Audemars Piguet's first Sand Gold timepiece: the Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41mm 26735SG

Audemars Piguet introduced its very first timepiece crafted in sand gold, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41mm 26735SG. Price.

Audemars Piguet unveiled its very first timepiece crafted in sand gold, a new 18-carat gold alloy hovering between white and pink gold, with its colour changing depending on the angle and light.

This new precious material, combining gold with copper and palladium, is premiered with the launch of a new Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked in 41 mm 26735SG. 

The lines of the  41 mm x  10.6 mm  sand gold case are highlighted by alternating satin brushing and polished chamfers. The same finish is used for the integrated bracelet.

To match the case and bracelet, the Swiss manufacture has developed a sand-gold-toned hue, obtained through galvanic treatment, to adorn the inner bezel as well as the openworked bridges and mainplate of Calibre 2972, visible on both sides of the watch.

The sand-gold-toned bridges and mainplate are contrasted with touches of grey. The rhodium-toned barrel, geartrain and flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock are complemented by white gold hour-markers and hands, all filled with luminescent material. 

The “Audemars Piguet” logo has been printed in black on the glareproofed sapphire crystal at 12 o’clock.

On the caseback side, the rhodium-toned 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight is aligned with the two-tone aesthetic of the openworked movement.

First released in 2022 for the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary, Calibre 2972 combines a selfwinding mechanism with a flying tourbillon. Operating at a frequency of  3 Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour), it offers a power reserve of 65 hours.

The architecture of this movement is revealed by removing as much material from the mainplate and bridges using computer numerical control (CNC) machining, then perfected by electric discharge machining (EDM).

The geometrical openworked bridges and mainplate are then decorated with horizontal and vertical hand-finishing. In addition, the other movement components present refined Haute Horlogerie decorations including satin, circular and sunray brushing, snailing, as well as polished chamfers and polished V-angles. 

The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41 mm, ref. 26735SG.OO.1320SG.01, is water resistant to 50 metres / 165 feet. The price is available on request. audemarspiguet.com 

Suggested reading:

- The history of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak