A minimalist collaboration from the designer’s own collection.
Four new timepieces for the Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore have been released, including a unique piece that forms part of this latest collaboration. Made in a mix of gold, white gold and two-tone, all pieces feature the Audemars Piguet and Matthew Williams own brand 1017 ALYX 9SM logo on the dial and rotor.
initial thoughts
It’s great to see a collaboration like this happen. When Matthew Williams, with his fashion and design pedigree, enters the world of watches, it is always worth keeping an eye out, as they are bound to bring a fresh and unique perspective. Here, however, he appears to have simply taken designs he had previously made at MAD Paris and asked Audemars Piguet to make them. The only visual difference is that the original had a round brushed dial whereas these are vertical brushed dials.
While the diversity of case sizes and metals is appreciated, it’s clear that the designs are not original, with the only real difference perhaps being that the date window has been removed from the standard Royal Oak.
The Royal Oak Chronograph and Royal Oak Offshore Chronographs share the same aesthetic treatment that is pleasing to the eye and makes for a cohesive collection. With its two-tone case and dark PVD-coated dial, this unique piece offers a pleasing contrast and looks just right for streetwear maverick Williams.
No price has yet been revealed for the pieces, nor how many will be produced. All we know for sure is that they’re hard to come by for all but the brand’s top customers.
street smart
Releasing five new models at once for a limited time is an unusual move for Audemars Piguet. All five dials feature a vertical brushed, minimal dial with no markings. Each dial bears the Audemars Piguet and 1017 ALYX 9SM branding, as does the movement rotor. Everything else is as you’d expect from the original model.
Starting with two Royal Oak models, a chronograph-only watch. 15550BA in yellow gold with matching dial. The main difference from the standard model is the absence of the date window, in fact the date function is said to have been completely removed from the movement rather than just covered by a solid dial. The movement is a self-winding movement. The 5909 fits into a case that is 37mm wide and 9.1mm thick.
The Royal Oak Chronograph is a variant of ref. 26240BA is made of all gold, and its appearance matches the pure chronograph version. Likewise, the date window is gone, and there are no markers to read the time or chronograph functions. It’s slightly oversized at 41mm in diameter and 12.4mm deep, and it comes with an auto-calibration feature. 4409 inside. https://www.moon-watch.co
Moving on to the two Offshore models, the only difference between the two is the case metal, one being white gold and the other yellow. They have a distinctive Offshore style for the case, buttons, and strap, but unlike the other two, they retain the date window. Run off calibration. 4404, slightly larger in size than the Royal Oak Chronograph, at 42 mm wide and 15.2 mm thick.
Finally, this unique piece comes in two-tone – gold and stainless steel – Royal Oak Chronograph. Dimensions and functions are the same as the limited edition, but the gold dial is treated with a black PVD coating and all text and hands are in gold for a good contrast. The single watch will be auctioned off at the launch event in Tokyo to help raise funds to support charities that educate and entertain disadvantaged children.
Overall, the design influence Williams has created is palpable, and Audemars Piguet’s trust in him spreads across four limited editions and one unique piece.
Audemars Piguet x 1017 ALYX 9SM Royal Oak Automatic Ref. 15550BA.OO.1356BA.02
Diameter: 37mm Height: 9.1mm Material: Yellow Gold Crystal: Sapphire Water Resistance: 50 m
Movement: Cal. 5909 Functions: Hours and minutes Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) Power reserve: 60 hours
Strap: matching bracelet
Audemars Piguet x 1017 ALYX 9SM Royal Oak Automatic Chronograph Ref. 26240BA.OO.1320BA.01
Diameter: 41 mm Height: 12.4 mm Material: Yellow Gold Crystal: Sapphire Water Resistance: 50 m
Movement: Cal. 4409 Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds and flyback Chronograph Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) Power reserve: 70 hours
Audemars Piguet x 1017 ALYX 9SM Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Ref. 26238BC.OO.2000BC.01
Diameter: 42 mm Height: 15.2 mm Material: Platinum Crystal: Sapphire Water resistance: 50 m
Movement: Cal. 4404 Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds and flyback Chronograph Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) Power reserve: 70 hours
Strap: matching bracelet
Audemars Piguet x 1017 ALYX 9SM Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Ref. 26238BA.OO.2000BA.01
Diameter: 42 mm Height: 15.2 mm Material: Yellow Gold Crystal: Sapphire Water Resistance: 50 m
Movement: Cal. 4404 Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds and flyback Chronograph Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) Power reserve: 70 hours
Strap: matching bracelet
Audemars Piguet x 1017 ALYX 9SM Royal Oak Automatic Chronograph Ref. 26240SA.OO.1320SA.01
Diameter: 41 mm Height: 12.4 mm Material: Gold and stainless steel Crystal: Sapphire Water resistance: 50 m
Movement: Cal. 4409 Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds and flyback Chronograph Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) Power reserve: 70 hours
Strap: matching bracelet
