Amid the glam, buzzy scene of last summer’s Paris fashion week, Audemars Piguet dropped a chic new series of Royal Oaks ready to strut their stuff down a haute couture catwalk. British fashion photographer Harley Weir captured the mood, exploring how a watch, like an outfit, makes a statement about your personal sense of style.
Weir reflected on the many different facets of modern women and how the new watches express them with different colors, materials and character — from sleek black ceramic to the shimmering sparkle of Frosted Gold and a
tasty rainbow of multicolored gems.
As versatile and timeless as a little black dress, the 34 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding in ceramic ($46,200) catches a little punk rock attitude in all black with pink-gold accents — Royal Oak’s trademark eight hexagonal screws, hour indexes, hands and the oscillating weight of the automatic Caliber 5800 visible through the sapphire crystal case back. Tough and scratch-proof, the inky ceramic is lightweight and smooth as silk with its satin finish.
Epitomizing cool, the Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding has also been scaled down to 34 mm in 18-k white gold ($54,100), and embellished with the brand’s exclusive shimmery finish.
Italian jewelry designer Carolina Bucci developed the Frosted Gold technique that’s based on an ancient practice of making tiny indentations into the smooth gold surface to create a diamond-dust effect. Paired with an icy blue dial, it makes us shiver.
Purple reigns on a larger 38 mm Selfwinding Chronograph ($83,700) in 18-k pink gold set with 32 perfectly matched baguette-cut amethysts, weighing in at almost three carats. The royal stones frame a color-shifting “Grande Tapisserie” dial that emits a range of purple hues as it catches the light.
And new for the fall season, rainbow sprinkles top five new Royal Oak Frosted Gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked models (price upon request): three 41 mm numbers in white, pink and yellow gold, and — for those who prefer a slightly slimmer look — two 37 mm in yellow gold and pink gold.
In both sizes, the technically complex openworked movement competes for attention with a rainbow-hued bezel. It’s set with 32 ombré-shaded baguette-cut gems — ruby, tsavorite, emerald, topaz, tanzanite, amethyst, and a variety of colored sapphires — progressing through the full color spectrum.
Strike a pose.
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