The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Automatic Flying Tourbillon 26730

The Royal Oak Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon Trilogy reveals subtle design evolutions, a special 50-year rotor, the return of the Grande Tapisserie dial and AP’s latest generation calibre 2950.

Half a century of life is worth celebrating, and Audemars Piguet will go all out to celebrate its Royal Oak. Not only has it reached the 50-year milestone, but its popularity has reached unprecedented heights; try getting one. Today, Audemars Piguet unveils three new variants of its 41mm Royal Oak Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon, featuring the brand’s latest-generation automatic movement and the legendary Gerald Genta architecture, to 1,000 (copycats). Available in stainless steel, titanium and 18k rose gold, the new Royal Oak Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon models reflect a subtle design evolution developed for this jubilee.

RO gets flying tourbillon
Gerald Genta’s iconic design for the Royal Oak in 1972 is considered a pioneer in the luxury sports watch category. Despite the myriad competitors lurking behind it, no watch design can match the adhesion and success of the Royal Oak. In 1997, the Royal Oak’s 25th anniversary was given a tourbillon adjustment mechanism, and in 2012, when it celebrated its 40th anniversary, it appeared in an ultra-thin hand-wound version (Calibre 2924). Then, in 2020, following the release of AP’s Code 11.59 collection in 2019 and the new movement that accompanies it, the Royal Oak presents another tourbillon, now upgraded to the Calibre 2950 Self-Flying Tourbillon core. Audemars Piguet cheap

While many features of the 2022 trilogy are similar to the 2020 model, some subtle but very effective design evolutions mark it as a 50th anniversary model. While the case size is still 41mm in diameter and 10.6mm thick, the bevels on the case and bracelet are now wider. The wider bevel accentuates the play of light and shadow between the satin and polished surfaces, further accentuating the dynamic structure of the Royal Oak case. To accentuate the slender profile of the watch, the thickness of the first link of the one-piece bracelet is tapered, which lightens the watch’s presence. Another design tweak involves the sapphire caseback, which is slightly embedded in the middle of the case, so the watch fits better on the wrist.

GRANDE TAPISSERIE RETURNS
A distinguishing feature of the best Royal Oak is that both the steel and rose gold models feature a blue Grande Tapisserie dial with an attractive gradient or gradient effect. Unlike the Evolutive Tapisserie pattern introduced on the hand-wound tourbillon models in 2018, the focal point radiates outward from the center of the tourbillon, with two smoky blue dials featuring AP’s signature Grande Tapisserie pattern. The titanium version is an odd one, with the same sandblasted dial and snailed chapter ring as the ref. The 26530TI we introduced last year, but comes in blue in 2022.

The proportions of the white or rose gold indexes (depending on the case material) and hands have also been standardized and treated with luminous material. Another notable detail is the applied 24k gold Audemars Piguet signature. Originally developed for the lacquered dial of the Code 11.59 model, the signature is obtained using a chemical process similar to 3D printing, called galvanic growth. Each letter is connected to the next by thin links that are barely visible to the naked eye. The signature is then secured to the dial with the calf.

Caliber 2950
The in-house automatic movement 2950 makes its debut in the 2019 Code 11.59 Self-winding Flying Tourbillon. One of the first flying tourbillon movements developed by Audemars Piguet (excluding the 2018 Royal Oak Concept Model), Caliber 2950 is a robust, modern movement with a 3Hz frequency and a comfortable 65-hour power reserve. The finish is Haute Horlogerie with hand-polished chamfers, snail and straight Côtes de Genève to differentiate it from Code 11.59. All three Royal Oak Automatic Flying Tourbillons 26730 feature a 22k rose gold oscillating weight. The gold rotor has a rhodium tone on the steel and titanium models to match the case material. The oscillating weight is specially designed to commemorate the anniversary of the Royal Oak, with the AP logo and the number 50 engraved on its surface. The commemorative oscillating weight with the 50th anniversary logo in a polished and satin finish will only be removed from the model in 2022 and 2023.

Technical Specifications – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon
Case: Diameter 41mm x thickness 10.6mm – Stainless steel, titanium​​​​or 18k rose gold with polished finish – Anti-reflective sapphire crystal and case back – Screw-down crown – Water-resistant to 50 meters
Dial: Stainless steel and rose gold with smoky blue Grand Tapisserie dial – Titanium with sandblasted blue dial – White or rose gold applied indexes and Royal Oak hands with luminous coating
Movement: Calibre 2950, ​​Manufacture – Self-winding – 30.9mm x 6.24mm – 270 components, 27 jewels – 21,600 vibrations/hour – 65 hours power reserve – hours, minutes and flying tourbillon
Bracelet: Stainless steel or titanium or 18k rose gold bracelet with brushed and polished finish – AP trefoil folding clasp
Model: 26730ST.OO.1320ST.01 Steel
26730TI.OO.1320TI.01 Titanium
26730OR.OO.1320OR.01 rose gold