Audemars Piguet is considered one of the three finest watchmakers in the world. AP house is the place where you can see examples that you’re unlikely to ever see in the real world.
Now let’s move towards today’s topic of How modern ceramic meets traditional craftsmanship and then we’ll turn to the question of art and utility.
Undoubtedly, the AP star product line is the royal oak famously designed by Gerald Genta in 1971 and released in 1972. It kicked off the luxury Audemars Piguet steel sports watch segment and it has one of the most beautiful bracelets in the industry.
The steel model has been hugely popular and it’s still almost impossible to get. The demand is still far greater than the supply.
You’ll be hard-pressed to even get on the waiting list to buy one of these. The slightly less popular but still elusive rose gold version of this reference is loved by rappers around the globe.
They also have a white gold version covered in baguette diamonds and now a variation that every watch lover has been hoping they would make- A black ceramic version has just been released in December 2020. Its reference number is 152416CE.
New ceramic is harder than steel and it’s, therefore, more difficult to polish and work with. This is a serious consideration as AP is renowned for its exquisite finishing. The ceramic bracelet of this watch alone requires 25-30 hours of finishing five times longer than the steel version.
The watch is entirely made of ceramic including the whole case, bracelet, and supporting pins. Everything is premium made with ceramic except the titanium back case.
The use of this high-tech material makes the piece overall surprisingly lightweight. Especially when you compare it with the gold version. While the ceramic has a different character from steel and gold, the polished surfaces still play beautifully under the light giving a different look as you move it around and capture the different reflections
Now, what makes this series really special is the open work and the double balance wheel assembly. It is safe to say that AP has produced the most beautiful skeletonized watches. Every surface is painstakingly polished and manicured so you can appreciate the intricacy of the movement in all of its complex glory.
With its 245 parts on show from the front and the back, there’s really no margin of error for poorly finished components. The double balance wheel is a clever innovation that uses dual hairsprings and dual oversized balance wheels placed on opposite sides and rotating counter to one another.
So, whilst this is not the same or as complex as a tourbillon that constantly rotates to negate the gravity effect. The double balance system effectively cancels out the effect with a negative positive on the opposite sides.
This complication is even more spectacular visually and the skeletonization allows you to view both the balance wheels at once.
The combination of modern high-tech material with traditional crafting is a great match and makes it a perfect watch!!!!!!
Lets us now answer how is it all about utility. Well, the answer to it is this timepiece is no less than an art sculpture made by the finest craftsman – this is an art you can carry on your wrist and appreciate the grail watch. The maker of it loves to paint and it shows in her watch designs and makes him the Picasso of watches
