News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin Openworked
Back by popular demand, Audemars Piguet has released two new versions of the Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin Openworked, one in rose gold, and the other in stainless steel. We’ve previously seen this model twice before; it was first debuted in platinum at SIHH 2012 as a celebration of the brand’s 40th anniversary, and was then re-released in yellow gold in 2016.
As with the earlier editions, the dial of these new releases is beautifully skeletonised, a process that involves the careful cutting away of metal to create the distinctive look, without also effecting the performance of the movement. It takes a certain amount of expertise to make an openworked timepiece, something Audemars Piguet has plenty of thanks to its long and distinguished history of skeletonisation. The filing, decorating and finishing of this edition is all done by hand by Audemars Piguet watchmakers, preserving the historical methods of creating a skeleton dial.
The timepieces are powered by the calibre 2924, a manually wound tourbillon movement that beats at 21,600vph and offers a power reserve of 70 hours. The case measures 41mm in diameter—but is just 4.46mm thin, half the thickness of the regular AP Royal Oak.
Once again, both versions of this watch are limited, with 100 pieces being made in stainless steel, and just 50 in rose gold. These editions will also be the last Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin Openworked watches with this particular skeletonised design to be produced.
