AUDEMARS PIGUET will launch several new Royal Oak creations in June 2024, followed by a new series in July! The brand recently unveiled three Royal Oak Double Balance Skeleton watches in size 41 mm, all of which are made from the same materials that have been used before, such as stainless steel, yellow gold or ceramic, but Audemars Piguet has reworked the skeleton double balance movement inside the watch – the front bridge has been replaced with a new plating colour, giving this long-loved collector a wider range of choices, bringing the line-up to 11 pieces.
▲In 2024, Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak Double Balance Skeleton has added three new models: stainless steel, gold and black ceramic.
The original stainless steel and black ceramic models of the Royal Oak Double Balance Skeleton are the stars of the collection, and when Audemars Piguet launches the new model, the old model remains parallel at the same time, don't worry that the watch will be difficult to distinguish the old from the new because the case material and color are the same, because Audemars Piguet will simultaneously plate the front of the Royal Oak Double Balance Skeleton with stainless steel and black ceramic cases in 2024 with a warm and conspicuous rose gold tone (which can also be said to be salmon color), including the dial on the outer edge of the dial is also changed to the same tone, Even the exposed hexagonal screws on the bezel are made of rose gold, so that both stainless steel and black ceramic, combined with the openwork salmon face and rose gold elements, form a more dazzling first impression than the old model, and the contrast of the two colors makes the watch style more outward, making it easier to notice the skeleton movement, and even the double balance mechanism contained in the movement.
▲ Both the stainless steel and black ceramic models have skeleton movements plated with rose gold tones, including the graduated ring and exposed screws on the bezel.
As for the gold model, the Royal Oak Double Balance Skeleton Watch, which previously used this material, is an advanced version of the decorative process with frosted gold treatment and the bezel inlaid with colored gemstones, while the new gold model launched by Audemars Piguet in 2024 is a return to the basics, returning to the pure gold case shape, including the case, bezel and bracelet surface are all decorated with the basic brushed treatment of the series, the bezel is not added with gemstones, and the skeleton movement and the dial peripheral scale ring are also "restored" to the main plating treatment used when the same style debuted. The dark grey hue is complemented by gold indexes on the indexes and gold hands for easy legibility.
▲Echoing the hollow design of the movement, the rotor is also hollowed out for the most part, and its exterior color can also echo the case or the front plating of the movement.
All three Royal Oak Skeleton watches are equipped with Audemars Piguet's exclusive automatic calibre 3132, which contains a vertical double balance wheel that aims to reduce the tilt of the balance shaft, the so-called azimuth difference, thereby enhancing the stability of the escapement. With the introduction of the dual balance system to evolve into the 3132 movements, the power reserve of the movement was reduced to 45 hours, but because it is self-winding, it is not as practical for everyday wear as it seems to be reduced by 15 hours on paper.
It is worth noting that of the three Royal Oak Double Balance skeleton watches, only the black ceramic model is particularly limited (150 pieces), and the other two are not limited editions, but in terms of Audemars Piguet's annual production and the high popularity of the collection itself, the number that can be allocated to the market each year is still small, and you still need to be patient if you want to get it.
Royal oak double balance skeleton watch
Stainless steel / Automatic 3132 movement / Hours, minutes and seconds / Sapphire crystal / Transparent case back / Water resistant to 50 m / Diameter 41 mm
Royal oak double balance skeleton watch
18-carat yellow gold / 3132 automatic movement / Hours, minutes and seconds / Sapphire crystal / Transparent case back / Water resistant to 50 meters / Diameter 41mm
Royal oak double balance skeleton watch
Ceramic/3132 automatic movement/Hours, minutes, seconds/Sapphire crystal, transparent caseback/Water resistant to 50 meters/Diameter: 41mm/Limited edition of 150 pieces