BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
The Royal Oak has been the shining star in Audemars Piguet’s catalog for more than 4 decades now and going by the brand’s consistent efforts in keeping this icon updated and refreshed, the Royal Oak’s Status Quo does not seem to be changing for a long time to come. Just a short while ago we looked at the Royal Oak minute repeater Supersonnerie and today we would be looking at the new limited-edition Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, fully clad in Platinum, created for Japanese retailer Yoshida.
As you must have figured out by now the highlight of this new watch is its all Platinum construction. The use of precious metal not only brings a sense of luxury and exclusivity but also adds considerable heft to the watch, a detail that watch connoisseurs tend to associate with a high-quality timepiece. Material choice aside this watch is strictly Royal Oak from top to bottom. The case bears the much-loved angular geometry with an octagonal bezel on top. It measures a modest 41mm in diameter and has a thickness of just 9.5mm that should make the watch slide comfortably under those cuffs. Water-resistance is limited to just 20 meters and as always looks exceptionally finished with a nice blend of brushed and polished surfaces.
Presented in black the dial still sports the Rich and detailed Tapisserie pattern synonymous with the Royal Oak name. The rich and detailed texture is done in-house by the brand and imparts the watch a nice ornate look. Placed on top of the dial are baton-style hour markers which combined along with a printed minute track can be used to read the time using the well-proportioned matching handset. The markers and the hour/minute hands have also been filled with luminous paint to aid low light visibility. The perpetual calendar functions, like many previous releases, have been presented using 4 circular sub-registers at 12,3,6 and 9 that display the month/leap year, date, moon phase, day respectively keeping the dial well balanced and legible. A simple arrow tipped pointer is also being used to indicate the week printed on a sloped chapter ring on the outer periphery.
Driving the watch is Audemars Piguet’s in-house automatic caliber 5134. The movement has 38 jewels, operates at a slightly strange frequency of 19,800 VPH and offers a power reserve of around 40 hours. It is based on the brand’s caliber 2120 and is only 4.5mm thick which I am sure is partly responsible for the thin profile of this watch.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in Platinum is a true collector’s watch. It exudes opulence and is on the verge of becoming a rarity as only 20 pieces would ever be produced. The watch would come attached to a platinum bracelet and would be available through Yoshida’s retail network. Price would be made available only on request.
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