E  meralds, rubies and sapphires aren’t sufficient to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Royal Oak. Thus, Audemars Piguet included seven different treasured stones not often seen in Haute Horlogerie for commemorative timepieces.

Tanzanite, yellow chrysoberyl, pink tourmaline, orange spessartite and tsavorite variations of Royal Oak Selfwinding 37mm.

As a substitute of iridescent colors on one single watch, the Swiss model evokes the rainbow via 10 Royal Oak Selfwinding timepieces, sized at 41mm, and every embellished with gems in a vivid purple, yellow, inexperienced, blue, purple, pink or orange hue.

The milestone is definitely celebrated with a double rainbow, as there is a second set of 10 smaller high-jewellery fashions with a diameter of 37mm.

The colors of the rainbow are represented by emeralds, rubies, blue sapphires, tanzanites, yellow chrysoberyls, pink tourmalines, amethysts, blue topaz, orange spessartites and tsavorites.

The gems shimmer as a harmonious and expressive rainbow when the ten watches in every set are positioned facet by facet.

“We chosen among the world’s purest and most vivid stones, and the problem was to search out 800 gems per watch, all with the very same color and the very best degree of high quality,” mentioned Nathalie Barzilay, Audemars Piguet’s head gemmologist.

Yellow chrysoberyl.

The sourcing of the right stones took roughly a yr. After the provider’s rigorous choice, a further examine was carried out at Audemars Piguet to make sure homogeneity amongst the colored gems chosen per watch. Lastly, the purity and pure origin of every stone had been then verified by an exterior laboratory.

With every gem being distinctive, the design, improvement, manufacturing and hand-setting had been adjusted in keeping with its typology, hardness and particular properties.

The rainbow venture known as for one more collaboration with Salanitro, who labored on Audemars Piguet’s first high-jewellery Diamond Trilogy in 2013 and Sapphire Orbe in 2019.

Primarily based in Le Brassus since 1875, Audemars Piguet is the oldest high quality watchmaking firm nonetheless within the palms of its founding households. Based in 1990, Salanitro is initially recognized for its gem setting however has now expanded its experience to a full vary of expertise in crafting watches.

To match the structure of the Royal Oak case, bracelet and dial, the gems had been individually minimize into baguettes of 179 totally different sizes for the 41mm watches and 153 sizes for the 37mm variations, earlier than being polished by hand to realize sharp and clear angles.

Pink tourmaline.

The standard of the minimize is as essential because the inherent high quality and readability. The custom-cut baguettes not solely have to be eye clear (no seen inclusion by the bare eye), their strains and stepped aspects should be completely symmetrical and aligned to let the sunshine shine via and emphasise the stone’s purity and transparency.

The closed setting method was used on the bezel, studs and crown, whereas on the dial and bracelet hyperlinks, the fantastic thing about the stones is enhanced by an invisible gem setting.

Tiny grooves had been delicately incised within the baguette-cut stones, which had been then fastidiously snapped one after the other right into a hidden rail mounted within the gold part, giving the impression that they’re holding on their very own. The complexity additionally included reaching flawless alignment between the totally different stones as soon as set.

Audemars Piguet and Salanitro labored hand in hand via all phases of manufacturing, whereas retaining the aesthetic codes and making certain water resistance, reliability, robustness and repairability.

The 37mm and 41mm white gold references are respectively geared up with calibres 5909 and 4309 that includes the “50-years” oscillating weight crafted in rhodium-toned pink gold.

Constructing on Audemars Piguet’s legacy of high-jewellery watches, the 2 units of Royal Oak Selfwinding collectively reinterpret the rainbow. But every timepiece additionally tells its personal story of the devoted treasured stone.

Orange spessartite.

Tsavorite.