The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon, “Tamara Ralph” Limited Edition watch, is so stunning that it makes time stand still, paradoxically going against its purpose. However, calling it merely a timepiece would be an injustice, as it is much more than that. Audemars Piguet enlisted fashion designer Tamara Ralph to create something special, and they succeeded stupendously. The result revealed at the Spring/Summer 2024 Fashion Week, is a hypnotic mix of elements and textures that highlights the sheer beauty of design without overshadowing the technology.
The masterpiece glistens in 18-carat pink gold that transitions from brown to golden tones, akin to the luxury fashion designer’s style. The frosted gold finish makes it striking, as though it were sheathed with tiny diamonds, interrupted only by the polished bezel of the 38.5mm wide pink gold case on the sides.
The two-tone element is enhanced with tiny steel hexagonal screws embedded into the pink-hued metal. The highlight of this stellar Audemars Piguet watch is the hypnotic multi-layered dial, inspired by the bold femininity and textured detailing of Tamara Ralph’s Couture creations, involving four overlapping circular pink gold plates.
These plates are distinguishable owing to four different shades of gold and are enhanced by a shared sunburst satin finish. The flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock emulates this design element with a multi-ring design adorned with 19 brilliant-cut diamonds. The pink gold hour and minute hands, staying within the same color family, feature a luminous coating for reading in the dark, above an applied AP logo at 12 o’clock. The absence of hour markers is barely noticed, as the dial is packed with design details. The caseback reveals the contemporary bridges of AP’s manual-winding caliber 2964.
This spectacular watch comes with two alligator straps in bronze and brown colors. Commenting on the collaboration, Tamara Ralph stated, “My intention for the design of this piece was for it to capture the spirit and craftsmanship of both my brand as well as Audemars Piguet. The complexities of watchmaking provide a foundation that can be explored in terms of textures, colors, and designs, allowing the savoir-faire of couture to shine through.” Limited to 102 pieces, the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept ‘Tamara Ralph’ is priced at $203,800.
