Audemars Piguet launches Royal Oak Skeleton Tourbillon “Sand Gold” New shades of the familiar gold alloy.
Audemars Piguet (AP) launches the Royal Oak Self-winding Flying Tourbillon Skeleton Watch in a new proprietary 18ak gold alloy known as sand gold. The new Tourbillon Skeleton is essentially a precious-metal variant of the steel version released in 2022, demonstrating the brand's commitment to interesting materials—perhaps partly thanks to AP having its own casemaker.
2024 replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
While the craze for integrated-bracelet sports watches has faded, AP continues to roll out successive variations of its popular Royal Oak series in exotic materials ranging from brown ceramic to frosted gold. Priced at CHF 250,000, this latest model pairs a warm gold-toned case and bracelet with one of the brand’s most modern movements.
Unlike its “Trinity” peers Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet firmly embraces contemporary architectural aesthetics throughout its collections. The new Tourbillon Skeleton watch is emblematic of this theme, abandoning traditional decorative finishes such as Côtes de Genève in favor of minimalist textures and sharp angles.
The alluvial gold tourbillon is equipped with the brand's latest generation flying tourbillon movement. The plating matches the case and presents a striking monochrome appearance. While skeleton watches often look fussy and confusing, Cal.’s geometric bridges do. The 2972 was clearly designed with cutouts in mind. Therefore, the overall appearance is clean and organized.
The 41 mm case is well proportioned and only 10.6 mm thick, which despite being equipped with an automatic flying tourbillon movement is thinner than many simple sports watches. While the sand gold alloy is new, the finish is in typical Royal Oak style, with straight grain and polished bevels.
Alluvial gold
The core novelty of the Tourbillon Skeleton is obviously its alluvial gold case and bracelet. Similar to A. Lange & Söhne’s proprietary honey gold, sand gold is somewhere between white and rose gold in color, but darker; it’s difficult to make a more specific judgment based on stock images alone. Interestingly, this alloy does not tarnish over time, which is often the case with rose gold, especially when exposed to chlorine or salt water.
Only a few brands, including Rolex, Omega, Hublot and now Audemars Piguet, have developed proprietary rose gold (or rose gold ortho-color) alloys with permanent properties. This is accomplished by mixing certain stable metals (in this case, palladium) with copper, which is typically used to make rose gold.
Special skeleton
The Tourbillon Skeleton is powered by Cal. 2972, debuting in 2022. The movement is a skeleton movement designed from the ground up, as evidenced by the neat bridge layout.
One of the striking features of this movement is that the movement mechanism has been relocated to the upper half of the dial, enhancing the visual spectacle of the tourbillon. Not only does it look good; The movement is equipped with an anti-backlash gear mechanism to enhance the experience of setting time.
In this application, the bridge is calibrated. 2972 is electroplated and has a similar color tone to the case, creating a sense of continuity commensurate with the overall design.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding Flying Tourbillon Skeleton “Shadow Gold”
Ref. 26735SG.OO.1320SG.01
Diameter: 41mm
Height: 10.6mm
Material: 18k alluvial gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Waterproof performance: 50 m
Movement: Cal. 2972
Functions: Hours, minutes and 60-second tourbillon
Frequency: 21,600 times per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: automatic
Power reserve: 65 hours
Strap: 18k sand gold bracelet
Audemars Piguet (AP) launches the Royal Oak Self-winding Flying Tourbillon Skeleton Watch in a new proprietary 18ak gold alloy known as sand gold. The new Tourbillon Skeleton is essentially a precious-metal variant of the steel version released in 2022, demonstrating the brand's commitment to interesting materials—perhaps partly thanks to AP having its own casemaker.
2024 replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
While the craze for integrated-bracelet sports watches has faded, AP continues to roll out successive variations of its popular Royal Oak series in exotic materials ranging from brown ceramic to frosted gold. Priced at CHF 250,000, this latest model pairs a warm gold-toned case and bracelet with one of the brand’s most modern movements.
Unlike its “Trinity” peers Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet firmly embraces contemporary architectural aesthetics throughout its collections. The new Tourbillon Skeleton watch is emblematic of this theme, abandoning traditional decorative finishes such as Côtes de Genève in favor of minimalist textures and sharp angles.
The alluvial gold tourbillon is equipped with the brand's latest generation flying tourbillon movement. The plating matches the case and presents a striking monochrome appearance. While skeleton watches often look fussy and confusing, Cal.’s geometric bridges do. The 2972 was clearly designed with cutouts in mind. Therefore, the overall appearance is clean and organized.
The 41 mm case is well proportioned and only 10.6 mm thick, which despite being equipped with an automatic flying tourbillon movement is thinner than many simple sports watches. While the sand gold alloy is new, the finish is in typical Royal Oak style, with straight grain and polished bevels.
Alluvial gold
The core novelty of the Tourbillon Skeleton is obviously its alluvial gold case and bracelet. Similar to A. Lange & Söhne’s proprietary honey gold, sand gold is somewhere between white and rose gold in color, but darker; it’s difficult to make a more specific judgment based on stock images alone. Interestingly, this alloy does not tarnish over time, which is often the case with rose gold, especially when exposed to chlorine or salt water.
Only a few brands, including Rolex, Omega, Hublot and now Audemars Piguet, have developed proprietary rose gold (or rose gold ortho-color) alloys with permanent properties. This is accomplished by mixing certain stable metals (in this case, palladium) with copper, which is typically used to make rose gold.
Special skeleton
The Tourbillon Skeleton is powered by Cal. 2972, debuting in 2022. The movement is a skeleton movement designed from the ground up, as evidenced by the neat bridge layout.
One of the striking features of this movement is that the movement mechanism has been relocated to the upper half of the dial, enhancing the visual spectacle of the tourbillon. Not only does it look good; The movement is equipped with an anti-backlash gear mechanism to enhance the experience of setting time.
In this application, the bridge is calibrated. 2972 is electroplated and has a similar color tone to the case, creating a sense of continuity commensurate with the overall design.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding Flying Tourbillon Skeleton “Shadow Gold”
Ref. 26735SG.OO.1320SG.01
Diameter: 41mm
Height: 10.6mm
Material: 18k alluvial gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Waterproof performance: 50 m
Movement: Cal. 2972
Functions: Hours, minutes and 60-second tourbillon
Frequency: 21,600 times per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: automatic
Power reserve: 65 hours
Strap: 18k sand gold bracelet
