The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15400SR Two-Tone @SIHH2015
Alike many of my fellow collectors, watch bloggers, and watch dealers, I'm not crazy about two-tone watches. Quite frankly, I've never met a guy who'd dare walk out his front door with a contemporary, two-tone timepiece on his wrist. Just yesterday, at day one of Geneva's Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, Audemars Piguet unveiled a two-tone Royal Oak. This SIHH novelty has resurged in a bolder, more attractive form than its 1980's quartz counterpart. Oh, and yes, I'm sure it'll turn a ton of heads and change the sentiments of many. Two-tone is officially back.
Initially, the impeccable “Grande Tapisserie” dial caught my attention. Being a fan of AP's Genta-era designs, I find a textured dial on a Royal Oak to be aesthetically beneficial and a major plus in terms of future collectibility. Also, the case and integrated bracelet are very streamlined and closely resemble the robust utilitarian structure of early Royal Oak wristwatches.
SPECIFICATIONS:
MOVEMENT:
Selfwinding Manufacture Calibre 3120.
Total diameter: 26.60 mm (113⁄4 lines).
Total thickness: 4.26 mm.
Number of jewels: 40.
Number of parts: 280.
Minimal guaranteed power reserve of 60 hours.
Frequency of balance wheel: 3 Hz (= 21,600 vibrations/hour).
CASE:
Stainless steel case, 18-carat pink gold bezel, links and screw-locked crown.
Glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback.
Water-resistant to 50 m.
DIAL:
Silver-toned dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern.
Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
Pink gold applied hour-markers.
BRACELET:
Stainless steel and 18-carat pink gold bracelet.
Stainless steel AP folding clasp.
All in all, two-tone or not, I'm extremely happy to see Audemars Piguet re-introduce an icon.
For further information, please visit www.audemarspiguet.com