Love it or hate it, the Royal Oak remains one of the most coveted watches of the moment. Furthermore, gold is one of the major watchmaking trends of the year 2024. So, obviously, Audemars Piguet could not pass up the opportunity and is now offering its most emblematic model in a brand new golden version.
After the dazzling Royal Oak Frosted Gold Automatic 37mm at the start of the year, it is now the flying tourbillon which dons its gold dress with a brand new material: sand gold.
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THE sand golda brand new tone of gold
It’s almost a no-brainer, but gold has always played a central role in the manufacturing of luxury watches. At Audemars Piguet, the use of gold in watches dates back to the creation of the company, from the end of the 19th century. But traditionally, watches were made with various 18-karat gold alloys, allowing for play on color nuances while providing increased resistance to deformation and oxidation. These alloys, which combine gold with metals such as copper and palladium, have allowed Audemars Piguet to develop pieces that are both robust and aesthetically refined.
At the dawn of the 1970s, we nevertheless noted a certain craze for yellow gold watches and we are precisely witnessing its return to favor in 2024: like a Piaget Polo or many new Rolex models seen at Watches & Wonders, this precious metal is essential at the moment. Audemars Piguet has already unveiled a very shiny Royal Oak Frosted Gold Automatic at the start of the year.
But this time, the Le Brassus house opts for a new tone of gold, a new alloy. If Rolex gives pride of place to everose gold and if Omega has opted for Sedna and Moonshine gold, Audemars Piguet has chosen sand gold to dress up his cult watch. This exclusive 18-karat gold alloy stands out for its unique color, which evokes the nuances of sand dunes under a setting sun (hence its name), oscillating between gray and pink gold depending on the light.
Beyond its appearance, the sand gold was designed to maximize the play of light, thanks to a judicious mix of palladium and copper. The Royal Oak’s alternating polished and satin finishes, as well as the wide mirror-polished bevels, are reinforced by this new material, which should also offer better resistance to fading.
The flying tourbillon enhances the Royal Oak
If this new material changes the face of the Royal Oak, we find all the characteristics that make this model so attractive. Starting with his 41mm case (and 10.6 mm thick) topped by the octagonal bezel and its 8 flat screws.
But Audemars Piguet does not just take care of the look of its new timepiece: at the heart of this new Royal Oak is the Caliber 2972, a self-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 when you look closely, you notice that every detail of the movement is finely crafted, offering not only exceptional reliability and precision but also unparalleled aesthetic beauty. All for a power reserve of around 65 hours.
We will stop there for the figures, because the price of this Royal Oak Automatic Skeleton Flying Tourbillon Sand Gold is only available on request. Which should not prevent this new iteration from becoming a model highly coveted by wealthy collectors.
