BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
Summer is at its peak in different places around the world, and Audemars Piguet seems to have to come up with just the right watch to keep those wrists cool. So, without further ado, please welcome the new limited-edition Royal Oak Self-winding Chronograph, a modestly sized sports watch in 18k white gold with an icy blue dial.
To begin with, this new watch features all the signature design elements that are commonly associated with a Royal Oak. So, you get everything starting from that intricate Tapisserie dial to the distinctive case that is topped by an octagonal bezel with exposed screws. But what makes this reference special is the cool blue colorway. The light shade of blue covers almost the entire dial and provides the watch a refreshing summery vibe. To provide a nice contrast to the light background, the chapter rings on the three sub-registers at 3,6 and 9 as well as the minute chapter ring on the outer periphery has been presented in dark blue. The hour markers and the handset feature a familiar baton-style shape and have filled with luminous paint to make it easy to read the time even in dimly lit situations. There is also a date window that sits neatly tucked away between the indexes at 4 and 5.
The case on this watch has been crafted from 18-carat white gold. It measures 38mm in diameter, which combined along with the relatively low height of just 11mm should make this watch sit comfortably on a wide variety of wrists. Finishing on the case as expected is top-notch, offering a nice interplay between finely brushed and polished surfaces. The case is water-resistant to 50 meters which is further ensured with the help of the screw-down crown and screw-down pushers.
Driving the watch is Audemar Piguet’s in-house caliber 2385. This is an integrated column wheel-based chronograph movement that operates at a frequency of 3 Hz and offers a power reserve of around 40 hours.
The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding Chronograph in white gold comes attached to a solid white gold integrated bracelet and is limited to just 100 pieces. The retail price has been set at USD 59,000.
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