Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm

Since it was first unveiled in 1972, the Royal Oak has become the signature of Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet. Although it came to be seen as the ultimate men’s sports watch, the Royal Oak was also popular with women, as evidenced by Audemars Piguet’s introduction of a ladies’ version in 1976. In 1997, the brand followed up with the introduction of a ladies’ Royal Oak Chronograph.

This year at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, Audemars Piguet once again rewarded the brand’s female fans with the release of three new models for women, including this piece, the first high jewelry Royal Oak Chronograph model.

The Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm features brilliant-cut diamonds on everything from the pink gold case to the dial, lugs, and bracelet. There are a total of 966 IF (highest clarity) diamonds, for a total of approximately 7,84 carats; even the pink gold wedges between the crown and the pushers sparkle with diamonds.

At the heart of this timepiece is the calibre 2385, a self-winding chronograph movement with a 40-hour power reserve. Functions include hours and minutes, a central chronograph hand, a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, small seconds at 6 o’clock, and a 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock, as well as a date indicator between 4 and 5 o’clock.

Legibility against the dial’s sparkling backdrop of diamonds is ensured by the silver tone of the chronograph counters. The peripheral ring that contains the applied pink gold hour markers is also in silver, and the hands are treated with a luminescent coating.

Larger than Audemars Piguet’s 37mm ladies’ variant, this model is a true statement piece. But despite its high-fashion look, it also retains the Royal Oak’s sporting heritage; the screw-locked crown and pushers ensure water resistance to 50 metres.

The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm is a true testament to the brand’s powerful vision of women, and one can easily imagine this timepiece adorning the wrist of Jasmine Audemars, chairman of Audemars Piguet’s board of directors — and the only woman to head a major independent watch manufacturer.

For more information, please visit the Audemars Piguet website. Photo credit: Haute Time.