Hands-on: Audemars Piguet's novelties for 2024

Text/photo: Mia Litström

Audemars Piguet has released several lovely novelties for 2024 and Eqotime has visited their AP House in Amsterdam where we got to look at some of their novelties. The novelties consist of a lovely spectrum of new Royal Oak´s but also an expansion of the Code 11.59 collection. So we cast off straight away and head into the timeless and extremely well-known world of Royal Oak´s.  

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 34 mm ref. 77450SR.OO.1361SR.03

We take them in order of size and start with the smallest. The trend of more petite sizes still holds where Audemars Piguet is now releasing a really smart Royal Oak in the size 34 mm in bicolour. Also a trend that has come back in a big way. The Royal Oak models are well known for being substantial but there are also smaller sizes and the company also has a solid history of making smaller models. The smallest today is at 33 mm and it has a quartz movement. The new one is 34 mm, height 8.8 mm, with an automatic movement. The dial is grey with the delicious Grande Tapisserie pattern. The combination of steel and rose gold is strikingly delicious with the model's distinct design form. 

The watch shows hours, minutes, seconds and date via a window at 3 o'clock. Hands and hour markers are also filled with luminescent material. The automatic movement is caliber 5800 which has 50 hrs of power reserve and the case is water resistant to 50 m. The grey dial and bicolour in steel and rose gold in particular make it elegant and timeless. And the bicolour version already exists with a white dial which is also beautiful, but with a grey dial it becomes more sophisticated and elegant. 

They will also launch a version in rose gold with a pink dial but it was unfortunately not on site for us to see. 

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding 37 mm ref. 15550BA.GG.1356BA.01

A cool novelty to get to see in reality is their Royal Oak Frosted Gold in the size 37 mm, height 9.1 mm. It is in yellow gold and has a special surface on both case and bracelet, named Frosted Gold. They have used the technique before and they achieve the surface by tapping the links with a small hammer and the result is really delicious where the watch from a distance looks sparkling as if it were diamond sprinkles. The approach is an older jeweller's technique that has been used on earlier Royal Oaks in yellow, rosé and white gold. The technique started to be used in the collection in 2016. New with this one is the warm tone on the dial, a golden colour with a strong sunburst effect.

So the whole is really cool, a warm tone to the yellow gold that makes it really special. The ”frosty” technique is cool and distinctive, you should however be careful with sensitive fabrics such as thin silk since the hammered surface is rough and can easily scratch or catch in delicate fabrics. The model has the automatic movement caliber 5900 which has a power reserve of 60 hrs. The case is water resistant to 50 m. 

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 37 mm, ref. 15551OR.ZS.D344CR.01 & 15551BC.ZZ.D405CR.01

Now we move on to the sparkling variants that are strewn with diamonds. Two versions, one in white gold and one in rose gold in the size 37 mm.

One of them stands out extra much with its lovely blue colour both on the dial and the bracelet. The case is in rose gold and on the case ring sit 40 brilliant-cut blue sapphires and on the rest of the watch there are 82 diamonds.

The other version, which is also in rose gold, with a green dial has a total of 122 beautiful diamonds. Both watches are in the size 37 mm with a height of 9 mm. Both have their Grande Tapisserie pattern on the dials. The watches are equipped with an automatic movement, caliber 5900 which has a power reserve of up to 60 hrs. They are also water resistant to 50 m. Both also have straps in alligator skin in a colour that matches the dial and the folding clasp is also smartly decorated with 42 diamonds. 

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ”Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked 39 mm ref. 16204BC.00.1240BC.01

A really cool novelty for the person who likes a skeletonised dial where you see the movement's full glory and the fun thing with it is also that it is thin, the automatic movement calibre 7124 has a thickness of only 2.7 mm, so the height of this watch is only 8.1 mm. In addition the diameter of the case is only 39 mm. Most often this type of watch can be quite large but this one has an ”openworked” dial in a smaller size and is in addition thin which makes it comfortable to wear. The delicious thing is also that it is entirely in white gold, both case and bracelet, which makes it extra cool. The power reserve is at 57 hrs and this one water resistant to 50 m.  

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 41 mm ref. 26240BA.OO.1320BA.02

This is a really beefy flyback chronograph entirely in yellow gold. And it also has a beautiful warm tone with a golden dial with a ”smoke effect” with the classic Grande Tapisserie pattern. The size is 41 mm, the height is 12.4 mm and the heart is an automatic movement calibre 4401 which has a power reserve of 70 hrs and is water resistant to 50 m. So this is the watch for the person who loves a beefy chronograph in yellow gold. Historically the first Royal Oak model in yellow gold from 1977 (ref. 8638) was intended for women and designed by Jacqueline Dimier – then head of the design department and creator of the women's Royal Oak that was launched in 1976. 

At that time the demand for models in yellow gold was growing and both the “Jumbo” model of the Royal Oak (ref. 5402) and the “Royal Oak III” in 35 mm (ref. 4100) were also made in yellow gold. But later in the 200s the rose gold took over, but now once again the yellow gold has become popular.

Audemars Piguet Code 11.59

Five years after the first launch of the Code 11.59 they are now launching seven new versions in rose gold in the sizes 38 mm and 41 mm. The two smaller ones in the size 38 mm were unfortunately not on site but they come with a light blue or dark blue dial. In the larger size there are two variants with date display at 3 o'clock in the colours green and blue. And the last are three are chronographs in the colours green, blue and black where the black one is something quite special since the combination of black and rose gold is really delicious.

The chronographs have an automatic movement with a flyback function, Caliber 4401 with a power reserve of 70 hrs. The case's height is 12.6 mm and the water resistance is at 30 m. The simpler variant in the size 41 mm with date display has the automatic movement calibre 4302 with a power reserve of 70 hrs and it is water resistant to 30 m. The smallest has an automatic movement calibre 5900 which has a power reserve of 60 hrs. All are water resistant to 30 m. 

Read more about the novelties at Audemars Piguet