The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Tourbillon Openworked “50th Anniversary” in stainless steel

Jay-Z is wearing the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Tourbillon Openworked “50th Anniversary” in stainless steel, created to commemorate the Royal Oak, turning 50 this year.

The rhodium-toned open-worked dial features white gold applied hour-markers and luminescent hands with a slate grey inner bezel. The large flying tourbillon in the bottom half of the watch has been perfectly incorporated into the open-worked construction.

Overall Description

Audemars Piguet announced a line of redesigned tourbillon versions with a new movement as well as modern design components. This is to commemorate the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary. For the first time, an Openworked Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon in 41 mm is included among the anniversary timepieces.

The stainless steel casing of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Tourbillon Openworked is 41mm wide and 10.6mm thick. There is nothing new to mention here since it includes the classic octagonal design with an octagonal bezel and functioning fasteners (kept in place from the rear). Larger refined chamfers on the bezel and caseback, on the latter fitting flush with the central case for increased ergonomics, are among the modifications.

No dial exists because this is an Openworked variant of the Royal Oak. Rather, you notice a slate grey interior flange featuring a minute wheel and white gold indicators. A pair of white gold hourly and minute markers with a luminous center spine tell the time. The entire time, you have an unrestricted and up-close movement view. The rhodium-toned elements display a remarkably symmetrical construction, with the flying tourbillon occupying the lower half of the “dial.”

The caliber 2972, which blends a core rotor and a flying tourbillon, now powers the Royal Oak Selfwinding Tourbillon Openworked. The caliber 2950, which was debuted in 2019 in Audemars Piguet’s Code 11.59 range, served as the foundation for this. The primary plate accompanying bridges of open-worked motions are stripped off as much material as possible. The central plate and bridge shapes were machined out in advance using CNC equipment, then improved using electro-erosion (EDM). It allows for the precise removal of tiny amounts of material.

The main attraction is the colossal flying tourbillon positioned in the bottom half, suspended mostly from the rear. Even additional features of the whirling escapement can be noticed in the completely open-worked design. It’s a complicated caliber, with 271 components and 27 jewels. When fully wound, it runs at a frequency of 3Hz, or 21,600vph, and has a 65-hour autonomy. Everything has been completed to Haute Horlogerie specifications.

The 50-year anniversary wound rotor can be viewed from the sapphire crystal of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Tourbillon Openworked. The rotor can only be installed in 2022 to commemorate the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary.

Naturally, this contemporary high-end version of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak comes with a distinctive stainless steel bracelet. The bracelet features wider refined chamfers and slimmer and thus lightweight links. It curves a bit faster from the case, following the current design advancement for the Royal Oak. The AP folding buckle also keeps the bracelet in place on the wrist.

Price retail: $250,000.00 USD
Price market: $750,000.00 USD
Reference: 26735ST.OO.1320ST.01

Photo: Getty Images