Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Watch 1 Royal Oak Tourbillon

Audemars Piguet honored the 30th anniversary of the first Royal Oak—reference 5402, designed by Gérald Genta—when it released Concept Watch 1 in 2002. The first Royal Oak practically revived the brand in 1972. The importance of this was not lost on Audemars Piguet, as evident by the Concept Watch 1’s unique design and exceptional mechanics.

When the Concept Watch 1 was released, it represented a futuristic ideal of watchmaking. The timepiece feels like it was developed as a prototype, never intended to be released to the public. Honestly, it looks like something Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox would discover in a bin of disused prototype items in the basement of Wayne Enterprises.

At 44mm in diameter, the timepiece features a bulbous shape and Kevlar strap. These materials and executions combined make for a somewhat Tumi, travel, and early 2000s feel, and would be right at home on a Pierce-Brosnan-era Bond set.

Adding to its futuristic nature, the case is made from Alacrite 602, an alloy of up to 60 percent cobalt, with chromium, tungsten, nickel, iron, and carbon composing the rest of the material. The bezel is grade 5 titanium, as are the bridges and plates—Audemars Piguet showcased their finishing capabilities on the super-hard Grade 5 titanium plates and bridges of this watch.

The main attraction of this watch, other than its obvious size, is the movement, developed in concert with Audemars Piguet’s Skunk Works, Renaud & Papi. APRP was founded by Dominique Renaud and Giulio Papi as an external lab for movement development, and with this piece, they created a movement befitting the Concept Watch moniker.

The Concept Watch 1 includes a tourbillon that is sprung at the bridge, and a power reserve indicator complete with a dynamograph at the 12 o’clock position. The purpose of the dynamograph is to tell you when the mainspring is reaching the end of its power reserve and at what point you can no longer trust that the watch is keeping completely accurate time, an incredibly useful, yet difficult complication.

Concept Watch 1 pushed the boundaries of both watchmaking and materials. Its size and rugged nature would set a stage for future trends in the watch industry. It’s certainly a watch you could wear today, confident that you own a unique part of watchmaking history.

The Specs

Model: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Watch 1

Reference Number: 25980AI

Case Size + Material: 44mm case in Alacrite 602

Caseback: Exhibition caseback

Movement: Audemars Piguet Caliber 2896; manually-wound mechanical movement

Functions:  Hours, minutes, small seconds, 1 minute tourbillon, power reserve indicator, dynamograph

Strap/Bracelet: Technical fabric and leather strap with titanium deployant strap

Limited Edition: Collection limited to 50 pieces