Whether you love it or hate it, the Royal Oak remains one of the most coveted watches of the moment. Moreover, gold is one of the biggest watch trends of 2024. Therefore, Audemars Piguet could not miss the opportunity and now offers its most iconic model in a brand new gold version.
After the brilliant Royal Oak Frosted Gold Automatic 37mm from the beginning of the year, it’s now the flying tourbillon’s turn to don its gold dress with a brand new material: sand gold.
The sand gold, a brand new shade of gold
It’s almost self-evident, but gold has always played a central role in the manufacture of luxury watches. At Audemars Piguet, the use of gold in watches dates back to the creation of the company, as early as the end of the 19th century. But traditionally, watches were made with various alloys of 18-carat gold, allowing for variations in color while offering increased resistance to deformation and oxidation. These alloys, which combine gold with metals like copper and palladium, have enabled Audemars Piguet to develop pieces that are both robust and aesthetically refined.
At the dawn of the 1970s, there was nevertheless a certain enthusiasm for yellow gold watches and we are precisely witnessing its return to grace in 2024: like a Piaget Polo or many new Rolex seen at Watches & Wonders, this precious metal is indispensable at the moment. Audemars Piguet has already unveiled a very bright Royal Oak Frosted Gold Automatic at the beginning of the year.
But this time, the Brassus house opts for a new shade of gold, a new alloy. If Rolex favors everose gold and Omega has opted for Sedna and Moonshine gold, Audemars Piguet has chosen sand gold to adorn its iconic watch. This exclusive 18-carat gold alloy stands out for its unique color, which evokes the shades of sand dunes under a setting sun (hence its name), oscillating between grey and rose gold depending on the light.
Beyond its appearance, the sand gold was designed to maximize play of light, thanks to a judicious mixture of palladium and copper. The alternating polished and satin finishes of the Royal Oak, as well as the large mirror-polished bevels, are enhanced by this new material, which should also offer better resistance to fading.
The Flying Tourbillon Sublimates the Royal Oak
If this new material changes the face of the Royal Oak, all the characteristics that make this model so attractive are still present. Starting with its 41 mm case (and 10.6 mm thickness) topped by the octagonal bezel and its 8 flat screws.
But Audemars Piguet does not just focus on the look of its new timepiece: at the heart of this new Royal Oak is the Calibre 2972, an automatic winding movement that combines aesthetics and functionality (and launched in 2022 for the 50th anniversary of the collection). Visible from both sides of the watch thanks to its skeletonized design, it highlights a sophisticated three-dimensional architecture.
The flying tourbillon, positioned at 6 o’clock, adds mechanical complexity and immediately catches the eye. And indeed, when you linger on it, you notice that every detail of the movement is finely crafted, offering not only exceptional reliability and precision but also unrivaled aesthetic beauty. All for a power reserve of about 65 hours.
We will stop there with the numbers, as the price of this Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Skeleton Automatic Sand Gold is only available upon request. Which should not prevent this new iteration from being a highly coveted model by wealthy collectors.
