Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo”  Extra-Thin 16202XT Combines Titanium & Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG)

Audemars Piguet are bringing one of their most experimental concepts to their regular collection with the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Burgundy 16202XT.OO.1240XT.01 in titanium and bulk metallic glass (BMG). BMG is a rare material in general and even rarer in watchmaking, AP’s first and only use of the non-crystalline glass material came in 2021 with the 39mm Jumbo Extra-Thin piece unique. This is the first time ever that it’s been used in a standard range of watches.

The case is more or less identical to that original Only Watch piece, which means a 39mm diameter design in titanium with a BMG bezel and caseback as well as an integrated titanium bracelet featuring polished BMG studs. If you’re unfamiliar with BMG (and I wouldn’t blame you) think of it as a metallic alloy that is rapidly cooled in such a way that it has many of the properties of glass, namely hardness, reflectiveness and elasticity. These properties make it durable, shiny and possible to shape into the signature octagon of the RO.

Audemars Piguet actually co-developed their own version of the material using palladium to create an even more impressive brilliance. It makes for a striking contrast to the brushed titanium surfaces. Equally striking is the dial, which features a dramatic red fumé gradient similar in smokiness to 2021’s Jumbo Extra-Thin with green gradient dial.

Under the red surface of the dial and visible through the exhibition caseback is the Calibre 7121 with Côtes de Genève finishing, a calibre released in 2022. It’s a time-and-date model with a 55-hour power reserve and that measures 3.2mm in thickness, allowing for the extra-thin case which is itself only 8.1mm.

It’s tough to gauge how much of stir the new watch will cause. On the surface level it’s the latest generation of one of AP’s most popular watches in history, so it should have collectors excited. The Royal Oak Jumbo is an icon and the extra-thin is perhaps one of its most quintessential modern expressions. However, it also feels difficult to get majorly excited about something so technical as bulk metallic glass. It likely comes down to value – which is also tough to gauge, since it’s price on request.