Audemars Piguet are clearly in collaboration season because hot on the heels of their dramatic partnership with Swatch comes a collaboration with the creative team behind the popular Japanese fashion label AMBUSH: Yoon and Verbal. There’s something amusing about the contrast between the two because where the Swatch collab is the most accessible AP design ever, the new collaboration is highly exclusive. It’s the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon Yoon and Verbal edition.
Cutting straight to the chase, the watch measures 38.5mm in diameter with a thickness of 11.4mm, which makes it significantly smaller than the existing and previous Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon models. The collection is predominantly 42mm or larger with thicknesses around 15mm. As such, the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon Yoon and Verbal is arguably the first properly unisex concept tourbillon model. It’s also made from titanium making it nice and lightweight too.
For the dial, they’ve used a partially openworked design. The main portion of the display is made from black aventurine but there’s a large crack style opening (reminding me of the Fiona Krüger Fracture) that reveals the inner workings of the movement below, such as the power barrel at 11 o’clock. The titular flying tourbillon is also on display with an anodised red rotating cage that catches the eye. It’s the first time AP have executed a tourbillon with this style of coloured finish, which is why it’s appropriate for the Concept series. The central hands are also coloured, but this time black over a white gold base.
Powering the piece is the calibre 2982, a manual-winding movement with a 72-hour power reserve. It operates at a 3 Hz frequency, which is a very interesting figure in modern horology. Currently the norm is 4 Hz with hi-beat movements reaching 5 Hz, which means 3 Hz is actually a little bit low. However, 3 Hz is regarded as the most aesthetically pleasing of the beat rates because you can actually see the motion of the balance spring in action instead of it being too fast for the eye. Hence, a lot of high end and independent watchmakers still prefer to work at 3 Hz.
For straps, it comes with both a black and a red rubber strap featuring a micro-mosaic pattern. It’s the first model at 38.5mm to feature AP’s interchangeable strap system, making it easier than ever to personalise your timepiece. As a Concept model it’s price on request and is available in a limited edition of 150 pieces. It’s not my favourite Royal Oak Concept model to date but I appreciate the smaller sizing and the ideas it explores such as the stylised openworking.
Price and Specs:
More details at Audemars Piguet.
