AUDEMARS PIGUET RELEASES ITS FIRST EVER ROYAL OAK SELFWINDING FLYING TOURBILLON OPRENWORKED
AUDEMARS PIGUET RELEASES ITS FIRST EVER ROYAL OAK SELFWINDING FLYING TOURBILLON OPRENWORKED
Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet is delighted to unveil its very first Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked in a 41 mm diameter to celebrate the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary. This stainless steel timepiece is powered by the Manufacture’s first ever selfwinding flying tourbillon openworked mechanism, Calibre 2972, premiered on this elegant monochromatic timepiece. This latest in-house movement builds on Audemars Piguet’s long expertise in both openworking and tourbillon mechanisms, pushing the contemporary aesthetics to new heights.
A SELFWINDING FLYING TOURBILLON
ENDOWED WITH A DISTINCTIVE OPENWORKED ARCHITECTURE
The newly released Calibre 2972, which combines a central rotor with a flying tourbillon, evolves from Calibre 2950, launched in 2019 as part of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet collection. The new calibre has been conceived to offer symmetry and a rich play of light. Its highly stylised and multilayered openworked architecture bestows the watch with a unique 3D effect, as the shape of the bridges has been finished horizontally and vertically.
Calibre 2972 builds on the age-old openworking techniques that have been reshaping what is possible with wristwatch design since the 1930s. The beauty and finesse of the mechanism is revealed by removing as much material from the mainplate and bridges as possible to let light pass through, without impairing its functions. Leveraging advanced manufacturing technologies, the preliminary geometries of the mainplate and bridges have been cut through computer numerical control (CNC) machining, before being perfected by electric discharge machining (EDM). This manufacturing process enables to remove small amounts of material with extreme precision to reach the desired shape.
Each component has then been finished with refined Haute Horlogerie decorations including “traits tirés,” satin, circular and sunray brushing, snailing, as well as polished chamfers. The polished V-angles that can be admired on both sides of the watch reflect the meticulous handiwork that went into their realisation as this level of craftsmanship can only be achieved by hand. The rhodium-toned hues of the different components sit in harmony with the watch’s stainless steel case and bracelet, providing the watch with a contemporary monochromatic aesthetic.
The unobscured flying tourbillon, located at 6 o’clock, compensates for the effect of gravity and enhances accuracy. The balance wheel is housed in a tiny revolving cage which makes a revolution per minute to prevent the hairspring from remaining static. Only supported on the mainplate, the flying tourbillon is considered today as a symbol of watchmaking art as only a few watchmakers retain the necessary skills for its realisation.
“Born in Le Brassus, raised around the world.”
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