TIME FOR COUTURE: If you think wearing a watch with one’s couture isn’t done, Audemars Piguet and Tamara Ralph are about to change your mind.
The Swiss watchmaker and couture designer unveiled a limited-edition Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon alongside Ralph’s spring 2024 couture collection on Monday.
Ilaria Resta, Audemars Piguet’s chief executive officer, expressed delight at kicking of the year with “such an inspiring woman,” noting that Ralph’s “endless quest for perfection perfectly echoes our watchmakers’ dedication to pushing their craft to the limit.”
Ralph said she intended to capture the spirit and craftsmanship at play in watchmaking and her brand in this design, which will be limited to 102 pieces.
“The complications of watchmaking orchestrate a foundation which can be played with in terms of textures, colors and designs, allowing for the savoir-faire of couture to shine through,” she said.
Based on the 38.5-mm Royal Oak Concept for women that joined Audemars Piguet’s offer in 2018, the Tamara Ralph edition is “the feminine expression par excellence of the flying tourbillon,” according to watchmaker’s head of complications Anne-Gaëlle Quinet.
Its case was given a frosted gold effect, adapted from an ancient Florentine jewelry technique where tiny indentations are created on the surface to create a sparkle effect similar to that of gemstones.
Inspired by Ralph’s knack for textured detailing, the multi-layer dial is composed of four overlapping circular pink gold plates in graduated hues.
This impression continues in the design of the cage, featuring a decentered disk set with 19 minute diamonds. Hour indicators have been left off to further streamline the design.
The watchmaker and designer first started working together in 2020, when Audemars Piguet models were paired with Ralph’s spring 2021 designs.
