Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet has introduced a revolutionary new 18-carat gold alloy.
The company, which is known for both its innovation in exploring new materials and its work in gold, has created its first timepiece crafted in sand gold. Hovering between white and pink gold, its colour changes depending on the angle and light, thus offering varied aesthetic possibilities.
The precious metal is premiered with the launch of a new Royal Oak Self-winding Flying Tourbillon Openworked in 41mm. To complement the case and bracelet, Audemars Piguet developed a matching sand-gold-toned hue to adorn the openworked bridges and mainplate of Calibre 2972, whose multilayered architecture takes centre stage on both sides of the watch. The new colour sits in subtle contrast with the rhodium-toned components of the movement’s inner workings to create a unique 3D effect. The result is a harmonious scene blending technical complexity with contemporary design.
A NEW SHADE OF GOLD
The new 41mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked premieres the use of sand gold. This 18-carat gold alloy, named after sand dunes in the sunlight, combines gold with copper and palladium for a warm rendering. It offers subtle colour variations depending on the light. In addition, it provides resistance to discolouration over time, making it both a durable and timeless material.
The sand gold case and bracelet are finished with the maker’s trademark alternation of satin brushing and polished chamfers. The large mirror-polished bevels of the octagonal bezel and the chamfers adorning every link and stud of the tapering bracelet accentuate the play of light conferred by this precious material.
Audemars Piguet has developed a sand-gold-toned hue, obtained through galvanic treatment, to adorn the inner bezel as well as the openworked bridges and mainplate of Calibre 2972, visible on both sides of the watch.
The bridges and mainplate are contrasted with touches of grey. The rhodium-toned barrel, geartrain and flying tourbillon at six o’clock are complemented by white gold hour-markers and hands, all filled with luminescent material. To give pride of place to the movement’s openworked architecture, the Audemars Piguet signature has been printed in black on the glareproofed sapphire crystal at 12 o’clock.
On the caseback side, the rhodium-toned, 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight furthers the two-tone aesthetic of the openworked movement.
First released in 2022 for the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary, Calibre 2972 combines a selfwinding mechanism with a flying tourbillon. Its highly stylised and multilayered openworked architecture has been conceived to offer symmetry while bestowing the watch with a unique 3D effect.
This movement builds on the age-old openworking techniques that have been reshaping what is possible with wristwatch design since the 1930s. The beauty and finesse of the mechanism are revealed by removing as much material from the mainplate and bridges as possible to let light pass through, without impairing its functions.
The new Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked in sand gold builds on this longstanding legacy of gold watches while continuing Audemars Piguet’s material exploration and diversification. Coming alive in the light thanks to the alloy’s ever-changing colour, it offers new aesthetic possibilities merging contemporary design with endless elegance.