Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet is pleased to announce a new collaboration with American designer Matthew M. Williams, founder and creative director of 1017 ALYX 9SM. To mark the occasion, four new Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore references and a Royal Oak unique piece are being launched simultaneously.
The timepieces combine the recognisable aesthetic codes of the Manufacture with the designer’s refined touch. The two brands have designed this resolutely modern collection together to appeal to urban fashion lovers and allow them to express their individuality.
A COLLABORATION AT THE CROSSROADS OF TWO WORLDS
This unprecedented collaboration between Audemars Piguet and 1017 ALYX 9SM, founded in 2015, is the last example to date celebrating the strong ties that the Manufacture has forged with different creative worlds, such as fashion.
The Chicago-born designer likes to play with materials that are high quality, innovative and highly technical to develop surprising and disruptive creations. The two brands share this avant-garde spirit, as well as a passion for details and the mastery of their craft. In addition, they both adhere to a holistic sustainable approach.
A MODERN AND REFINED AESTHETIC
Matthew M. Williams sees the watch as an expression of who you are. For this collaboration, the Manufacture and the designer have developed a collection with a minimalist aesthetic composed of several references ranging from 37 to 42 mm. Adaptable to all wrist types, these sober timepieces let the owner’s personality shine through and constitute a bridge between the worlds of urban fashion and Haute Horlogerie.
The four references come in 18-carat yellow or white gold and are comprised of two Royal Oak models and two Royal Oak Offshore models of different diameters. This is the first time that the same design has been developed for both collections simultaneously. In an effort to make the aesthetics as clean and pure as possible, Matthew Williams and Audemars Piguet have reduced the dials to their simplest form, removing the hour-markers and the date aperture on the Royal Oak models to highlight the elegant vertical satin-finishing decorating the gold dials. The result is timeless monochrome timepieces that blend refined aesthetics with advanced watchmaking techniques.
The two Royal Oak models are crafted entirely in 18-carat yellow gold. The first is a 37 mm selfwinding reference indicating the hours, minutes and seconds, which is ideal for smaller wrists. The minimalist dial comes with luminescent yellow-gold hands and the signatures “Audemars Piguet” and “1017 ALYX 9SM”, the former in a gold applique and the latter is transferred. The second model is a selfwinding chronograph measuring 41 mm in diameter, which pushes the minimalism of the dial to the limit, going so far as to eliminate the chronograph counters, leaving only the hands to rotate at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. These two Royal Oak references are produced in limited series.
The two Royal Oak Offshore models follow the same theme, dispensing with the information usually present on the dial and keeping only the bare minimum. Only the date aperture, which is emblematic of the Royal Oak Offshore collection, remains at 3 o’clock, next to the AP monogram. The 1017 ALYX 9SM signature is for its part located at 6 o’clock. The chronograph counters at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock have also been removed, leaving only the hands – a first for a chronograph. These 42 mm limited editions are available in a choice of 18-carat white or yellow gold, giving them a style that is both sober and dazzling. Equipped with the Manufacture’s interchangeable strap system, these models are accompanied by an additional strap in black rubber for an intense contrast.
These four references also feature the refined hand finishes emblematic of the Manufacture, alternating polished and satin-finished surfaces that provide infinite plays on the light. The caseback is engraved with the words “Limited Edition”.
