Audemars Piguet debuted a new black ceramic version of the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked this month.
Like the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in 2017, the Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin in 2019, and the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked in 2019 — Audemars Piguet has given the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel model, which dates back to 2016 a matte black ceramic case.
As we wrote before, “It takes six hours to machine, polish, hand-finish, assemble and quality check a stainless steel Royal Oak bracelet, whereas the ceramic bracelet requires 5 times as much time to complete – 30 hours.”
Introducing the Royal Oak Double Wheel Openworked Black Ceramic, featuring the signature alternating satin-brushing and polishing in a 41 mm ultra-light, scratch-resistant, black ceramic Royal Oak case and bracelet.
Animating the hour and minute hands is 3Hz automatic in-house caliber 3132 (26.59 mm x 5.57 mm) which has an openworked dial and pink-gold toned double balance wheel, visible on both sides of the watch. The mechanism improves the watch’s precision and stability by utilizing two balance wheels and two hairsprings assembled on the same axis that regulate each other thus improving chronometry.
Pink gold applied hour-markers and luminescent hands, as well as a 22K pink gold oscillating weight — along with the dual pink gold traversing balance bridges — provide a striking contrast to the dark synthetic exterior.
The watch’s titanium caseback reads “Royal Oak Double Balancier.” (Ref. 15416CE.OO.1225CE.01) Retail is $80,300.
