Audemars Piguet’s New Watches for 2023 Include a Turquoise Royal Oak

Last year Audemars Piguet was celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Royal Oak, which meant their early 2022 launches were somewhat obliged to be classic tributes to the design. This year, they have no such theme driving their release slate and as such, Audemars Piguet’s new watches for 2023 are a real smorgasbord of styles and concepts. From a tiffany-coloured Royal Oak to a full ceramic Offshore and steel Code 11.59s, let’s get into it.

Royal Oak Selfwinding 37mm Yellow Gold Turquoise Dial

Who started watchmaking’s current turquoise trend? Rolex introduced their tiffany blue Oyster Perpetual in 2020 but it wasn’t until December 2021 and the Patek Philippe Nautilus Tiffany that the rest of the watch world really started to pay attention. Whichever way you slice it, Audemars Piguet are late to the turquoise train with the new 37mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Yellow Gold and Turquoise.

However, that’s not to say that the watch doesn’t have any merit because it does do some interesting things from a style point of view. For one, the combination of the pale blue dial with a yellow gold case is very uncommon. This kind of blue typically features in steel or white gold watches because the cold tones complement each other, here there’s a contrast between the cold dial and warm gold.

On top of that, this isn’t just a dial painted blue, it’s made from actual turquoise stone, which is why there’s a natural rock vein pattern faintly visible. Between the contrasting tones and the precious stone dial, the watch has a faint Aztec jewellery aesthetic that feels unique in Swiss watchmaking.

Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph Black Ceramic

The Royal Oak Offshore, the robust diving version of the RO, was first introduced in 1993, making 2023 the collection’s 30^th anniversary. Considering how large the celebrations of the Royal Oak’s 50^th anniversary were last year, it’s somewhat surprising there’s no hint of celebration here, not so much as a mention in the watch’s name or a commemorative rotor.

Instead, it introduces a full black ceramic case to the Offshore for the first time. Ceramic is an incredibly durable and scratch resistant material, ideal for a diving watch where bumps and scrapes are inevitable. The broad surfaces of the RO also highlight the material’s smoothness and the new, inky black colourway. Although, some definition has been maintained by using white gold decorative screws and white Arabic numerals across the chronograph’s various subdials.

Royal Oak Extra-Thin “Jumbo” Blue Grained Dial

Following on from last year’s “Jumbo” releases, Audemars Piguet have launched a new limited edition version that will be a boutique exclusive. It has a 39mm diameter case in white gold housing the Calibre 7121, which was introduced last year. However, what’s more interesting is the dial featuring a dark blue colouration and a grained texture. AP have been experimenting with texture quite a lot recently with watches like the dimpled dial tourbillon, exploring alternatives to their signature Tapisserie motif.

However, grained dials have a history in the Royal Oak collection dating back to 1992 and the 20^th anniversary edition in platinum. For this version, they’ve revised their grained dial technique to create a finer, brighter style using PVD and a translucent coating that enhances the way light interacts with the dial to accentuate the relief and brilliance.

Code 11.59 Stainless Steel Collection

Alongside the three new Royal Oaks, Audemars Piguet’s new watches for 2023 include six new Code 11.59 references. It’s the first time that they’ve ever been presented in stainless steel, which is a major shift for the range. Traditionally the Code 11.59 has rode a line between haute horology and extraordinary decorative designs, hence a predilection towards gold and high tech material cases. Steel is quite the change of pace.

The new collection consists of three time and date watches and three chronographs, one each in blue, khaki and green. They also feature a brand new dial pattern made of concentric circles that gives the pieces a ripple aesthetic. In addition to these new releases, AP have expanded several collections with alternative colourways and haute jewellery editions, you can check out the full range at their website.