In the field of advanced watchmaking, the tourbillon has always occupied an indicative position. The dazzling effect of the balance spring when it swings makes people almost forget that the original intention of the watchmaker to create it is for extreme precision. In 1801, the first tourbillon came out, which allowed the pocket watch to counteract the influence of gravity on the accuracy of the pocket watch when it was placed vertically in the pocket, and since then set a new benchmark for precision.
Swiss advanced watchmaker Audemars Piguet launched the world‘s first self-winding tourbillon watch in 1986, and has since become a pioneer in the history of tourbillon watch development. This year ushers in the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak series. Love Audemars Piguet launched a new Royal Oak 50th anniversary RD#3 self-winding ultra-thin flying tourbillon watch, including the 39mm cloudy blue dial “Jumbo” version and the 37mm dark purple dial, becoming the Audemars Piguet AP A milestone that once again broke the limits of watchmaking craftsmanship.
The operating principle of the tourbillon is to assemble the balance wheel with hairspring, the escape wheel and the pallet fork in a frame that is constantly rotating, and rotate once every 60 seconds, so that these sensitive parts will not be in a vertical position for a long time, thereby offsetting the Travel time error caused by gravity. A small tourbillon is composed of hundreds of miniature parts, but weighs less than 1 gram. Because of its extreme complexity and fineness, the tourbillon has always been a complex craft that a few master watchmakers are proud of.
Audemars Piguet AP took the lead in developing the first self-winding tourbillon watch in 1986. The titanium tourbillon equipped with it is still one of the smallest (7.2mm in diameter) and lightest (0.123g) tourbillon in the world. This watch opened up a new development space for the entire advanced watchmaking industry, and at the same time set off an upsurge of revival of tourbillon complex functions.
The RD (Research Development) series is a conceptual creation. Audemars Piguet AP will take the lead in applying the most advanced functions and technologies to this series, including the Royal Oak Concept RD#1 Super Questionnaire released in 2015 and the Royal Oak Concept released in 2018. Oak Royal Oak series RD#2 self-winding ultra-thin perpetual calendar watch, the Royal Oak Royal Oak series RD#3 self-winding ultra-thin flying tourbillon watch released in April this year, following in the footsteps of the first two innovative masterpieces, set Combining innovative technology and exquisite design, equipped with the new 2968 movement, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak series with a slim profile.
This watch is the first “Jumbo” 39mm ultra-thin watch in history to be equipped with a flying tourbillon self-winding movement. Before that, the flying tourbillon was an exclusive complication of 41mm watches. In the “Jumbo” case with a diameter of 39 mm, Audemars Piguet AP engineers and watchmakers have overcome many technical challenges. The watch is equipped with the new 2968 movement developed by Audemars Piguet AP which took five years to develop. The development team adjusted the position of some parts and successfully reduced the thickness of the movement to 3.4mm. The tourbillon is made of titanium, and the transmission is moved to the outer edge of the movement for the first time. The combination of the two makes the tourbillon lighter and thinner, and the internal power transmission is more stable and smooth.
In September this year, the Royal Oak Royal Oak series 37mm RD#3 self-winding ultra-thin flying tourbillon watch was released, which not only benefits people with slender wrists, but also pays tribute to Audemars Piguet’s tradition of producing masterpieces of small-scale complex functions.
The watch is also equipped with the 2968 movement. Audemars Piguet AP engineers redesigned the entire movement structure to make the details of the tourbillon and the movement more eye-catching. On the back side, the hollow splint allows the movement parts to be seen. At the same time, it focuses on the perfect symmetry of each part. ; On the front side, the geometric shape and position of the balance wheel spokes have also been adjusted, so that you can have a panoramic view of the movement of the movement. The flying tourbillon seems to be suspended on the surface, bringing a more shocking visual experience.
The “Petite Tapisserie” small check pattern on the dial presents a novel ink purple color. This special color is made with CVD (chemical vapor deposition) coating technology to ensure that the color of the dial is bright and consistent and will not fade for a long time; in addition, the 37mm RD# 3 The difference between the self-winding ultra-thin flying tourbillon watch and the “Jumbo” version is that the hand-finished and decorated stainless steel case and chain enjoy the upgraded design of the Royal Oak series launched in early 2022. The increased chamfering of the surface polishing and the decreasing width of the links of the strap give the watch a slim appearance while improving wearing comfort.