Piguet particularly appreciates in its sports ambassadors.








photos by Startraksphotos.com
]]> reginaw Audemars Piguet Tue, 28 Aug 2012 18:26:58 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007988,1007988#msg-1007988 Audemars Piguet congratulates Rory McIlroy on PGA Championship victory (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007988,1007988#msg-1007988

]]> reginaw Audemars Piguet Fri, 17 Aug 2012 09:28:16 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007986,1007986#msg-1007986 Big...bigger....The Legacy (3 replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007986,1007986#msg-1007986


]]> patrick belgium Audemars Piguet Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:49:41 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007962,1007962#msg-1007962 somebody knows the price of the Legacy aramid strap?? (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007962,1007962#msg-1007962
thanks for helping,]]> patrick belgium Audemars Piguet Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:22:25 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007835,1007835#msg-1007835 Photo update of the AP Piece Unique created for Kidz Horizon Appeal (2 replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007835,1007835#msg-1007835
Hope you guys remember that I've posted some time ago the Press Releases of the special Piece Unique by Audemars Piguet created specially for the Kidz Horizaon Appeal, and donated by the family of the late Duncan Wang:

Click here to see the Press Releases again

I am happy to announced that the watch has arrived in Singapore and some of us have the great honour to view this special Master Piece before the actual auction to be held during the Gala Dinner by Kidz Horizon Appeal on the September 1st, 2012. (Those who are interested in this acution piece can contact me directly and I'll connect you to the person-in-charge of this auction)

While my photographing skill has deteriorated badly over the years (have not been shooting for a while), I tried to capture the beauty of this watch but seriously not doing any justice to the charm and elegance of this Masterpiece....


Cermat Bezel, Titanium Case, Openworked Anthracite Dial, with the matching grey Croco Strap, what a Beauty!


It comes in a luxurious looking green wooden box....


A closer look at the watch in the box.....


Here's the back case with the special engraving for this 2012 Special Piece Unique


One more photo, the cermat bezel looks silver but it's due to over-exposure of lighting, it is actually in a darker grey tone...

I realised only after processing these photos that I did not take any close-up shots, and will try to do it if I can find some time and when the watch is available for shooting.

I will also try to make a short report once the watch has been successfully auctioned.

Thank you!


Cheers,
KokChoon :)
]]> KokChoon Audemars Piguet Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:31:31 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007702,1007702#msg-1007702 Audemars Piguet's Diabolical Plan To Rebrand Manhattan As Audemars Piguet Product Has Begun (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007702,1007702#msg-1007702
They've begun with one of the most vital points of entry into our fair city, the 34th St. Heliport.





Who knows what's next? The Chrysler Building? Grant's Tomb? The Sheep Meadow in Central Park? Where will these audacious horologico-supervillains strike next? Ordinary citizens and law enforcement are powerless against them! Perhaps the only this lone, masked hero can fight back against the horological tide that threatens to engulf us:



Yeah. That guy.

(Disclaimer: Audemars Piguet is a wholly owned trademark of Audemars Piguet of Le Brassus, Switzerland. Batman, the likeness therof, the Bat Signal, and distinctive representation of a bat depicted on Batman's costume are the property of DC Comics. No relationship between DC Comics and Audemars Piguet, or between Audemars Piguet, Bane, the Joker, Mini-Me, Dr. Evil, or any other super-villain fictional or real should be construed, nor is this article intended to imply such a relationship. I, for one, welcome our new overlords. Press release follows. They're actually calling it a domination program. Wake up, sheeple, before it's too late!)

(NEW YORK, NY - July 18, 2012) — Luxury Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet continues its partnership with Roaring Thunder Media, the premier source for private jet terminal advertising, in the creation of an innovative media program. For the second year this custom-tailored “domination program” gives Audemars Piguet the opportunity to be featured exclusively on all interior and exterior signage, as well as on a state-of-the-art digital monitor at New York City's highly-trafficked East 34th Street Heliport operated by Atlantic Aviation.

“As a company we continually look for brand positioning that precisely targets our well traveled clientele,” says Frederick Martel, VP of Marketing for Audemars Piguet. “We know for certain that anyone flying in and out of the 34th Street Heliport is a potential client, so we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to find such a strategic and exclusive location in the heart of New York City.”

Roaring Thunder Media’s domination program for Audemars Piguet includes five backlit interior static duratrans, a state-of-the-art digital monitor, an exterior vinyl building wrap featuring the Royal Oak Offshore 44mm, and four Royal Oak wall clocks in-terminal. The program also features tarmac signage on five heliport bays – three AP logos and images of the Extra-Thin Royal Oak Tourbillon in stainless steel, and the Royal Oak Chronograph in rose gold that commemorate the brand’s iconic design for its the 40th anniversary.


The 34th Street Heliport is just one of many examples of the brand’s relationship with aviation. Audemars Piguet clocks are located in 36 Delta Air Lines terminals throughout the United States and internationally, at NetJets headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, and seventy-two Roaring Thunder Media FBOs nationwide. Audemars Piguet is also the Official Timekeeper of Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey and of the Four Seasons Hotel. The brand’s Royal Oak clocks are also located in the Loews Regency Hotel in New York City and aboard The World by Residensea.
]]> Jack Forster Audemars Piguet Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:31:02 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007595,1007595#msg-1007595 Audemars Piguet Annouces the release of the Limited Edition Leo Messi Royal Oak (2 replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007595,1007595#msg-1007595
Presented as a limited series of only 1000 pieces (in steel/tantalum, pink gold/tantalum and platinum/tantalum), the Limited Edition Leo Messi Royal Oak is distinctive on every front. With a 41 mm diameter, it offers a stylish and modern face. In addition, the limited series is graced with an alligator strap – and with an additional sportier rubber strap – to replace the traditional steel bracelet. The Leo Messi Royal Oak’s pure and elegant dial does not repeat the “tapisserie” motif that was the Royal Oak’s trademark. The dial is vertically brushed anthracite with hour markers in white gold for the steel version and pink gold for the pink gold version, while the platinum version sports a deep blue dial with white gold hour markers. For all versions, the three auxiliary chronograph counters and the small seconds counter are encircled by a finely brushed silvered ring.





Retaining the collection’s eight hexagonal screws in polished white gold, the bezel of the Limited Edition Leo Messi Royal Oak and the fastening links of the strap are in tantalum, giving off subtle glints of blue and grey. The uniqueness of these sublime colour effects governed the choice of tantalum, a material with very strong resistance to corrosion and high density – about twice as heavy as steel – that is particularly difficult to machine and polish.




The Leo Messi Royal Oak is offered in a limited series of 1000 pieces: 500 in steel/tantalum, 400 in pink gold/tantalum and 100 in platinum/tantalum. Each watch is delivered in an original case in the shape of a lacquered shoe box decorated on the inside with the player’s dedication.







This Royal Oak chronograph houses the self-winding mechanical calibre 2385 which offers hours, minutes, small seconds, date and chronograph functions. Made up of 304 components, the movement has a 40-hour power reserve and beats at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz). It is fitted with a single-block 18 ct gold oscillating weight.



]]> madonna Audemars Piguet Wed, 11 Jul 2012 06:08:11 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007404,1007404#msg-1007404 Royal Oak Piece Unique for Kidz Horizon Appeal - Singapore 2012 (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007404,1007404#msg-1007404

Check out the post on the Prime Time Forum: PRESS RELEASE - KIDZ HORIZON APPEAL
]]> KokChoon Audemars Piguet Thu, 21 Jun 2012 04:20:51 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007373,1007373#msg-1007373 Report on the Royal Oak Exhibition in Paris (5 replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007373,1007373#msg-1007373
I've been on this forum in the past, but after last year's incident with the hack and all, I didn't re-register properly. Anyway, my friend Geo (Cartier Forum) made me enthusiastic again to post on Revo-Online.

Anyway, I noticed the announcement in this forum about the exhibition on the Royal Oak in Paris, but didn't see a report yet. Last week, I covered the event on my blog, including an interview with their Creative Director Octavio Garcia and some explanatory texts on the event itself. If you want to read the interview, go there for a minute. In the meanwhile, I am dropping the most interesting photos we took in this post here at Revo-Online.

I think most of them speak for themselves... It was a wonderful event and it was great to meet not only Octavio Garcia but also Aphroditi Koulentaki and Mark Schmid of Audemars Piguet.









































And for the watches that were on display....

















































And then we ended up doing some other things as well..







But in the end it is all about watches :-) Pictured here are our own three Jumbos we took with us.



Hope you enjoyed the show!

RJ
]]> Fratello Audemars Piguet Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:49:52 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007356,1007356#msg-1007356 Audemars Piguet ROO Micheal Shumacher Limited Edition (1 reply) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007356,1007356#msg-1007356

An employee from AP told me that there will be a new ROO Limited Edition very soon!

It seems that Micheal Shumacher AP ambassador since 2010 will get his own Limited Edition in titanium, gold and platinum.

The highly sought after Rubens Barrichello II will have new competitor, for the people who like that watch this one will be THE ONE as i'm told :)


Take care,


Alex.



]]> AlexB Audemars Piguet Mon, 18 Jun 2012 05:44:21 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007152,1007152#msg-1007152 Royal Oak Exposition in Paris, June 6 - 10 (2 replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007152,1007152#msg-1007152

AP's 'Royal Oak' exposition lands next week in Paris!
From June 6 - 10. in Palais de Tokyo. Free admission.

Next stops will be; Beijing, Singapore and Dubai!

GEO
]]> Geo Audemars Piguet Thu, 31 May 2012 05:04:47 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007070,1007070#msg-1007070 PRESS RELEASE: Philippe Merk steps down, AP NA President Francois Bennahmias named Interim Managing Director (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1007070,1007070#msg-1007070

Due to differences in company strategy, the Board of Directors and Mr. Philippe Merk, Chief Executive Officer, have decided to terminate their collaboration. The Board appreciates the work accomplished these past years and wishes Mr. Merk continued success in his future endeavours.

The Board of Directors has nominated Mr.François-Henry Bennahmias to the position of General Manager ad interim. Mr. Bennahmias, 48 years of age, began his career at Audemars Piguet in 1996 and from 1997 he was Assistant Marketing and Sales Manager for Asia-Pacific and Europe.
In 1999 he was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer of Audemars Piguet (North America Inc.) in New York. Owing to his solid commitment to AP and his dynamic personality, he has developed the brand with great success across the Atlantic.

The members of the Board wish him the same success in his new function and would like to take this opportunity to thank in advance the entire staff for their support.


On behalf of the Board of Directors of Audemars Piguet Holding SA


Jasmine Audemars, Chairwoman Philippe Merk, Chief Executive Officer]]> Jack Forster Audemars Piguet Thu, 24 May 2012 08:26:29 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006909,1006909#msg-1006909 No Limits! Audemars Piguet Star Wheel! (1 reply) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006909,1006909#msg-1006909 Our Contributing Writer & Moderator Martin Green wrote a very good article about the
Audemars Piguet Star Wheel.
Martin is a free lance writer and wrote the article this time for 'Watchmaker',
Meehna Goldsmith's Blog.
Click HERE to read the full article, that you should not miss.

GEO



]]> Geo Audemars Piguet Mon, 14 May 2012 12:58:36 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006889,1006889#msg-1006889 Antiquorum & Audemars Piguet Toast Watch Week with a Special Preview of 50 Exceptional Royal Oaks (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006889,1006889#msg-1006889 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


New York, May 4, 2012 – On Friday, April 27 Antiquorum and Audemars Piguet celebrated the start of Watch Week with a cocktail party and special preview of 50 exceptional timepieces in honor of the 40th anniversary of the iconic Royal Oak. Watch enthusiasts gathered at the Audemars Piguet flagship boutique on East 57 St. to examine the exceptional timepieces offered in Antiquorum’s upcoming May 13th auction in Geneva.

Amongst the outstanding Royal Oaks on display were a Royal Oak Jumbo “A Series,” No. 88, a Royal Oak Jumbo Retailed by Bulgari that formerly belonged to the President of Venezuela Carols Andres Perez, as well as an 18K white gold and diamond set Grand Complication, Piece Unique No. 1/1.

Attendees were treated to champagne and sumptuous hors deuvres prepared by Tastings NYC. During the cocktail Francois-Henry Bennahmias (President & CEO, Audemars Piguet (North America) Inc.) toasted the evening with a humorous speech mentioning his appreciation for several pieces included in the collection followed by Julien Schaerer (Managing Director, Antiquorum Geneva) who spoke about the history of the Royal Oak and some of the highlights offered in the May 13th auction. Collectors had the opportunity to try on the watches as well as speak to Antiquorum and Audemars Piguet experts about the exceptional timepieces. Upon leaving, all attendees received an Antiquorum catalog for the upcoming sale as well as a beautiful Audemars Piguet book.




Julien Schaerer (Managing Director, Antiquorum Geneva) & Francois-Henry Bennahmias (President & CEO, Audemars Piguet (North America) Inc.)




Etienne Lemenager (Director, Antiquorum Geneva), Julien Schaerer (General Manager, Antiquorum Geneva), Andres Rodriguez, & Evan Zimmermann (President & CEO, Antiquorum)




Collectors Admiring Royal Oaks on display




Collector & Julien Schaerer (General Manager, Antiquorum Geneva)






Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks on Display
]]> madonna Audemars Piguet Tue, 08 May 2012 21:36:05 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006886,1006886#msg-1006886 Face Time: Video of the Creation of the Royal Oak Dial (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006886,1006886#msg-1006886


Great video showing some of the steps in the creation of the complex Royal Oak dials. Enjoy!

Jack]]> Jack Forster Audemars Piguet Tue, 08 May 2012 16:04:48 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006818,1006818#msg-1006818 Update: My new ROO 25940SK.OO.D002CA.02.A (3 replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006818,1006818#msg-1006818

Finally had time to pick up my ROO from the AP Boutique Geneva since my last post dated 2-16-2012.

I added a wrist shot and some more eye candy..

If you want a great customer service and see the whole AP collection in 1 Boutique, go to Geneva.

Take care,


Alex.







]]> AlexB Audemars Piguet Sat, 05 May 2012 01:13:22 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006632,1006632#msg-1006632 Video: The Making of the Royal Oak 40th Anniversary Celebration (1 reply) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006632,1006632#msg-1006632


]]> Jack Forster Audemars Piguet Tue, 08 May 2012 08:49:22 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006622,1006622#msg-1006622 Pompus Fools - What about the Quartz models? (1 reply) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006622,1006622#msg-1006622 [www.nytimes.com]

Francois-Henry Bennahmias, president and chief executive of Audemars Piguet North America, said a Royal Oak cost $3,000 in 1972 and would be worth $35,000 to $60,000 today, depending on the condition. He said new Royal Oaks started at $14,000.

I love the way the CEOs and heads of luxury watch companies have a very selective memory..... "WHAT ABOUT ALL THE QUARTZ RUBBISH YOU RELEASED???? ESPECIALLY THE QUARTZ LIMITED EDITION CRAP!"

Surely an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in quartz is worth nothing near the $35,000- mark or even the $14,000- mark!

I just love how these people re-invent the history of the company and forget some of the models (like the royals disowning a nazi supporting family member aka The Windors and King Edward!).]]> Anonymous User Audemars Piguet Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:03:54 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006400,1006400#msg-1006400 Yin-Yang (2 replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006400,1006400#msg-1006400



]]> VolSurface Audemars Piguet Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:07:56 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006359,1006359#msg-1006359 PHILIPPE MERK ▬ AUDEMARS PIGUET (no replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006359,1006359#msg-1006359
In the past 40 years, the Royal Oak has become almost synonymous with Audemars Piguet. The company's CEO, Philippe Merk, shows us the new developments in this iconic collection, most notably the watches commemorating the 40th anniversary of this timeless classic.

]]> Raymund Cerna Audemars Piguet Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:35:45 -0500 http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006213,1006213#msg-1006213 HEART OF STEEL: FOUR DECADES OF THE REMARKABLE ROYAL OAK FROM AUDEMARS PIGUET (3 replies) http://revo-online.com/forums/main/read.php?10,1006213,1006213#msg-1006213 By Jack Forster


There are certainly watches made in larger numbers, but there are few more instantly recognizable than the Royal Oak, from Audemars Piguet. Forty years since its 1972 introduction, the Royal Oak has become not only the watch associated by enthusiasts with the small Le Brassus-based firm of Audemars Piguet. It’s also become the watch desired as a symbol of distinctive elegance by lovers of beautiful watches across the world. The appeal of the Royal Oak and its descendants and variations, including the Royal Oak Offshore models, seems likely to continue for another 40 years or more. And if we’re spared, we look forward to lifting a celebratory glass of champagne in 2072, at the centennial of this most enduring of horological designs.





It’s hard to imagine, against the background of the nearly universal admiration (and desire) that the Royal Oak evokes, that it got off to what, bluntly, was a pretty rocky start. The whole idea of making, in 1970 (when the idea was first floated at AP), an haute-horlogerie-level watch from stainless steel must have seemed, to many, both in the industry and at the venerable firm of Audemars Piguet itself, prima facie absurd. The prevailing sentiment at the time among top-tier Swiss watch firms like Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe was that stainless steel was simply not a respectable material out of which to make a luxury watch. While it had certainly proven its credentials as a material in sports watches long since, it was simply too common, too pedestrian and, above all, too utilitarian a material for use in a luxury watch.





In 1972, however, there was increasingly a sentiment at Audemars Piguet that the firm needed a watch that would appeal to a younger, sportier consumer. There were few companies that had a better reputation for technical excellence in movement design, and Audemars Piguet’s history is replete with watches that demonstrate a unique combination of lyricism and audacity not found in other haute-horlogerie manufactures, but it was clear to then-CEO Georges Golay, (head of Audemars Piguet from 1966 to 1987), along with Audemars family member Jacques-Louis (who held the responsibility of technical manager, having chosen to make Golay managing director of the firm after the death of Paul-Edward Piguet, who had no male heirs), that an injection of fresh vision was called for.


To achieve that end, they turned to a man whom history was to inextricably link to the fortunes of Audemars Piguet: Gérald Genta. Genta was an iconoclast in the watch industry. He was extremely independent-minded, for one thing. A graduate of one of Geneva’s jewelry and goldsmithing trade schools, Genta found himself chafing under the routine of work under an employer. And at the age of 20, (perhaps yielding to the Italian blood he’d inherited from his father, a Piedmontese) he walked to the Pont de la Machine (a bridge overlooking the Rhône) and, according to scientist/journalist/watch historian Lucien Trueb, “tossed his tools into the Rhône River and swore two oaths: never to work again as a goldsmith or as anyone’s subordinate”.


It was as a freelance designer, therefore, (and one who already had established a résumé that included work for Universal Genève, Omega, and Patek Philippe) that he entered into initial discussions with Jacques-Louis Audemars, and prepared his initial design for the Royal Oak. The original design was created in a flash of inspiration; Genta claimed that the arrangement of screws around the bezel, holding down a porthole-like glass, was influenced by the sight of a diver working along the shore of Lake Geneva who was wearing a standard hard-hat diver’s brass diving helmet affixed to a breastplate with massive bolts. As if lightning had struck, Genta returned to his atelier, and in one wonderful night, produced the design for the Royal Oak.


Unfortunately, that wonderful night was followed by a less-than-auspicious reception. Jacques-Louis Audemars was horrified at the initial design (Trueb characterizes him as “aghast” at the sketch) but eventually relented and decided to put the watch into a limited production of 1,000 pieces — a daring move in itself, as Audemars Piguet had never made more than about 6,000 watches in any given year, and in some years much fewer. (In one particularly difficult year, 1932, the company produced exactly two watches. However, Audemars Piguet being Audemars Piguet, both of those watches were grandes complications.) The first exhibition of the Royal Oak, with its distinctive (and now much-imitated) bezel, held in place by eight screws (actually, slotted, threaded bolts fitted into hexagonal recesses in the bezel) and monocoque case, was at BaselWorld in 1972.


The reaction from many in the industry initially paralleled the first response of Jacques-Louis Audemars. Martin Wehrli, director of the Audemars Piguet museum, recalled that, “everyone made a big positive reaction when they first saw it… you know, ‘congratulations!’ Then they went around the corner from the booth and said, ‘They’ll be bankrupt in six months.’”


There were reasons for the naysayers to have their doubts. For one thing, the watch was incredibly difficult to produce, with a level of finish that had never before been applied to a stainless-steel watch. Achieving the necessary level of finish was so difficult that the first prototype shown was not stainless steel, but white gold.








A second reason was that, along with the fanatically detailed finish (and the use of an haute-horlogerie-level ultra-flat movement, the ultra-refined automatic caliber 2121) went a fantastically high price: a breathtaking 3,650 Swiss francs — over 10 times the price of one of the era’s most popular stainless-steel sports watches, the Rolex Submariner. (In an interview with me in 2009, Genta remarked, “The insane price of the Royal Oak in comparison with all other steel watches seemed senseless.”) But the Royal Oak, though it was initially slow to catch on, clearly struck a chord with watch lovers who were looking for something to break up the monotony of thin-and-gold for dress, and chunky-and-utilitarian for sport. And though it was to be over a year before the first 1,000 “A-Series” Royal Oaks were sold out, the design has proven to be one that ignites enduring excitement — and which has also proven to be a nearly inexhaustible canvas for inspiration for Audemars Piguet’s creative designers and master watchmakers. Ironically, the very first Royal Oak to be sold wasn’t in steel. The Shah of Iran was the first owner of a Royal Oak; he specifically asked for it in white gold, and Audemars Piguet produced one for him. (It’s occasionally said that he purchased the actual BaselWorld prototype, but Audemars Piguet’s records clearly indicate that what the Shah purchased was a custom model made by request.)


Though the Royal Oak was certainly a novelty — even revolutionary — when it debuted, it did not simply appear out of nowhere. There’s more to the story of its birth than an evening stroll along Lake Geneva and the sighting of a diver. (Somewhere, in the records of the meticulous officials of Geneva, there is probably a record of who happened to be diving that day. It would be interesting to find out.) The Royal Oak is a watch, but it’s also a paean to the design possibilities of a material which began as a utilitarian substance, but was to become a symbol of modernity and an essential part of a whole new language of design: stainless steel.




Steel: Practical and Precious


Wait — utilitarian? No, not always. Steel itself has gone through various levels of appreciation and rarity during its long history. It was made as early as 4,000 years ago; Roman soldiers encountered steel swords being used by Iberian warriors in the fourth century BC (and are recorded as having been unpleasantly surprised). But for thousands of years, steel remained a scarce metal, highly prized, and used only when its especial properties made the use of the rare material necessary.


Unsurprisingly, for much of that history, its primary use was in weapons. And it was perhaps there that the sheer beauty of steel was first recognized. In particular, the beautiful grain and temper lines of swords made in Japan, as well as the exotic watered surface of Damascus steel, were among the highest evolutions of the aesthetic of the blade — and some of the first and most convincing proof that there belongs to steel the potential for an aesthetic that no other material can express.








(In light of our story, and the ancestry of the Royal Oak, it’s worth noting that watchmaking played a role in helping to make mass production of steel possible. In search of better steel springs, an English watch and clockmaker named Benjamin Huntsman developed a new process for making cast steel in clay crucibles, which, once adopted by local Sheffield knife and sword makers, radically changed steel production. In 1740, Sheffield made around 200 tons of steel a year. After the adoption of Huntsman’s method, production gradually rose, until, 100 years later, 80,000 tons of high-grade steel were coming from Sheffield per year — nearly half of the total European production, and all from research into how to make better springs.)


There’s just one problem with steel: it rusts. Naturally, this bothered a lot of people, and many set their minds to doing something about it. There were many experiments and false starts — it was known by the early 19th century that chromium was an essential element, for instance — but it wasn’t until October 17th, 1912, that engineers from Krupp patented stainless steel. (One of its earliest and most spectacular uses was in a 366-ton yacht, built in 1908 by Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft, christened the Germania, which was impounded by the British officials of an English port she was visiting when war broke out in 1914. Eventually, she ended up in Florida, rechristened the Half Moon, where she was used as a floating cabaret until she sank off the coast of Key Biscayne in the 1930s. Sitting in shallow water, she’s a favorite with divers, and anyone wearing a Royal Oak dive watch who’s in the neighborhood ought to consider making a pilgrimage to this spiritual ancestor of the watch on his wrist.)


But it was after the war, during the time known as the Art Deco era, that stainless steel really came into its own — and came to the attention of a man claimed by Gérald Genta as his most seminal spiritual and artistic ancestor. That man is none other than Raymond Loewy, sometimes called “the father of modern industrial design”. A genius with a fertile imagination who seemed able to transform any object, no matter how mundane, into an object of beauty (Loewy is responsible for probably the most ridiculously beautiful pencil sharpener ever designed), Loewy’s work was the benchmark by which Genta was to judge his own.


A glance at Loewy’s work immediately makes obvious the relationship between the clean, anesthetized industrial look of his best work, and the aesthetics of the Royal Oak. Loewy didn’t design watches (they were apparently the only things he didn’t design), but if he had, he might have come up with something very similar to the design Genta produced 40 years ago. Stainless steel as a design material was very much a part of the vocabulary that was so rapidly evolving in Loewy’s formative years, although the Art Deco era was one of studied contrasts and deliberate contradictions in design. On one hand, the Art Deco movement was one of deliberate high luxury, with a lavish use of exotic materials up to and including platinum. On the other hand, it also partook of the vision of modernity as an idealized and democratic world that would enjoy universal prosperity. Even after the worldwide economic downturn of the Great Depression, the use of clean lines, insistently geometric forms, and rich, as well as industrial, materials would continue.


Audemars Piguet was no stranger to the flavor of the Art Deco world. The rectilinear forms and reductive cleanliness of Art Deco can be found in many of its finest and most distinctive watches of the period between the two World Wars, though the firm did not experiment with stainless steel as a watchcase material, nor exploit its unique decorative properties. However, the elements of geometric clarity and uncluttered, visually direct design that are found in the Royal Oak can be found in Audemars Piguet wristwatches and pocket watches of the 1920s and ’30s — especially the many jumping-hour models with brushed white-gold or brushed platinum faces, interrupted only by carefully beveled windows that show the hour, and below, discreet curved openings showing the passing minutes.


Gérald Genta’s genius, then, was to, for the first time, tie together in watch design two threads that had been running through industrial design almost since the beginning of the 20th century:





" there is still, perhaps, no watch more compelling than the original Royal Oak in stainless steel"

the use of spare, clean geometry inherited from Art Deco, and the use of stainless steel as a luxury material, which reached in its apotheosis the Deco era in the construction of skyscrapers such as New York’s Chrysler Building, its spire clad in type-302 stainless steel. And it was under the aegis of Audemars Piguet that this synthesis finally took place.


Better late than never. The design spirit of Audemars Piguet was, at long last, given new strength through the introduction — and celebration — of a new material. Clark Kent had become the Man of Steel.


In the 40 years since its introduction, the Royal Oak has given birth to a plethora of forms that could fill an entire bestiary of horology. Every imaginable complication, and some materials which, upon its birth, few could possibly have imagined implementing, have found their way into the Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore. The Offshore, indeed, has, at times, threatened to eclipse the very sun that gave it life, having become arguably the most definitive expression of the luxury sports chronograph in the same way that the original Royal Oak has become one of the most definitive luxury dress and sports watches.


The Offshore, like the Royal Oak, got off to a rough start. Emmanuel Gueit, the designer of the Royal Oak Offshore, still remembers the reaction he got from AP CEO Georges-Henri Meylan in 1989 when he first brought him the idea. In an interview with REVHLUTION in 2006, he recalled, “The brief from Mr Stephen Urquhart, CEO of the brand at the time, was to design a Royal Oak for younger consumers that we would call the Offshore. After studying the codes and specifications of the Royal Oak, I decided to make it all bigger. And then I worked on details such as the crown protection, making the bracelet more curved, et cetera. But the problem was inside; the case was so big and the movement quite slim. So we had to find a solution, which is why we decided to cover the movement with an antimagnetic cover… it was a must to have the strong shape created by Genta as a foundation.


“It was a nightmare,” he laughed. “I was young, 20, and I was fighting with the board all the time. Every three months they came back to me and they said, ‘Look, it may be cool, but it’s not AP at all. Please stop the project.’” Even Georges-Henri Meylan later commented, “I remember looking at him after he showed us the prototype of the Offshore and saying, ‘Look, I’m sorry, but you’re crazy.’ Now we have a laugh about it.”


And it’s Audemars Piguet, looking back on all the skeptics of the past, which had the last laugh. But despite the bewildering proliferation of makes and models and materials — forged carbon, high-tech ceramic, tantalum; perpetual calendars, equations of time, concept watch works of high art — there is still, perhaps, no watch more compelling than the original Royal Oak, in the material in which it was born: stainless steel. We take no issue with the enthusiasts who adore the exotic, the outrageous, the audacious and the cutting edge, but at the same time we cannot help but feel that it is the stainless-steel version, equipped with the caliber 2121 (or, this year, a new 41mm model with the superb in-house caliber 3120) which represents the Royal Oak at its most pur sang. The Royal Oak at 40 — long may she sail.



40 Years of Inspiration: Audemars Piguet Debuts its new Royal Oak collection for 2012

This year is the Year of the Royal Oak for Audemars Piguet, and in honor of the watch that, to many, symbolizes the most essential spirit of Audemars Piguet, a treasure trove of new Royal Oak timepieces was introduced in January at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). Audemars Piguet’s new motto is, “To break the rules, you must first master them”, and for enthusiasts who have come, in recent years, to know Audemars Piguet as a revolutionary and even transgressive house, it is a timely reminder that behind the design pyrotechnics is a history that demonstrates a mastery of an impressive breadth of horological arts and crafts — a mastery that has made Audemars Piguet among the most revered of haute-horlogerie houses.


Two spectacular openworked Royal Oak models join the collection as limited editions, and combine the now-classic lines of Gérald Genta’s original design with beautifully skeletonized movements — a combination of design and craftsmanship which demonstrates the scope of Audemars Piguet’s horological mastery.





The limited-edition 40th-anniversary Openworked Extra-Thin Royal Oak Tourbillon re-interprets Genta’s design in platinum — like stainless steel, a white metal, and one that was favored during the Art Deco era. The use of platinum also recalls Audemars Piguet’s extensive use of the metal in its Deco-era production and the strong, clean, geometric lines from that period, which are signature of the Royal Oak as well. As with the original Royal Oak of 1972, the bracelet is perfectly integrated with the case. Inside is a new movement — the Audemars Piguet caliber 2924 SQ, an extra-thin (4.46mm) manually wound tourbillon movement with a 70-hour power reserve. The movement is a study in contrasts — the anthracite finish of the skeletonized plates and bridges forming a beautifully architectural backdrop for the gold color of the train wheels, balance, and mainspring barrel, and the highly polished steel of the keyless works, tourbillon bridge and other steel parts.


Its complement is the 40th-anniversary limited-edition Openworked Extra-Thin Royal Oak. Like the tourbillon, its case and bracelet are in platinum, echoing the revolutionary use of stainless steel in the original 1972 Royal Oak while, at the same time, recalling the Art Deco spirit of Audemars Piguet’s watches from the early part of the 20th century — a reminder of the inspiration from which Gérald Genta drew. Inside is the Audemars Piguet caliber 5122, an extremely flat self-winding movement only 3.05mm thick. As with the openworked tourbillon caliber 2924 SQ, the caliber 5122’s bridges and mainplate have received a galvanic anthracite treatment, continuing the theme of contrasting and complementing modern and classical watchmaking design codes. Enthusiasts know that one of the most essential criteria by which openworked watches are evaluated is that of transparency, and to enhance the lightness and clarity of the movement, the date disk is executed in synthetic sapphire. At 39mm in diameter, the Openworked Extra-Thin Royal Oak shares identical dimensions with the original design.


Both of the openworked 40th anniversary watches are available in 40 limited-edition pieces.


For several years now, Audemars Piguet’s in-house automatic movement, the caliber 3120, has been the flagship core Royal Oak model. The caliber 3120, with its distinctively shaped gold rotor, is often spoken of as one of the best automatic movements in the world, and this year, Audemars Piguet has enlarged the case for this reference from 39mm to a slightly more robust 41mm. The Royal Oak Selfwinding is available not only in stainless steel, but pink gold as well. In either metal, the Selfwinding offers Royal Oak fans the opportunity to enjoy a bolder take on the original design. And in rose gold, the spare, austerely beautiful geometry of the original design becomes a lushly magnificent exercise in unabashed luxury.


Finally, purists the world over will rejoice to see a new Royal Oak model that restores the original design to its rightful place as the centerpiece and touchstone for the entire Royal Oak collection. The 39mm Extra-Thin Royal Oak is a near-perfect reincarnation of the original Genta design from 1972. The external dimensions are identical to those of the original 1,000 “A-Series” Royal Oaks, and the “Petite Tapisserie” dial design and slate blue color of the original dial return as well, along with a date disk of the same color — a first for the Royal Oak. Even the “AP” initials return to their original location, at six o’clock. And inside is the extra-flat automatic caliber 2121, which naturally retains its whisper-thin height of only 3.05mm. According to Audemars Piguet, the caliber 3120 will now be used only in the 41mm self-winding Royal Oak, and the caliber 2121 will be used in the 39mm model. With the debut of the 39mm Extra-Thin Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet has created a watch that’s a time machine in more ways than one. It’s not just a timepiece, but a tangible link to a historic moment that redefined the fortunes of Audemars Piguet and marked the birth of the modern age of watchmaking.



]]> madonna Audemars Piguet Tue, 01 May 2012 07:55:59 -0500