Audemars Piguet’s ultra-thin perpetual calendar research enters the market!

Last year, at the 2018 International Watch Fair (SIHH), Audemars Piguet conducted a case study, which is a concept watch to showcase the brand’s superb skills in watchmaking: Royal Oak #RD2, also Known as the world’s thinnest self-winding perpetual calendar. The interior is very complex and the exterior is very familiar (obviously, it has all the characteristics of a Royal Oak watch), we know that this piece will not remain a concept for a long time… and it is the case. Meet the needs of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak self-winding perpetual calendar ultra-thin watch.

Nowadays, ultra-thin competition has become a hot topic, and there is a battle between Bvlgari and the long-time professional Piaget. In just ten years, the Italian broke five world records, and another person recently proposed the thinnest mechanical wholesale watch ever… But these two are not the only masters of thin machines on the scene, and Audemars Piguet ( Audemars Piguet) has been proficient in this field for decades. The latest proof of this expertise comes from the concept sheet RD#2 launched by SIHH 2018.

This impressive mechanical engineering work is quite the thinnest automatic perpetual calendar ever. In a very familiar Royal Oak case with a diameter of 41 mm but a height of only 6.3 mm, this is a newly developed movement based on the old movement 2120 (ex-JLC, now manufactured by AP). The movement integrates a new QP mechanism movement to gain space. In fact, this concept watch is more like a prototype for testing mechanical performance and public response… Now, it has entered the final commercial stage.

The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak self-winding perpetual calendar ultra-thin watch retains most of the specifications and mechanical solutions of the RD#2 watch. The change is mainly in the visual aspect. Indeed, its case (still 41mm x 6.30mm) is now “IP”, meaning a brushed titanium base-used for the center case, case back, crown and most bracelets-with polished platinum decoration-bezel And the central link of the bracelet. The RD#2 prototype is made entirely of 950 platinum and the wrist is very very heavy.

The second evolution can be seen on the dial of this Royal Oak self-winding perpetual calendar ultra-thin dial. The commercial version replaces the classic “small and small decoration” guilloche pattern on RD#2, but provides a cleaner frosted, vertically brushed dial and tone counter. Considering the large number of indicators displayed on the dial, this option can make the watch cleaner and easier to read.

For the rest, the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak self-winding perpetual calendar ultra-thin watch retains the size of RD#2. The height of the case is 6.30mm, which is 3.2mm less than the ordinary Royal Oak perpetual calendar, which itself is not a thick watch. So, knowing that these two watches are based on the same mechanical architecture, how does AP do this?

There is a new movement in the titanium case of the Royal Oak Self-winding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-thin cheap Watch, named 5133. This is not entirely true, because its movement is 2120, which powers the ultra-thin Royal Oak 15202 and the internal version of the JLC movement, which was once found in the early super-large 5402, but it is still one of them. One kind. The thinnest automatic movement, and one of the few movements with a central rotor. The movement has a floating barrel (no bridge on the top) and a specially structured rotor because most of its weight is moved to the periphery and is supported by a beryllium ring and 4 jewels to support the swinging weight-two solutions are retained On RD#2 and this form.