The Sound of Time
From sand through an hour glass to modern smartwatches, time has always been a part of life, and the sound of time while it may have changed has also been integral to watchmaking. From the first chime of a clock to the systematic tick of the watch hands, there has been sound with clocks and watches that provided a guide to time. Audemars Piguet has been a part of horological history with chiming watches for decades, and a pioneer in the crafting of audible timepieces. Now the brand has unveiled the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Music Edition collection, a true sensory experience. These Offshore models have been designed and inspired by the world of live music and recording studios.
Studio Design
These new designs are crafted in 37 and 43 mm sizes and masterfully created in various materials. There are two timepieces designed in titanium, two in gemset 18-carat white gold, and one model in black ceramic. Designed with Tapisserie dials that took their inspiration from equalizers or VU meters as they are also known as, the dials hours, minutes and seconds hands are driven by self-winding movements. The dial certainly serves the purpose for the VU meter that creates a shimmering contrast and is visually stunning. The Audemars Piguet monogram that adorns the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Music watches is polished in white gold and sits under the 12 o’clock and the 18-carat white-gold hour markers, making a magnificent face for the dial.
Case In Point
The new collection cases have taken the same path as the original Royal Oak’s angular shape and of course have the iconic octagonal bezel designed to fit the top surface to identify the very recognizable appearance. The brand did take the titanium and black ceramic models in a slightly different direction by fitting a standard bezel with the matching case materials. So the two remarkable white-gold timepieces have their bezels set with striking rainbow-colored “harmony-cut” gemstones that mirror the colors of the VU meter motif reflective of the dials. Complete brilliance in the design from Audemars Piguet. Showcasing the music industry inspiration and recording studios equipment, the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Music watches feature crown guards that are shaped like faders on a mixing console, and even feature the track engravings on the side of the case. In addition, more detail was added by the small center links that connect the watch case to the straps, they have been finished with a knurled texture which mirrors the pattern that is found on the ends of cable jacks. So much detail for a timepiece that shows the brand distinction when they create horological masterpieces. All of the watches include an anti-glare sapphire crystal both above the dials and the second one offering the open view of the self-winding movements.
Power, Pleasure, Panache
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Music Edition watches offer water resistance of 50 meters on the 37mm models and 100 meters on the 43mm models. Powering the timepieces the 37mm versions feature the Caliber 5909 movement, while all of the 43mm models are powered by the Caliber 4309. Both of these in-house movements feature the three-handed time-only displays. The 4309 offers 10 hours more power reserve at 70 hours versus the 60 hours on the 5909. Each of the watches come with a quartet of rubber straps, one for each dial. The straps match their dials, black or blue, and then three other options in green, yellow or turquoise. If that was not enough of color choices for these beauties, the brand also provided on the 37mm models a “mosaic effect” pattern on the straps and they have the interchangeable strap system that was debuted on the 2021 Offshore collection. Dating back to 1875, Audemars Piguet has been recognized as a luxury watch manufacturer and while they never sacrifice they want to be creative and unconventional in design and beauty. Groundbreaking ideas are what drive the brand forward and will continue to keep them as a leader in the industry. Production is limited on the two titanium versions to 500 pieces, the black ceramic version is limited to 250 pieces and while neither of the white gold models will be limited they will be more expensive and fall more into the ‘upon request’ group. Keeping with tradition you can always know that the brand will not disappoint and these timepieces will always draw attention to time.
