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This non-porous CFT carbon additionally gives unprecedented resistance to humidity, warmth and shocks. The ultra-light solid carbon case center of this new Royal Oak Concept, which options blue luminescent pigments, is complemented by a black ceramic bezel, crown, push-pieces and caseback. The two-tone timepiece is enhanced by a darkish architectural dial with electrical blue accents. Combining watchmaking complexity with ultra-contemporary design, this timepiece embodies the fixed quest for innovation that has pushed the Le Brassus Manufacture since its inception.
After an absence of eight years at Audemars Piguet, solid carbon is making its grand return within the new Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date mannequin. Unlike earlier generations of carbon, Audemars Piguet’s Chroma Forged Technology (CFT) makes it attainable to color the carbon fibres immediately as a substitute of the resin and prepare them as desired within the element produced, opening up new artistic prospects. Its decrease resin content material in comparison with conventional solid carbon makes it much less vulnerable to scratches.
The manufacturing course of entails quite a few steps and nice experience. The carbon fibres are first minimize into small items and colored with pigments. A mess of colors is feasible, permitting for a variety of artistic developments. The colored carbon items are then manually positioned in a mould in response to the supposed design and accomplished with resin. This course of is repeated to construct a number of layers like a mille-feuille pastry. The content material of the mould is then compressed to acquire a block freed from air bubbles. Finally, the combination is positioned in an autoclave to be cured underneath stress for about ten hours to disclose the properties of the resin and produce a carbon block that’s then machined for six to eight hours to create the ultimate element.
As the mixing levels are carried out by hand, every case center produced has a barely completely different motif, making it a novel piece that seamlessly combines cutting-edge know-how and the experience of the Le Brassus artisans. The new 43 mm Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date mannequin combines watchmaking complexity, revolutionary supplies, ergonomics and daring aesthetic in a two-tone design pairing the darkish tones of the openworked dial with electrical blue touches for a stylish look.
The ultra-light CFT carbon case center, adorned with blue glow-in-the-dark fibres to reinforce the watch’s playful aesthetic, is complemented by a black ceramic bezel adorned with satin-brushing and sharpening. These meticulous finishes are additionally seen on the black ceramic crown, caseback and push-pieces. The case and crown are barely curved to observe the pure form of the wrist. The push-piece guards at 2, 4 and 9 o’clock are contrastingly honed in titanium in an echo to a few of the lighter elements of the openworked dial.
Conceived just like the bridge of a motion, the openworked dial is the results of very exact machining. Circular apertures have been minimize right into a single sandblasted nickel silver plate, completed with black PVD and adorned with diamond-polished rhodium-toned bevels, to disclose a part of the micro-mechanics ticking inside. The two-tone design provides depth and play of sunshine to this edgy timepiece, which is additional emphasised by the absence of a brand on the dial. In preserving with the blue highlights of the case center, the inside bezel and the exterior zones of the three counters are completed in an electrical blue hue, which contrasts with the gray and black tones of the motion whereas enhancing legibility.
The futuristic look is accentuated by white gold hour-markers and fingers, which, just like the fingers on the counters, are full of luminescent materials that seems white throughout the day however turns blue at the hours of darkness. Lastly, the tachymeter scale on the inside bezel and the gradations on the counters are transferred in white for optimum readability. The timepiece is mounted on a blue rubber strap with black accents for a sporty contact. Fitted with the interchangeability system launched within the 43 mm Royal Oak Concept assortment in 2023, the watch additionally comes with a second black and blue rubber strap.
