WELL-TIMED AMBUSH: Hot on the heels of its colorful Royal Pop launch, Audemars Piguet is going for a splash of red.
The Swiss watchmaker unveiled Thursday a limited-edition Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon in collaboration with Yoon Ahn and Verbal, cofounders of Ambush — and both keen AP collectors.
Ilaria Resta, Audemars Piguet’s chief executive officer, said the Le Brassus-based company was “built on collective energy” and that working with the duo “offers a fresh lens on the Royal Oak Concept’s intricate architecture.”
Based on the 38.5-mm Royal Oak Concept introduced in 2002 for the design’s 30th anniversary, this titanium piece unveils the Caliber 2982, a new variation on the watchmaker’s hand-wound flying tourbillon movement specially developed for the collaboration.
What catches the eye on the black aventurine dial is the aluminum tourbillon cage with an anodized red top plate, a first for Audemars Piguet.
The Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon in collaboration with Yoon and Verbal.
Courtesy of Audemars Piguet
Verbal said red had always been “a powerful color” for Ambush, one that “evokes the Earth’s core: the origin point, the source of energy and, ultimately, the beginning of how we measure time itself.”
Meanwhile, “the tourbillon cage represents the heart of the watch — the force that keeps everything in motion,” he added.
“Creativity is always in motion. You keep evolving, regenerating, moving forward, so the design of this limited edition had to follow that energy,” said Ahn, cofounder and creative director of the fashion brand. “For me, it was about balance, about creating something truly universal that anyone could connect with.”
Unveiled at an event in Seoul, the watch comes in a limited edition of 150 pieces and will be available from Friday at AP Houses and boutiques worldwide.
