Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Turns Blue
The classic watch takes shape in all-new blue ceramic
Written by Theo Baker
September 22, 2022
Among the most important and iconic collections in watchmaking, Audemars Piguet has built a bonafide legacy upon the Royal Oak. This year, in-line with the provocative spirit of the historical design, the manufacture is working to push the collection a step further, introducing a new color palette into the sports watch family via its latest novelty.
Dubbed the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in blue ceramic, the model merges classic, long-established design elements of the series with particularly modernist veins via color and material, altogether resulting in one of the most interesting launches of the year from the watchmaker. Importantly, the watch makes use of a new blue ceramic material for its case and bracelet, marking the first time Audemars Piguet has opted for the bright hue in its catalog.
On the wrist, the model measures 41mm in diameter, with its octagonal case, bezel, and integrated bracelet each constructed of the intense blue ceramic. Eight metal screws along the bezel’s edge serve as the only material contrast to the ceramic on the case, with meticulous brushed and polished finishing throughout working in tandem for an elevated textural break-up of the aesthetic. Measuring only 9.5mm in height, the watch is particularly slender on the wrist, the sporty aesthetic remaining in-line with the “extra thin” historical ethos of the larger Royal Oak family.
Echoing the color of the ceramic case, the dial is composed of nearly all-blue detailing save for its white detailing, resulting in a general monochromatic-style for the timepiece. Like many previous Royal Oak watches, the dial opts for a “Grande Tapisserie” style, its large pattern of squares reflecting different hues of the cool look against shifting light. Four sub-dials indicating the month/leap year, day, date, and moon phase rest upon the surface, with each featuring white printed indices against their otherwise blue backgrounds, with exception to a small detail of red for the “31” indication for the analog date. An outer curved ring showcasing the week of the year surrounds the configuration, while applied hour indices in white gold with matching hands complete the look.
Powering the uncommon ceramic model is the Audemars Piguet caliber 5134, with the incredibly thin 4.5mm mechanism being seen in a number of previous iterations of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. True to its name, the 40-hour automatic movement ensures a perpetual calendar functionality for the watch, which together with the dial, showcases the current week, day, date, astronomical moon, month, leap year, hours, and minutes continuously.
The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in blue ceramic (reference 26579CS.OO.1225CS.01) is available now via appointment only at one of the brand’s in-person boutiques. The model will be, technically, available on a non-limited basis, though will likely be highly-limited in production. For collectors, pricing is currently only available by request, but will likely follow the 2019-launched white ceramic iteration of the model, with retail likely to hover around $100,000.
