Side by side: Two Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Black Ceramic-Openworked v. Non-openworked
The confrontation between two iconic works.
Ceramic industry introduction
In the 1980s, brands such as IWC and Rado introduced ceramics to the watchmaking industry. Ceramics has evolved from a rarely used "futuristic" material to a somewhat normalized material among luxury watchmakers. Although it is rarely used in the entire watch structure, it has many advantages over more traditional materials such as stainless steel, so some brands have shifted their focus to materials. Today, we will explore two ceramic variants of the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and see what makes them unique and their materials so wonderful.
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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Reference. 15707CE: Associated Press's first all-ceramic watch. (2013)
Innovation in their DNA
For decades, if not a few centuries, Audemars Piguet has undoubtedly been the driving force of innovation in the watchmaking industry. Although critics of the Associated Press often mention their dependence on the Royal Oak's design inspiration, the same critics cannot say that the Associated Press is not innovative. From the world's first watch minute repeater to the world's first perpetual calendar with leap year display; AP is in the trinity of watchmaking for a reason. They won the stripes of fairness.
The two parts we will discuss here are part of driving innovation in the industry. Both the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Watch and the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Skeleton Watch use a black ceramic case and bracelet, which have made a significant contribution to the widespread adoption of ceramics as a luxury watchmaking material.
referee. 26579CE and its hollow counterpart, ref. 26585CE.
As mentioned earlier, the Associated Press is not the first company to use ceramics in watches. But in 2017, they released a reference to the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. 26579 In the black ceramics of SIHH, there is finally a click. Two years ago, the Royal Oak perpetual calendar was just reborn. This release marks the first time that a full ceramic structure combines the two most precious assets of the brand, the Royal Oak and the perpetual calendar, and brings them into the 21st century. The watch became an instant hit and became a hot topic at the show-the piece was placed on a healthy waiting list almost immediately. Suddenly, ceramics made the headlines.
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Why choose ceramics
Just as brands often encounter problems when introducing new materials into their product portfolios, you may ask why this material is so special. Of course, ceramics is the material discussed here. Rado launched a ceramic case and bracelet watch in 1990. Why is it so different? Well, the answer to this question lies in the way the Associated Press handles materials. They tried to finish the ceramics to the same standards as the metals in the "regular" Royal Oak. Before getting into the characteristics of ceramics, let us say that this is a difficult thing.
What makes it special
One of the most beneficial properties of ceramics, and also its most important stumbling block, is its hardness. Ceramics are almost impossible to scratch, and the hardness of ceramics is 3.5 to 4 times that of steel-which means it can be brittle. Although ceramic watches can look absolutely new in decades, it is a difficult task to be highly meticulously crafted and requires careful planning and execution. Given its hardness, the completion time of a ceramic bracelet is five times that of a steel bracelet, and it is not surprising that the total working time is about 30 hours.
In terms of planning, AP can't just use the old template they got from the metal Royal Oak bracelet. They had to completely reconsider how to make the Royal Oak bracelet. Because the ceramics are fragile, it took AP 600 hours of research and development time to make the bracelets. Even if the shape of the chain link was abnormal, they cracked the code and ensured that the Royal Oak bracelet could be made to their exact standards without sacrificing structural integrity.
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Beyond the material
The ceramics are finally put aside, for reference. 26579CE and its hollow counterpart, ref. 26585CE, there is a very obvious difference between them: the dial. Start with reference. 26579CE, with a slate gray dial with AP's iconic "grande Tapisserie" pattern. Except for the red "31" on the date subdial at 3 o'clock, the dial uses white fonts, which are clear and easy to read.
The layout of the dial further increases its legibility. By displaying the day of the week, date, month, leap year, and moon phase in its own sub-dial, everything is proportional and spaced. Some brands may put 48 months together to simplify the mechanism behind the leap year indicator, and the Associated Press has equipped this movement with a separate leap year indicator, which forms a small dial at 12 o’clock. a part of. At the same time, the week of the year is displayed along the periphery of the dial, so you no longer have to wonder how many weeks are left before Christmas.
Next, Openworked reference. 26585CE has a stunning ornate hollow dial, the entire dial is decorated with rose gold. It has the same dial layout and functions as the reference above. 26579CE, Openworked has a depth that only Audemars Piguet can reach. Through the sapphire dial, we can see the stunning finished movement below-with hypnotic gears, dazzling clockwork and beautiful bridges.
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Although it may be unfair to compare these two dials, the two watches are visually attractive due to Openworked's advantage under its sapphire. Openworked excels in its fascinating complexity, while its sibling series excels in stylistic conservativeness. It must be realized that not everyone wants their watch to be as loud as Openworked.
Ironically, however, the Associated Press quietly added Openworked to their website in 2019 without whispering to the media, and ref. 26579CE with a quieter dial was released at the trade show and caused confusion .
What matters is what's inside
The Associated Press was determined to be proud of its perpetual calendar and installed the reference. 26579CE and their cal. 5134 and hollow reference. 26585CE and cal. 5135, the hollow counterpart of 5134. AP successfully packed these extremely complex movements into 9.5 mm and 9.9 mm thick cases to recognize their skills as watchmakers.
Steel watches are not easy to achieve, and considering that both timepieces are made of ceramic, this feat is even more impressive. A perfect pair of incredible watches, not only are their movements complex and impressive, even their materials are very complex and impressive. In terms of material innovation and technology mastery, it can be said with certainty that Audemars Piguet is one of the best in the industry.
Specification
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak perpetual calendar reference. 26579CE
Reference number: 26579CE
Case size: 41mm
Thickness: 9.5mm
Material: black ceramic
Crystal: Sapphire
Waterproof: 20m
Movement: Calibre 5134
Function: Perpetual calendar with day of the week, day of the week, date, astronomical moon, month, leap year, hour and minute. On the chain
: Automatic winding
Frequency: 2.75 Hz/19800 vph
Power reserve: 40 hours
Strap: black ceramic bracelet with titanium AP folding clasp
Retail price: 804,000 Hong Kong dollars/93,349 Swiss francs
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak perpetual calendar reference. 26585CE
Reference number: 26585CE
Case size: 41mm
Thickness: 9.9mm
Material: black ceramic
Crystal: Sapphire
Waterproof: 20m
Movement: Calibre 5135
Function: Perpetual calendar with day of the week, day of the week, date, astronomical moon, month, leap year, hour and minute. On the chain
: Automatic winding
Frequency: 2.75 hz / 19800 vph
Power reserve: 40h
Strap: black ceramic bracelet with titanium AP folding clasp