Introducing: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin With Sunray Dials

January 14, 2018

What we have here are three new versions of the Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin, each with a colorful sunray-finished guilloch dial. There's a purple version (which AP is calling "plum') with stainless steel case and bracelet, a rose gold version with a blue dial, and, at the very top, a smoked blue execution with matching sapphire-set bezel and C wait for it C a platinum case and bracelet. If you look closely at the patterns on these dials, you can see that they represent an evolution of the expected Tapisserie style that has long been linked to Audemars Piguet and the Royal Oak, only now it radiates out from the tourbillon. Why This Watch Matters I think that it's safe to say that of the "trinity" of great Swiss watchmakers, Audemars Piguet is the youngest in attitude, the brand most willing to try different things and not take itself quite so seriously. So it can't really surprise us to see such a classic dress watch outfitted with a new dial design shot through with such vivid colors.?But a dial is just a dial, right. Powering this watch is a beautifully-finished, manually-wound tourbillon movement, the AP Caliber 2924, whose finishing, when viewed through the sapphire casebook, also radiates from the tourbillon.? These dials really are just insane up close. Initial Thoughts I saw AP CEO Francois-Henry Bennahmias in Miami late last year, and I noticed that he was wearing a ?vibrant purple Royal Oak, the likes of which I had never seen before. We had quite a few other interesting watches in the room at the time, including an AP Supersonnerie, so I didn't pay overmuch attention to it. He said that it was something that he'd asked to be made for himself, so I figured it was a unique piece just for Francois's collection. (Must be nice to be the CEO of AP, right?) Well, here we see that not only is it indeed a production piece, but it's joined by two other editions with more than ample flair. And come to think of it, he'd picked a pretty perfect Miami watch. The Basics Brand: Audemars PiguetModel: Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-ThinReference Number: 26522ST.OO.1220ST.01 (stainless steel), 26522OR.OO.1220OR.01 (pink gold), 26521PT.YY.1220PT.01?(platinum)Diameter: 41 mmThickness: 8.85mmCase Material: Platinum with sapphires, pink gold, or stainless steelDial Color: Plum, blue, or smoked blueIndexes: Applied indexes and Royal Oak handsLume: Yes, on hour markers and handsWater Resistance: 50 metersStrap/Bracelet: Bracelet in the same metal as the case A look at this finely-finished tourbillon movement from behind. The Movement Caliber: AP Caliber 2924Functions: Hours, minutes, tourbillon escapementDiameter: 31.5mmThickness: 4.46mm Power Reserve: 70 hoursWinding: ManualFrequency: 3 Hz (21,600 vph)Jewels: 25 Pricing & Availability Price: Stainless steel: CHF 124,080; rose gold: CHF 153,830; platinum: CHF 240,000Availability: April 2018For more click here.