Audemars Piguet has gone out with a bang for the experimental RD Series, in addition to their 150th Anniversary celebrations with the introduction of the RD#5, and we think it is exceptional!
Audemars Piguet is a brand that is steeped in 150 years of tradition and exceptional watchmaking. But, it doesn’t mean the Le Brassus brand rests on its laurels by any stretch. In 2015, AP launched the RD series to push the boundaries of watchmaking and explore its potential. Hence the name – RD, or Reach & Development. And, in the last 10 years, it has brought out some cracking pieces, starting with the RD#1, a Royal Oak Concept Super Sonnerie, which showcased Audemars Piguet’s patented Supersonnerie technology – the result of eight years of development in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and numerous experts, including musicians. Then came RD#2 in 2018, the Royal Oak Quantième Perpétuel Extra Flat Automatique – a 6.3 mm-thin automatic perpetual calendar, at the time, the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar watch.
In 2022, RD#3 graced us. A Royal Oak Extra-Thin Flying Tourbillon Selfwinding watch that measured 39mm x 8.1mm thick, and was the first “Jumbo” in history to feature a selfwinding flying tourbillon. Then, in 2023, changing direction a little, Audemars Piguet launched the first Code 11:59 RD project in RD#4. A stunning piece that was quite frankly a work of art, which had 40 functions, including 23 complications, including: Hours, Minutes, Date, Day, Month, Year, Moon phases, Flyback chronograph, Split Second Chronograph, Perpetual Calendar, Minute Repeater, Striking Watch with Semi-Gregorien, Petite Sonnerie and Grande Sonnerie. It was no wonder it took out the top prize, the Aguile D’Or at that year’s GPHG.
And now we have the final phase of the RD series. RD#5 has graced us, and we saw glimpses of this piece on John Mayer’s wrist recently; however, it was camouflaged – a little bit like a car maker wraps a new model when they don’t want people to see what the new model looks like. The new model has been done in AP’s Royal Oak “Jumbo” 39mm x 8.1mm extra-thin case, and this time it’s a flying tourbillon with a flyback chronograph done like no other.
This piece, while looking similar to other Royal Oaks in the past, is anything but. The watch has been designed from scratch to ensure the perfect balance between functionality, tactility, ergonomics and aesthetics. Even the 39mm Jumbo case is not standard, being designed from Titanium and Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG) to give the watch a better feel on the wrist and a more luxurious wearing experience. The Jumbo is already a very nice piece to wear, so with the RD#5 I can imagine how nice this will be with the new materials being lighter and smoother on the wrist.
The biggest innovation is not the case, but the movement and the sensory experience it gives the user when operating the chronograph. Papi, Guilio, Technical Director of Watchmaking at Audemars Piguet, explains. “Our ambition was to enhance the user experience, with something that is not only pleasing to the eye, but also to the ear and touch.” As a result, the pushers on the side of the case are very form-fitting and close to the case, and the technicians drew inspiration from the haptic feedback you get when using modern smartphones.
“We drew a lot of inspiration from smartphones and smart watches, today’s ergonomic benchmarks. The challenge was, could wer preserve the tactile quality while remaining fully mechanical? That in a way was the foundation of this project…When it comes to thickness, it is important to understand that we were using the Jumbo case as a sarting point. So the challenge was to fit a complication of that in the thickness into a slim case.”
AP’s Movement Conceptor, Martel Julien
The result is chronograph pushers that are smooth and easy to depress with limited movement and feedback to allow you to know you have activated the start/stop and reset functions. This means that the chronograph movement needed to be built from the ground up, not just integrating an existing chronograph module with the tourbillon movement, plus accounting for the extra-slim case of the jumbo, as Martel explains. When you see the movement, you can see that it is very different to the existing AP Royal Oak Chronograph movements we know today, such as the Calibre 4401 in the 26240ST.
To create the right feel and efficiency, the chronograph has been designed with a rack and pinion system for the reset function. So instead of the usual system, the RD#5 has a retrograde rack that disengages and reverts into place. This allows the energy from each hand to be stored in its own rack and then released on reset, saving energy and diverting it to the minute counter. In addition, the chronograph hand is made from monobloc titanium, so it is lightweight and saves even more energy on use and reset, especially when using the flyback function.
Audemars Piguet’s designers didn’t just look at functionality either; the movement aesthetics were also a major focus. With the chronograph movement built around the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, and squeezed into the thin case of the Jumbo, the architecture of the Calibre 8100 is significantly different. To start, the peripheral rotor allowed space savings as well as full visibility of the calibre.
The bridges are less like full bridges and more like a skeleton framework made of titanium to hold the gears and rack in place. But these are not all just random chance or where the pieces fit best. The whole movement has been designed with symmetry in mind, centred around the vertical 12/6 axis. Racks on both sides, left and right, and the movement’s design also follows the flow of energy throughout the movement. From the seconds, to the rack, to the lever that regulates the hours, to the final rack in a clockwise motion. So this is an exercise in both form and function at its best. All of this in a movement that is only 4mm thick but still puts out a remarkable 72-hour power reserve and beating at 3Hz / 21,600 VpH.
The Royal Oak RD#5 also utilises a unique crown system, inspired by, of all things, a ballpoint pen’s pusher. The small button on the crown with the AP logo can be pressed to ensure accurate setting of the time. Sometimes it is the ideas that come from the most simple and common of places that are the best!
On the dial, you have the best of Audemars Piguet here. The Bleu Nuit Petite Tapisserie dial creates a beautiful effect against the cool titanium and BMG case. Instead of the AP or Audemars Piguet logo or plate, instead, the RD#5 has Audemars Piguet written in the historical cursive font, which was inspired by old documents. This, in my opinion, is a nice vintage touch to a watch that is very much a modern AP. Aside from this, the hands and hour markers are made from 18k white gold, the flying tourbillon spins away at 6 o’clock, and you have minutes and hours subdials on each side of the dial.
Initial Thoughts
When you see pieces like the RD#5, you can’t help but appreciate the R&D that Audemars Piguet puts into them, and you also walk away with a new appreciation for the brand as a whole. Yes, this piece is CHF 260,000 and limited to 150 pieces in celebration of the brand’s 150th Anniversary, but seeing the time, effort, expertise, and with that, money AP has invested in the RD#5, perhaps it’s just worth it. And let’s face it, the people that will be offered these are not your standard watch collector.
For those with the history and credibility with Audemars Piguet, as well as the wallet to match, the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Flying Tourbillon Flyback Chronograph RD#5 will be well worth it. Even as I’m writing this, delving into the technicals of the movement and how the team that designed it went about it, I’m thinking to myself, “If only I could, I would in a heartbeat!” And that tells you all you need to know about this watch. A fusion of art and craft, technical know-how and 52 years of Royal Oak DNA blended into one remarkable piece.
Reference: 26545XT.OO.1240XT.01
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 39mm case diameter x 8.1mm thick
- Case Material: Titanium and Bulk Metallic Glass (GMG), brushed and polished
- Dial: Blue Nuit with Petite Tapisserie pattern, flying tourbillon and minutes and hours chronograph subdials. White gold hands and hour markers with a titanium chronograph seconds hand.
- Movement: Automatic Calibre 8100 with peripheral rotor, skeletonised titanium bridges with rack and pinion flyback system. 3Hz beat rate.
- Power Reserve: 72hrs
- Water Resistance: 20m (2 bar)
- Bracelet: Brushed titanium with BMG inner links. Double-folding push-button clasp.