Audemars Piguet is one of the world’s most revered watchmakers, but let it never be said they don’t know how to party. The new Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date model in forged carbon is proof of this. As the first RO model that seems specifically designed to be shown off in the club (and anywhere else black lights are used), it’s a reminder that — despite dozens of Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore models in the current lineup — there’s still plenty of room for creativity and experimentation within the Royal Oak family.
“Experimentation,” is the operative word with the new 43 mm Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date model, which premieres the use of a brand-new coloured forged carbon material. This isn’t the first carbon-cased Concept model (fans will remember the stunning and collectible Royal Oak Concept Carbon from 2008, among others) but it is the first Royal Oak offered in the material in eight years, and as such it’s sure to ignite the desires of many an RO fan.
The material in question here is CFT (Chroma Forged Technology) carbon, which combines the prized lightness and strength of carbon composite with superior resistance to shocks, scratches, heat, and humidity. Equal to its robustness, however, is the new material’s unique look, a swirling mix of black and blue that emits an alluring alien glow under black light. Unlike other carbon composites used in watchmaking, Audemars Piguet’s Chroma Forged Technology allows the brand’s technical wizards to colour the carbon fibres directly and individually and arrange them “like a mille-feuille pastry” in specific orientations, an attribute which opens up enormous creative potential for future use.
“Audemars Piguet was the first brand to introduce forged carbon to watchmaking in 2007,” explains Lucas Raggi, AP’s Research and Development Director. “After five years of research and development, we are proud to present a brand new generation of forged carbon, which can be coloured while retaining its excellent mechanical properties.”
The CFT carbon case middle is enhanced by satin-brushed and polished black ceramic components, including the bezel, crown, case back, and push-pieces. The push-piece guards are crafted from titanium whose metallic sheen complements the light-coloured components of the precisely-machined open-worked dial. The dial itself (which is notably logo-free — IYKYK) features a sandblasted nickel silver plate that’s finished with a coating of black PVD and decorated with circular apertures that reveal the micro-mechanics of the movement within. White gold hour markers and hands, meanwhile, are filled with luminescent material that appears white under normal light but glows a bright blue in the dark.
Despite the significance of this innovative new case material, the self-winding Calibre 4407 movement it encloses is equally advanced. Combining flyback chronograph, split-seconds, GMT, and large date complications, this movement was introduced last year and based on the integrated flyback chronograph Calibre 4401 found in the Code 11.59 collection. It’s the kind of thing one expects from a watchmaker of AP’s prestige, compounding Royal Oak’s legacy of quality craftsmanship just a few years after its 50th anniversary. If you’re wearing it somewhere with black lighting and thudding bass, its mesmerizingly luminescent case speaks louder than words.
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