At the upcoming Watches & Wonders fair in Hong Kong, which takes place from September 29th to October 2nd, Audemars Piguet will officially unveil a new limited edition Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph that has a peripheral oscillating weight that’s visible through the dial.
This limited edition version of the Royal Oak Offshore comes in a 44 x 14 mm case that features a forged carbon case middle, titanium and ceramic for the push pieces and a ceramic bezel.
Inside, is caliber 2897 which has a tourbillon and a column-wheel chronograph, along with an S-shaped coupling yoke which ensures smoothness of the chronograph when it starts. The coupling has been designed to eliminate the jerkiness typically seen on less refined chronographs.
The movement beats at 3Hz, has 335 components and a 65-hour power reserve.
A variable inertia balance wheel with vertically mounted adjustable screws sits inside a tourbillon cage underneath the blackened tourbillon bridge at 6 o’clock. The cage rotates fully once very 60-seconds, all while the balance wheel oscillates to and fro inside 360 times (or 21,600 times per hour). The resulting view, is a of course, a visual treat.
“It takes a master watch maker almost three days to assemble the tourbillon carriage, which comprises 85 parts yet weighs a mere 0.45 grams,” according to Audemars Piguet.
The bridges and mainplate are rhodium finished and feature a circular graining decoration. They have also been bead blasted and hand drawn with file strokes and polished angles. The screw rims are bevelled and the slots of the 950 platinum peripheral oscillating weight have a circular satin-brushed finish.
The black dial has a “Méga Tapisserie” pattern, black counters, gold applied hour-markers and gold Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating. Sapphire inner ring.
Functions include hours, minutes, small seconds at (9 o’clock) and a chronograph (central sweep-seconds hand, 30-minute counter – at 3 o’clock).
Limited edition of 50. Comes with a black rubber strap and titanium pin buckle. (Ref. 26550AU.A002CA.01)
