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Away from the Fairways | TEE TIME
Fearless at Forty
The Extra-Thin Royal Oak 39mm from AP HKGOLFER.COM
Evan Rast recounts the intriguing events that led to the creation of one of the most influential watches of all time, the Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, as it celebrates four decades of daring and innovation CONTINUED OVERLEAF
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The Openworked Extra-Thin Royal Oak 39mm features a skeletonised version of Calibre 2121 which is highlighted by a contemporary decoration and a galvanic anthracite treatment
Overnight Inspiration
h en it comes to the Royal Oak, it’s hard not to become a fan. The watch The story goes that on the eve of the 1971 has become such an icon Basel fair, Gerald Genta – a Swiss watchmaker in the realm of sports that known for his complicated, hand-designed it would be impossible not movements, dials and cases –received a call from to see one – or a good number of them – at Georges Golay, Audemars Piguet’s managing any sporting event. Even without the megawatt director. Golay explained that the brand’s Italian rocks rappers like Jay-Z prefer, one can spot that distributor was pressing him for a functional, alleight-sided bezel a mile away. It’s a signature purpose sports watch to present to his market that is so identifiable that the and that he needed the company can probably do design by the next day. away with stamping their logo At this time, Audemars When it was on the dial. The product range Pi g u e t w a s p ro d u c i n g introduced in 1972, has also expanded much to mostly high-end mechanical the Royal Oak cater to particular tastes – from w atch e s: co mp li c ate d, ultra-tech to extra slim, discreet jewelled or with ex tradefied the norm. It to e x tra chunk y – easily thin movements. But the used unconventional observable from the growing co m p a ny w a s m o v i n g materials ... the design towards the creation of number of Audemars Piguet ambassadors, which now quar t z m ovem e nt s , as was dynamic ... a include Lionel Messi, Novak mechanical movement most Swiss watchmakers Djokovic, LeBron James and a were doing at the time, in a sea of quartz number of world-class golfers. as the industry was in the Who would’ve thought early stages of the quartz that in 1972, when the Royal revolution, which was being Oak was created, it was considered a risk and led by the Japanese. For a brand that had been completely against everything that Audemars around for almost a hundred years however, Piguet had designed up until then. Audemars Piguet didn’t want to lose its edge in the mechanical department, and there were still many markets that preferred it, hence Golay’s lastminute request. Genta had just one night to fashion a watch that would ordinarily take several weeks, but fortunately inspiration hit. By early morning, an idea for a sports watch was on paper. It was based on a diving suit helmet that he has seen as a child on the Pont de la Machine in Geneva, one with an octagonal bezel with eight hexagonal screws that would become the Royal Oak’s signature. The watch had an integrated bracelet with intermediate tapering links, a design that has never been fundamentally altered to this day.
Fashion Forward When it was officially introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak defied the norm. It was a luxury watch in steel, the most expensive steel watch ever produced at the time. It used unconventional materials. The design was dynamic, with a silhouette that allowed use in sports, work and leisure, a function that wasn’t common at all then. It was a mechanical movement in a sea of quartz watches, plus at 39mm, when the average size of a men’s watch was 30mm, it was massive. Perhaps not surprisingly, sales were slow at the beginning. 18
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From top: A sketch of the Royal Oak 2012 40th Anniversary Chronograph drawn by Octavio Garcia, AP’s chief designer; the Extra-Thin Royal Oak Tourbillon 41mm is a handwound watch that features an 18-carat pink gold case, blue dial and 18-carat pink gold bracelet 20
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That is until Fiat president and men’s fashion icon Gianni Agnelli was seen wearing one. The man’s sense of style was well known. In fact, Esquire magazine named him one of the five best-dressed men in history. It was his accessories and the way he wore them that made him stand out, the most significant being that he wore his watch over his cuff. And one of those watches was a Royal Oak. It took a few more years before the design caught on fully. By then quartz watches were a significant part of Audemars Piguet’s business, representing more than 40 per cent of production. Jacqueline Dimier took over design in 1975, where she developed a ladies’ Royal Oak and a rectangular quartz model to keep up with the times. However the mechanical octagonal shape was the one that would have staying power. Since then there have been many innovations to the Royal Oak. In 1981, Audemars Piguet presented a perpetual calendar (calibre 2120/2800), which was at the time the thinnest model of its kind in the world. Three years later came the day-date with moon-phase display and, in 1986, a thin quartz model without a seconds hand with the first ever case made of tantalum, a hypo-allergenic material whose blue-grey colour adapts to the climate where it’s worn. In 1993, the brand’s design team, in an effort to seek out a younger clientele, developed the Offshore. The first Royal Oak Offshore sent a strong challenge to the craze for extra-thin cases. It was a trendsetter in oversize models that would dominate the market in later years. The Royal Oak celebrated its 25th birthday with a Grande Complication with perpetual calendar, moon-phase display and minute repeater, with a chronograph and split-second function. The unique piece was created for the founder of Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté. Another model worth taking note of is the 2007 Royal Oak Offshore, which was created in partnership with Team Alinghi for the America’s Cup. It was the first ever watch with a case made from forged carbon – the same material used in modern sailboats. And because the watch was essentially black, it became extremely popular with sports watch fanatics.
Eight New Watches In celebration of the Royal Oak’s special anniversary, Audemars Piguet has presented eight new versions of the icon. The first is the ExtraThin Royal Oak, a re-interpretation of Genta’s original, with a radiant "Petite Tapisserie" motif CONTINUED ON PAGE 66 HKGOLFER.COM
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on the special blue dial and the distinctive AP logo at 6 o’clock. There’s a tourbillon version of this, the Extra-Thin Royal Oak Tourbillon, which is fitted with the handwound calibre 2924 and comes in a 41mm steel or pink gold case. It’s interesting to note that for the models with the petite and grande tapisserie motifs, Audemars Piguet had to restore a piece of antique machinery that produced the ramolayé pattern on the dial. The machine creates a particular texture as the squares for the motif’s layout are cut while simultaneously obtaining a fine grid pattern. The end result must truly be seen to be appreciated.
Clockwise from top: The Openworked Extra-Thin Royal Oak Tourbillon 41mm is one of the thinnest tourbillon movements on the market; the Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph with small seconds at 9 o’clock; the Selfwinding Royal Oak 41mm features a stainless steel case, black dial and stainless steel bracelet; the Roya Oak Quartz 33mm ladies’ watch incorporates 40 brilliant-cut diamonds 66
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Among my personal favourites from the collection are the openworked limited editions. The Openworked Extra-Thin Royal Oak, with the automatic calibre 5122, one of the world’s thinnest mechanical movements at 3.05mm, comes in anthracite and has an openworked dial that extends right though to its suspended barrel. The parts are graced with traditional finishes, such as stain brushing and hand-drawn file strokes. The Openworked Extra-Thin Royal Oak Tourbillon limited edition comes in a 41mm platinum case, with an open-worked movement, the handwound Calibre 2924. Like the 1972 model, the latest Royal Oak Chronograph features a subtle interplay of alternating satin-brushed and polished surfaces, as well as the eight white gold hexagonal screws on the octagonal bezel. Water-resistant to 50m, the watch is fitted with the Calibre 2385, a mechanical selfwinding movement driving hour and minute hands, small seconds, a date display and the chronograph functions with a 40-hour power reserve. The watch is available in steel and pink gold. If you’re after the sleek automatic models, the Royal Oak Selfwinding 37mm and 41mm models just might be the ones to consider from this collection. Particularly suited to slender wrists, the 37mm watch is set with brilliant-cut diamonds in a pink gold case. At the heart of the watch is the calibre 3120, with hour, minute, seconds and window-type date display, and a 60-hour power HKGOLFER.COM
reserve. The 37mm is also available in steel with a plain or gem-set bezel, a black or silver-toned dial. The 41mm, equipped with the same movement, comes in two steel versions with a blue or silvertoned dial. This model is also available in pink gold with a choice of black or silver-toned dial, fitted with a pink gold bracelet or a leather strap with AP folding clasp. For the ladies, a dainty 33m Royal Oak has been created, housing a quartz movement, with a bezel set with 40 brilliant-cut diamonds. The steel case is water-resistant to 50m and the bracelet is seamlessly integrated with the case characterised by perfectly assembled links and studs arranged in progressively diminishing order of size. Each model from the 2012 Royal Oak collection serves as a symbol of the conviction that the brand had in making and sticking with an unconventional timepiece that has now become a legend. It’s a great reminder that enduring fierce criticism in the beginning, but carrying though with artistic experimentation and a nonconformist way of thinking can lead to amazing results. Modern watch aficionados are well and truly appreciative of the tenacity that Audemars Piguet showed with its Royal Oak, a watch that would never be in our psyche today if not for the persistence of a few radical and imaginative minds.
AP: The Golf Connection Audemars Piguet’s links with professional golf stretch back many decades, although these have strengthened in recent times thanks to the brand’s affiliations with a handful of the game’s finest talents. Ambassadors for Audemars Piguet include the ever-consistent Lee Westwood, 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke, 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell, the popular Miguel Ángel Jiménez and – lest we forget – world No 1 and reigning Hong Kong Open champion Rory McIlroy, who just last month added to his major haul by claiming the PGA Championship in record-breaking fashion. Another Hong Kong Open winner, the stylish Ian Poulter who claimed the title at Fanling two years ago, became an ambassador for Audemars Piguet in 2011, while glamorous LPGA player Belén Mozo (pictured) joined the brand this June. Mozo, who hails from Cadiz, became the first player since 1972 (the same year the Royal Oak was launched) to win both the Women’s British Amateur Championship and British Girls’ Amateur Championship in the same year when she achieved the feat in 2006. The 23-year-old Spanish star, who turned pro in 2010, is now part of a wider line-up of Audemars Piguet LPGA ambassadors that includes Americans Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel and wears Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore pieces. Locally, the brand hosts the Audemars Piguet Golf Trophy, a qualifying competition held exclusively for its Hong Kong and China-based clients. This year’s event, which was held across the border at Mission Hills Golf Club in June, was won by Byron Tang and Jiawei Ma, who will join victors from different markets across the world at the final, which is to be played at the Club de Bonmont in Switzerland. HKGOLFER.COM
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