Audemars Royal Oak Tourbillon Additional-Skinny RD#3 37mm 26660ST

Think about the duty and challenges of getting to supply 50^th-anniversary watches to honour the forerunner and undisputed chief of the posh sports activities watch. Fortunately, Audemars Piguet isn’t daunted by challenges and has feted its Royal Oak’s Fiftieth birthday with standout fashions just like the Jumbo Additional-Skinny 16202 with a newly developed motion. A few months after the preliminary euphoria, AP unveiled the primary Jumbo ever fitted with a flying tourbillon. Merging the traditional design cues of the long-lasting Jumbo with a brand new extra-thin flying tourbillon motion (calibre 2968), the 39mm metal case displayed the signature blue petite tapisserie dial. Given the challenges of creating a brand new calibre to suit inside the skinny 8.1mm case peak of the Jumbo, the venture was entrusted to AP’s Analysis & Improvement division to grow to be RD#3. Historical past repeats itself right now as AP unveils a second model of its Royal Oak RD#3 in a good smaller 37mm case dimension with a traditional petite tapisserie dial in an intrepid plum color.

When is a Jumbo not a Jumbo?

Revered as a design icon, the Jumbo is as shut as you will get to Gerald Genta’s unique 1972 Royal Oak. With its 39mm, extra-thin stainless-steel tonneau-shaped case, built-in bracelet, octagonal bezel with eight uncovered screws and petite tapisserie dial, the Jumbo has grow to be one of the sought-after fashions on the planet. Nicknamed ‘Jumbo’ within the Seventies due to its ‘massive’ 39mm case, many followers feared for the soul of the Jumbo when AP killed the legendary ref. 15202 in 2021 to pave the best way for the 50^th-anniversary ref.16202 of 2022. Fitted with a brand new extra-thin in-house motion after fifty years ticking to the beat of calibre 2121 – a JLC 920 ébauche – the newest Royal Oak Jumbo 16202 is, within the eyes of the MONOCHROME crew, virtually similar on the skin to the unique however even higher on the within.

Though the spirit of the ‘Jumbo’ lives on on this 37mm, and I’m tempted to name it a ‘Child Jumbo’, this new watch can’t be thought-about a Jumbo as a result of it doesn’t adjust to the strict specification of a 39mm case dimension AP has in place to guard its king of the fortress. Maybe the easiest way of understanding the classification of this new 37mm mannequin is within the context of AP’s Analysis & Improvement fashions, a hotbed of innovation the place creations just like the RD#1 RO Idea Minute Repeater Supersonnerie and the RD#2 RO Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Extremely-Skinny have been engineered. The 39mm RO Jumbo Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Additional-Skinny RD#3 marks the third innovation and is now accompanied by this smaller 37mm, each powered by the brand new calibre 2968.

Case and Dial

The smaller 37mm mannequin retains the 8.1mm case peak and 50m water-resistance of its bigger sibling and can also be fitted with a sapphire crystal caseback. Just like the facelift operated on everlasting members of the Royal Oak earlier this yr, the polished bevels are wider, and the elevated taper of the bracelet offers the watch a extra slender profile.

Though the diameter of the 37mm mannequin guidelines it out as a Jumbo, it does share some options with the 39mm Jumbo – together with the worth! For one, the dial is embellished with the signature petite tapisserie guilloché sample however picked out in a really vivid plum color. Obtained by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) to make sure a homogenous long-lasting hue, the dial incorporates the unique 1972 bathtub-shaped hour markers in white gold and Royal Oak fingers with luminescent coating. The Audemars Piguet signature and minute observe are printed in white, and the aperture at 6 o’clock reveals the titanium flying tourbillon cage.

Technical Challenges

Developed over 5 years, the extra-thin flying tourbillon motion – calibre 2968 – powering the 39mm and 37mm fashions was a technical achievement. As a complication beforehand reserved for 41mm diameters, AP’s technical crew needed to rethink the structure to cut back the thickness of the flying tourbillon. One of many options was to equip the tourbillon cage with a peripheral drive. The peripheral drive allowed for a discount within the thickness of the tourbillon to suit contained in the slim 8.1mm case, all of the whereas bettering vitality effectivity. One other modification was a rise within the amplitude of the oscillator. To reinforce the spectacle of the flying tourbillon, the geometry and place of the steadiness wheel arms have been modified, and the tourbillon is positioned at dial degree.

The caseback reveals the openworked bridges and rotor of the automated 2968 calibre. The motion relies on the brand new 7121 calibre fitted inside the automated Jumbo 16202 with an prolonged energy reserve and a ball-bearing mounted rotor. With 226 parts and 33 jewels, it measures 29.6mm throughout and has a peak of simply 3.4mm (simply 0.2mm greater than the simple automated). Like different Royal Oak 50^th-anniversary watches, the 22k pink gold rhodium-plated rotor options the particular “50 Years” emblem. From 2023, the devoted anniversary rotor will disappear. Hand-decorated motion parts embrace extra fashionable line-cut (traits tires) finishings on the mainplate and bridges, changing conventional Côtes de Genève.

Availability & Value

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Additional-Skinny RD#3 37mm in stainless-steel, reference 26660ST.OO.1356ST.01, isn’t a restricted version. It is likely to be petite, however it comes with a ‘Jumbo’ price ticket of CHF 165,400.

For extra info, please seek the advice of audemarspiguet.com.