The Royal Oak Chronograph RD#5 features a Petite Tapisserie dial finished in an intense navy blue tone, with rose gold rhodium-plated indexes and luminous white gold hands.
Driven by a miniature powerhouse of springs, wheels, and microscopic screws that can barely be detected with the naked eye, the mechanical wristwatch stands today as a poetic relic from the pre-digital world.
For true enthusiasts, however, its so-called shortcomings—depending on human energy to function, the minor inconsistencies that make each reference slightly unique, or even its occasional unpredictability—are not flaws but rather the very soul of its appeal.
Audemars Piguet, though steeped in tradition, is anything but resistant to progress. The watchmakers asked themselves: what if the tactile sensation of operating a chronograph could be as fluid and effortless as tapping a smartphone?
Historically, developments in production and water resistance since the 1970s had increased the pressure required to activate a chronograph button to approximately 1.5 kilograms over a travel distance of at least one millimeter.
Giulio Papi, director of technical development, envisioned a radically lighter experience—just 300 grams of force across 0.3 millimeters, almost identical to adjusting an iPhone’s volume button.
This advancement debuts in the Royal Oak Chronograph RD#5 “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon, the latest showcase from the brand’s Research and Development line. Its newly developed Calibre 8100 incorporates a groundbreaking reset system, replacing the conventional hammer-and-heart structure with an ingenious rack-and-pinion design.
The stored energy allows the titanium hand of the Royal Oak Chronograph to snap back to zero with breathtaking speed, creating a seamless retrograde effect. Paired with an ultra-precise minute counter jump, it elevates the flyback chronograph into a realm of heightened accuracy and responsiveness.
Taking inspiration from the innovations of the RD#3, Audemars Piguet has also reworked the flying tourbillon. Now crafted with a titanium cage and paired with a thinner, lighter escapement, it not only ensures smoother energy transmission but also increases the timepiece’s overall efficiency. Remarkably, all of this fits into a movement only 4 mm thick, built from 379 components and adorned with 44 jewels.
Despite these feats of engineering, the watch retains the unmistakable identity of the Royal Oak Chronograph. Its Petite Tapisserie dial, finished in a rich navy tone, features pink-gold rhodium-treated hour markers, luminous white-gold hands, chronograph counters positioned at three and nine o’clock, and a mesmerizing flying tourbillon at six.
The 39 mm case departs from steel or precious metal in favor of titanium, matched with a bracelet that fuses this lightweight material with bulk metallic glass—an alloy containing 50 percent palladium and prized for its strength and resistance to wear.
Blending the aesthetics of Gérald Genta’s 1970s icon with trailblazing technology, the Royal Oak Chronograph RD#5 demonstrates that even in an era of hyper-digital devices, analog artistry can still push boundaries—and remain unmatched in beauty and function.
Ingresa los siguientes datos y comienza a disfrutar de nuestra revista digital.
