The latest Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon comes with a black onyx dial and an attractive two-tone case design interweaving black ceramic with 18-carat white gold.

The black onyx dial’s purity is highlighted by the absence of hour-markers. This stone dial has been crafted in collaboration with long-term partner Someco, a company specialised in dial manufacturing since 1966 and located in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Carved out of a single black onyx stone, the dial has then been cut into a thin disc, ground, sanded and polished to perfection before being inserted into the dial’s pink-gold-toned brass base plate. Its polished finishing confers it an elegant shine, magnified by the watch’s double curved sapphire crystal.

Each dial is unique, as each stone has its own natural composition, texture and colour and reacts differently to the manufacturing and finishing operations.

The overall minimalist design is enriched with pink gold accents, including pink gold hands and a discreet pink-gold-toned minute track printed on the black lacquered inner bezel.

The polished laser-cut pink gold “Audemars Piguet” signature has been applied onto the dial with dedicated legs specifically adapted to the stone’s thickness. Lastly, the flying tourbillon cage, encircled by a delicate pink-gold-toned thread, matching with the balance wheel pulsating within, makes its rotations at 6 o’clock.

For the first time, the top bridge of the flying tourbillon cage has been finished with black PVD in an echo to the dial’s colour. The black rubber-coated strap, finished with a textured motif, enhances the watch’s contemporary look.

The Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon is endowed with a contemporary two-tone case design. While the bezel, lugs and caseback are crafted in 18-carat white gold, the octagonal case middle is honed from black ceramic.

First introduced on the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Chronograph in 2021, this two-tone case aesthetic makes its debut this year on some of the collection’s complicated models.

Similarly to the 2021 Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Chronograph, the ceramic case middle has been crafted in collaboration with Bangerter, a Swiss family-owned company specialised in the manufacturing of precision components made of advanced ceramics, tungsten carbide and other super hard materials.

Like the gold components, the ceramic case middle is meticulously hand-finished with the Manufacture’s trademark alternation of satin brushing and polished chamfers, endowing the timepiece with a rich play of light.

As previous iterations, this new model is powered by selfwinding Calibre 2950. While the flying tourbillon made its appearance in 2018 in the Royal Oak Concept collection, the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet first introduced this prestigious mechanism coupled with a central rotor in 2019.

Visible on the dial and through the sapphire caseback, the flying tourbillon cage constantly rotates itself while offering an unobstructed view of some of the watch’s regulating components. The flying tourbillon’s absence of bridges also furthers the dial’s minimalist aesthetic.

The timepiece’s sapphire caseback reveals the collection’s dedicated 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight and the refined finishing adorning Calibre 2950, including Côtes de Genève, traits tirés, snailing and circular graining, among other techniques.

Technical details

Model: Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon / 41 mm
Reference 26396NB.OO.D002KB.01

Movement
Selfwinding Calibre 2950
Total diameter: 31.50 mm (13 ¾ lignes)
Total thickness: 6.19 mm
Number of parts: 270
Number of jewels: 27
Minimum power reserve guaranteed: 65 h
Frequency of balance wheel: 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)

Functions
Flying tourbillon, hours and minutes

Case
Black ceramic case middle
18-carat white gold bezel, lugs, caseback and crown
Double-curved glare-proofed sapphire crystal
Glare-proofed sapphire caseback
Water-resistant to 20 m
Case thickness: 11.8 mm

Dial
Black onyx dial, 18-carat pink gold hands, black lacquered inner bezel

Strap
Black rubber-coated strap with 18-carat white gold AP folding clasp

Audemars Piguet unveils its latest Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin (RD#3) model.

This 37 mm anniversary model, which complements the 39 mm “Jumbo” timepiece released earlier this year, features a plum dial with Petite Tapisserie pattern.

For the first time, Audemars Piguet introduces a flying tourbillon in this smaller diameter making it available to the slenderer wrists thanks to its latest ultra-thin selfwinding flying tourbillon movement, Calibre 2968, which measures a mere 3.4 mm in thickness and adorns a combination of traditional and contemporary hand-decorations.

The Calibre 2968 was developed over a five-year period. Integrating a flying tourbillon powered by an innovative escapement in a case of 39 mm and then 37 mm in diameter represents the Manufacture’s main technical achievement as this complication was previously reserved for 41 mm diameters.

The tourbillon cage, which is crafted in titanium, is notably equipped for the first time with a peripheral drive, which also contributes to its thinness. The combination of these two elements makes the distribution of energy to the tourbillon more fluid in addition to lightening and refining this regulating organ.

In addition, the new escapement relies on an oscillator with increased amplitude that enhances reliability, energy distribution and precision.

In order to provide optimum visibility of both the flying tourbillon and the movement, Audemars Piguet engineers completely redesigned the architecture of the mechanism.

On the caseback side, the bridges have been open-worked to unveil the movement’s inner workings, while achieving a harmonious and symmetrical aesthetic. On the dial side, the geometry and positioning of the balance wheel arms have been modified to make the beating heart even more perceptible.

The technical design of the movement results in the flying tourbillon being placed at the dial level, for a greater visual experience.

The hand decoration of the movement components, visible through the sapphire caseback, combines the dynamism and classicism of V-angles with the modernity of traits tirés – a finish that appears on the mainplate and bridges and replaces the traditional Côtes de Genève. The openworked, rhodium-toned bridges offer an unobstructed view on the contrasting pink-gold-toned elements of the mechanism.

Similarly to its 39 mm counterpart, the timepiece adorns a Petite Tapisserie dial, but presented for the first time in a vivid plum hue, obtained by Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) to guarantee a light, homogeneous and lasting hue across all dials.

Inspired by the original model from 1972, this new reference also encompasses bathtub-shaped hour-markers and hands with a luminescent coating for optimum legibility in the dark.

The “Audemars Piguet” signature, as well as the minute track, has been printed in white onto the Tapisserie motif. Rotating at 6 o’clock, the titanium flying tourbillon cage provides a sharp contrast with the plum background, creating a mesmerising aerial effect.

Departing from Jumbo aesthetics, the hand-finished stainless steel case and bracelet of this 37 mm model incorporate the collection’s latest design evolution which was introduced at the beginning of the year on numerous Royal Oak models. The widened polished bevels and the increase taper of the bracelet links bestow the timepiece with a slenderer silhouette, while reinforcing its ergonomics.

The Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin features a central oscillating weight mounted on ball bearings and equipped with two reversers that ensure bidirectional winding.

This dedicated rhodium-toned 22-carat pink gold rotor, specifically developed for the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary, bears the “50-years” logo and the Audemars Piguet signature engraved on its surface. Matching the tones of the stainless steel case and bracelet, it is adorned with the collection’s trademark polished and satin-brushed finishes that can be admired through the sapphire caseback.

In 1986, Audemars Piguet introduced the world’s first selfwinding tourbillon wristwatch. Imagined by Jacqueline Dimier, the design placed the tourbillon escapement on the dial side for the very first time.

Calibre 2870 was housed in an ultra-thin case measuring a mere 5.3 mm thick. Its titanium tourbillon cage remains one of the smallest in the world today with a diameter of 7.2 mm, as well as one of the lightest with a weight of only 0.123 grams.

This model became known as the Tourbillon Selfwinding Ra (in reference to the Egyptian sun god) because Jacqueline Dimier’s design gave the tiny regulator the appearance of a sun, with its rays spreading across the dial.

This complicated wristwatch, of which 401 were produced until 1992, opened up a new avenue for Haute Horlogerie, which began to see a comeback of prestigious mechanisms including tourbillon watches.

Thirty years after Jacqueline Dimier’s model, the Manufacture, known for its ability to innovate, launched a series of Research and Development models.

In 2015, Audemars Piguet revealed its first RD#1 Royal Oak Concept Minute Repeater Supersonnerie prototype at SIHH, after eight years of research in partnership with EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne and a panel of experts composed of watchmakers, engineers, musicians and sound specialists.

This watch marked a significant step forward in terms of acoustic performance, sound amplification and sonic beauty, with the launch of the Supersonnerie mechanism. This system, for which three patents were filed, combines a novel chiming mechanism with an innovative case construction.

The commercial Royal Oak Concept Minute Repeater Supersonnerie version, which followed one year later, won the “Mechanical Exception Watch Prize” at the 2016 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

In 2019, Audemars Piguet unveiled a new innovation with its 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, whose prototype was presented a year earlier at SIHH under the name RD#2.

This 6.3 mm-thick calendar watch houses a movement that is only 2.89 mm thick, making it the world’s thinnest automatic calendar wristwatch of its time. To achieve this feat, the calendar functions usually mounted on three levels were brought together on a single plane.

The Manufacture’s experts also developed two patented innovations relating to the integration of the end-of-month cam with the date wheel and the association of the month cam with the month wheel.

Marking a turning point in the history of complication watches, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin earned Audemars Piguet the “Aiguille d’Or” award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in November 2019.

This year, the Manufacture’s latest technical advance, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin, follows in the footsteps of these previous innovations. The two RD#3 timepieces, powered by the new Calibre 2968, combine technical innovation and aesthetic refinement to pay a fine tribute to the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary.

Technical details

Model: Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin (RD#3) / 37 mm
Reference 26660ST.OO.1356ST.01

Functions
Flying tourbillon, hours, minutes

Case
Stainless steel case
Diameter: 37mm
Case thickness: 8.1 mm
Glare-proofed sapphire crystal and caseback
Water-resistant to 50 m

Movement
Selfwinding Calibre 2968
Total diameter: 29.6 mm (13 lignes)
Total thickness: 3.4 mm
Number of parts: 226
Number of jewels: 33
Minimum power reserve guaranteed: 50 h
Frequency of balance wheel: 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)

Dial
Plum dial with Petite Tapisserie pattern, white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.

Bracelet
Stainless steel bracelet with AP folding clasp