In January, at the Salon International de la Haute Horologerie (SIHH), Audemars Piguet unveiled their latest range of new watches. This year, the focus from the manufacturer has primarily been about giving face-lifts or visual adaptations to existing models, with one very notable and obvious exception.
Here, we take a closer look at the range of new AP watches for 2017 and how they differ from predecessors.
1. Royal Oak Chronograph 20th Anniversary
In order to mark the 20th anniversary of the original Royal Oak Chronograph, Audemars Piguet unveiled a total of eight new model variations, helping to give the collection a face-lift. All of these models keep the basics of the Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm, released in 2012, but the primary change is the switch to two-tone dials.
This means that every dial has sub-dials of a contrasting color, with options including black and white, white and black, blue and grey, grey and blue, blue and rose gold, and chocolate and rose gold. Three of the new models are available in all stainless steel, four are made from rose gold and one combines titanium and platinum.
2. Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Black Ceramic
One of the most surprising and talked-about releases from AP in 2017 was the new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in black, brushed ceramic. This means that, while it still uses the caliber 5134 movement found in existing models, the new version is extremely resistant to both scratches and heat.
The dial features the trademark ‘Grande Tapisserie’ pattern, which is primarily grey, with black highlights. This helps to give the entire watch a uniformed color, which is punctuated only by the presence of the photo-realistic moonphase indicator, helping that feature to stand out even more than it already did.
3. Royal Oak Offshore Diver Vibrant Color Models
Another release that has attracted significant attention, but which was much more expected, comes in the form of the new Royal Oak Offshore Diver models. As expected, this brings the vibrant colors that were so popular when introduced to the Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph in 2016 into the non-chronograph collection.
The core design elements are the same as previous Offshore Diver watches, but the emphasis here is on bright, eye-catching, two-tone color schemes. Among the combinations are lime green and blue, orange and blue, and blue and yellow, while a white and blue option provides the most understated aesthetic of those available.
4. Haute Joaillerie Diamond Outrage Trilogy 65ct
Finally, the most bold of the new releases by far is the third and final piece of the manufacturer’s Haute Joaillerie trilogy – the Diamond Outrage. Already worn by tennis superstar Serena Williams, this extravagant timepiece is available in a choice of either diamond or blue sapphire versions, demonstrating AP’s gem-setting expertise.
Both versions more closely resemble a large bracelet than a traditional timepiece, and a white gold base is adorned with around 65 carats worth of precious stones, all on deliberately visually-jarring spiked cones – one of which conceals the dial. This combines to give the Diamond Outrage a bold, unique and extremely jagged appearance.
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