BY Jovan K
Released in 1972 The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tull date remains one of the most sought after watches from the holy trinity brand. Part of it has to do with the bold distinctive design and the rest can certainly be attributed to the brands conviction towards evolving the design by adding intriguing new variations such as the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Minute Repeater Supersonnerie.
Let’s begin by addressing the main talking point of this watch, the movement. Present under the hood of this beauty is the AP caliber 2959. This is a manually wound movement that comprises 32 jewels, operates at a frequency of 3 Hz and offers a power reserve of around 72 hours. But what makes it special is the minute repeater Mechanism that can sing out the time on the wearer’s command. All one needs to do is push the lever on the left of the case, sit back and enjoy the music fill the ears.
The case of the Royal Oak has always been one of its strongest selling points and the Royal Oak Oak Minute Repeater Supersonnerie does not make any amends to it. Constructed from titanium or Platinum it features the well-known angular geometry with fine brushing throughout and sharp polished bevels on the sides. It measures 42mm in diameter and has a thickness of around 14mm resulting in quite a chunky watch.
Sitting on top of the case is the signature octagonal bezel that secures the sapphire crystal on the front. The back has been kept closed and the case is water-resistant to just 20 meters, both of which happen to be my only niggles with this timepiece. With such a thick case one expects better water resistance and why hide a movement that has been beautifully decorated and can be fully enjoyed as it is bereft of any visual obtrusions such as a rotor.
Like the case, the dial on this new watch is also quintessential Royal Oak. Presented in either black or blue the dial features the famous Tappisserie pattern that provides it a nice sense of depth. Baton style applied markers (double marker at twelve) indicate the hours and are supported by a printed minute track and a seconds sub-dial at 6 to help read the time in a precise manner using the nicely proportioned baton-style handset. In all its a well-balanced highly legible dial.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Minute Repeater Supersonnerie would come in two variants: Black dial with a Platinum case attached to an alligator strap priced at USD 386,000 and Blue dial with a titanium case attached to a bracelet priced at USD 321,700. Both versions would be limited to just 20 pieces.
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