The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Watch Review

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Watch Review

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Watch Review

It has been exactly 64 days 

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Watch Review

Since i have first held the brand new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold, and it is now been exactly 64 times of me missing it. This watch is everything I would like and much more. It's sporty, awesome, classic, sparkly, an excessive amount of, not enough, and, first and foremost, I want it. Like, a great deal. Before stepping into my effusive feelings about this beauty, let us enter into the storyline behind this awesome timepiece and just how it came into existence to begin with.

If you are a enthusiastic readers of HODINKEE, you likely be aware of good reputation for the Royal Oak like back of the wrist. In almost any situation, this is a quick refresher.

The Royal Oak was created right now-legendary watch designer Gerald Genta in 1971

It shot to super-stardom through the years and it was released in several variations and references (the 5402, 14802, 15400, and 15202, to mention a couple of) continuously from then so far. The timepiece happens to be noted for it's sporty octagonal in shape situation shape, substantial link bracelet, and grande tapisserie dial. It's an icon and even though you can't stand it, you type of need to respect its status within the horological hall of fame.

Only at that year's SIHH, we had lots of new Royal Oak releases, such as the new Royal Oak Extra-Thin "Jumbo" reference 15202 in gold, the black ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, as well as the Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin Openworked in stainless (oof). However the highlight for me personally was the Royal Oak Frosted Gold. This factor was seriously dope and that i imply that whatsoever precocious possible way.

"Frosted Gold" is much like the additional pizza topping you won't ever understood you possessed. Sure, that pepperoni pizza is nice, but have you ever attempted it with hot honey? Nah, did not think so. Frosted Gold is like that. First thing's first, this watch was produced to celebrate the 40th Anniversary from the first ladies' Royal Oak created by Jacqueline Dimier in 1976 (technically the Frosted Gold was launched in 2016, even when it had not been open to view until SIHH). It had been a reasonably large deal at that time since most women's watches were not that sporty and Dimier's design was in keeping with the men's Royal Oak however with some slight changes to size and appearance.

An identical approach was taken for that new Frosted Gold pieces. Audemars Piguet partnered with Florentine jewelry expert Carolina Bucci to collaborate about this anniversary piece. Bucci is renowned for her bold jewellery pieces that frequently possess a hammered finish. This method is call the Florentine Technique also it involves a gemstone-tipped, needle-like tool that hammers in to the the surface of gold, creating small facets. This enables to have an almost gemstone-like appearance that shimmers and it is rough to touch.

For that Frosted Gold Royal Oaks

The Florentine Technique was put on the top of entire watch. The prototypes counseled me made by hands to produce the best finish and also the process required more than a year to master. However it ought to be noted the collection is going to be frosted with a machine that mimics the process with a lot more elements finished by hands (such as the beveling, for instance). Allowing the prototype and also the final product was a significant challenge, because the strategy is put on the whole situation, each bracelet link, and also the bezel, to produce a seamless look. And boy could it be a glance.

The only real surfaces not frosted are within the bracelet, the "AP" emblem around the clasp, the caseback, the advantage from the bezel, and, importantly, the perimeters from the bracelet links. Individuals polished finishes really result in the frosting appear much more dramatic, outlining it and saying "look at this."