With a movement of 2.89 mm in thickness and a case of 6.3 mm in height, the new Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin (ref. 26586IP.OO.1240IP.01) becomes the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch and marks Audemars Piguet’s latest technological milestone.
The Manufacture’s R&D team has integrated movement development, design and ergonomics in the conception of this new timepiece to boost its efficiency, robustness and reliability. The result? An ultra-thin selfwinding perpetual calendar wristwatch equipped with a complex movement re-engineered to integrate an elegant ultra-thin case, perfectly fitting under the sleeve of a shirt and endowed with a refined dial design enhancing visibility.
Movement Re-Engineered into One Single Level
To reach an ultra-thin movement of 2.89 mm in height, the perpetual calendar functions, normally arranged on three levels have been merged into one single layer. This led to the development of two pioneering and patented innovations: the end-of-the-month cam has been integrated to the date wheel, while the month cam has been combined to the month wheel. The geometry of each component has also been optimised from the onset, reducing adjustment and assembly time. The dial, too, has been redesigned compared to previous Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar models (such as ref. 26574). The day, date and month subdials have been enlarged for optimum legibility, while the night and day indication at 8 o’clock has been added symmetrically to the leap year indication positioned at 4 o’clock.
Elegant Look and Lighter Feel
Evolving from the initial 950 platinum RD#2 prototype presented in 2018 at the SIHH, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin combines titanium and 950 platinum for an elegant look and a significant lighter feel on the wrist. As for the movement, the case, bracelet and dial have been finished by the expert hands of our craftsmen. The alternation of polished and satin-brushed surfaces adorning the case, bracelet and bezel elevates the aesthetic contrast provided by the two materials. In addition, the dial of the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin is no longer endowed with a blue “Grande Tapisserie” pattern. Instead, its blue satin finishing enhances legibility as well as the watch’s refined aesthetics.
Balance Between Traditional Savoir-Faire and Advanced Technology
Although the advent of simultaneous multi-parametric technologies has enabled Audemars Piguet to think differently to re-engineer its perpetual calendar movement, its latest launch results, first and foremost, from the hard work of its engineers, designers, programmers and watchmakers who have pushed further the limits of their craft to create a new generation of calibres and watches designed with today’s contemporary lifestyle in mind. This balance between traditional watchmaking and emerging technologies has always been at the core of Audemars Piguet’s savoir-faire history. For instance, the emergence of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and CNC (Computer Numerical Control) spurred Audemars Piguet’s creativity in the 1980s, forging a new path for the company and the industry as a whole.
Pioneering Calendar Watches and Extra-Thin Mechanisms
Looking back, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin also inscribes itself in the Manufacture’s long history of pioneering calendar watches and extra-thin mechanisms. Champion of miniaturisation since its establishment in 1875, Audemars Piguet quickly charted its own course in the development of extra-small and extra-thin mechanisms with and without complications.
These technological innovations ushered the resurgence of complicated wristwatches during and after the Quartz Crisis, bringing Audemars Piguet at the forefront of complicated innovation.
A New Generation of Complicated Watches
Today, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin is the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar wristwatch and marks a turning point for Audemars Piguet, paving the way for a new generation of complicated watches balancing refined aesthetics, optimum ergonomics, technical complexity, ancestral savoir-faire and contemporary lifestyle.
“To break the rules, you must first master them.”
