Hands on: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Platinum Grain Dial

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“Tuscany” returns.

Audemars Piguet (AP) just unveiled its new collection for the year, and one of the highlights is a new version of the classic Royal Oak “Jumbo.” Recalling the rare “Tuscan” dials of thirty years ago, the white gold Royal Oak “Jumbo” ultra-thin watch has a grained blue dial.

initial thought
From a distance, the new “Jumbo” looks just like a normal Royal Oak, with its white metal case and blue dial. But in the hand, it is obviously different. It’s still slim and elegant thanks to the gold case and bracelet, but surprisingly hefty. Granted, the quintessential Royal Oak is a steel “Jumbo,” but the white gold case makes this feel even more refined and refined.

Then there’s the dial. With its grainy surface, it’s distinctly different from regular Royal Oak – and easily beautiful. The PVD treatment gives it a gorgeous metallic blue color that, combined with the texture, catches the light well.

While it’s not a limited edition, it feels special, mostly because it’s the only platinum “Jumbo” in the catalogue. There’s another white metal “Jumbo” in the collection — a platinum version exclusive to AP Houses — but its green dial feels a bit too stylish. However, this grainy blue dial feels more like a classic.

The standard steel “Jumbo” is already an excellent watch, combining the perfect proportions of the original Royal Oak with excellent calibration. 7121. This white-gold version is arguably even better, with its delicately patterned dial and shiny white-gold case – but at CHF 65,000. It’s a lot of money, but goes well with the “Jumbo” in rose gold or yellow gold, but this one is even more special considering the dial.

“Tuscany”
The grained dial is a departure from the petite guilloché that is synonymous with the Royal Oak, but the embossed dial has historical significance, stemming from the “Tuscan” dials found on some Royal Oak models from the 1980s and 90s.

Although the origin of the moniker has been lost to time, the “Tuscan” dial is said to be the result of hand polishing. Introduced in the early 80’s, the “Tuscany” dial first appeared on AP’s round classic perpetual calendars like ref. 25657, but is now best known as found in the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar like ref. 25820 for example. The dial also appears on the full platinum Royal Oak “Jumbo” ref. The 14802 Jubilee Edition was made exclusively for the model’s 30th anniversary.

Now AP has reproduced the “Tuscany” dial with modern technology. According to the Associated Press, the dial of the new “Jumbo” is stamped to create a “finer, brighter” texture, then PVD-treated to give it a rich blue hue, darker than the dial of the older “Tuscan” . The result is a dark blue grainy surface that shimmers at certain angles.

Other than the texture, the rest of the dial is standard “Jumbo,” with the AP logo printed below 12 o’clock and an applied badge at 6 o’clock. Like other current “Jumbo” models, the date dial on this watch complements the deep blue of the dial.

Historically, the “Tuscany” dial was most commonly found on the white metal models of the Royal Oak, but there were some gold models as well. Thus, the modern grained dial fits nicely into the white gold case. fake watches for sale

This is the only platinum Royal Oak “Jumbo” in the catalog, but is otherwise identical to other “Jumbo” references. 16202 models. The dimensions are classic “Jumbo”, extremely elegant: diameter 39 mm, height 8.1 mm. But the white gold case and bracelet give it a luxurious heft that the steel model doesn’t have, but without the ostentation of the yellow or rose gold models.

Inside is the calibrator. The 7121 debuted last year for the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary. It’s just as thin as its predecessor, but more user-friendly. Carl. The 7121 features a quick-set date, a 55-hour power reserve (longer given the thinness and size), and a full balance bridge for increased stability and shock resistance.

Like all Royal Oak models produced after 2023, the new ‘Jumbo’ features a 22k rose gold standard rotor, rather than the anniversary rotor found on watches made last year.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” ultra-thin
Ref. 16202BC.OO.1240BC.02

Diameter: 39mm
Height: 8.1mm
Material: 18k White Gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 meters

Movement: Cal. 7121
Functions: hours, minutes and date
Chain: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 55 hours

Strap: 18k white gold folding clasp

Chopard ALPINE EAGLE XL CHRONO 2022

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The Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono makes its debut in 2020. All three debut models feature a Raptor-themed dial, a case made of Lucent steel A223 and a state-of-the-art in-house Chopard caliber 03-05-C. Chopard initially offered steel bracelets and recently introduced two rubber straps. Looking at these latest styles, Angus Davies reflects on the extraordinary success of the Alpine Eagle collection.

The advent of the luxury sports watch
Until the 1970s, watches tended to be either formal or utilitarian items (such as dive watches or sports chronographs). In the 1970s, however, the lines between formal and casual wear, classic dress watches and utilitarian watches suddenly blurred.

The 1970s saw a new breed of sports watch capable of straddling the world of blazers and jeans. In addition, stainless steel has completed its studies in Switzerland and presents a noble temperament similar to precious metals such as gold and platinum.

Chopard St. Moritz
Recognizing the paradigm shift that was taking place at the time, Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele masterminded a new form of watch, the luxury sports best replica watches. In 1980, Geneva Maison launched St. Moritz, named after the high-end, glamorous Alpine resort.

The choice of the name was inspired by the fact that it evokes the idea of a stylish person who wears a ski suit by day and a tuxedo by night. Chopard St. Moritz watches are versatile and adapt to their surroundings.

The St. Moritz model was designed in keeping with Louis Sullivan’s “form follows function” philosophy. For example, the bezel is held in place by eight screws, which is also a style feature. Chopard is also “steel like gold”, the case is brushed and polished, the bracelet is integrated, and the movement includes automatic movement and quartz movement. The decision to make St. Moritz was a brave one. While rival companies have also released their interpretations of luxury sports watches, there’s no guarantee the genre will continue to be popular. Over time, people’s love for luxury sports watches has never waned.

ALPINE EAGLE – THE FIRST MODEL
In 2019, in consideration of St. Moritz and its remarkable success, Chopard released a new luxury sports watch “Alpine Eagle”. In this case, the Geneva brand was inspired by nature. It seeks to capture the majesty of eagles soaring above the Swiss Alps, taking advantage of thermals as they glide peacefully.

Chopard references these regal creatures with a number of aesthetic elements, including a dial that mimics the iris of an eagle and a seconds hand with an arrow-feather-like weight that mimics the feathers of an eagle.

Similar to the St. Moritz, the Alpine Eagle uses a combination of Roman numerals and simple batons to indicate the hours. Likewise, the bezel is again equipped with utility screws, and the bracelet is integrated into the case. And when it comes to the bracelet, Chopard has spent incredible effort creating an elegant way of integrating the watch with its wearer. Shortly after the first model was announced, I wrote two in-depth features on the Alpine Eagle, one of which was about the model’s modifications.

Both the case and bracelet are made of stainless steel, but Chopard did not settle for the usual 316L or 904L grades. Instead, the brand has teamed up with Voestalpine, an Austrian company that specializes in cutting-edge steel technology. After four years of research and development, a new generation of steel Lucent Steel A223 was born.

Made from 70% recycled steel, the new steel is similar to surgical stainless steel and therefore hypoallergenic. Lucent Steel A223 is 50% harder than regular stainless steel and less likely to scratch. In addition, its purer structure gives the metal its white appearance.

The first version of the Alpine Eagle came in two sizes, 36mm and 41mm. Both models are equipped with COSC-certified automatic movements manufactured in the company’s Fleurier Ebauches factory.

ALPINE EAGLE XL CHRONO 2020
A strong sign of a product’s success is the brand’s choice to extend a range of models. In 2020, after receiving a positive response to the first Alpine Eagle, Chopard cheap released the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono.

Wearers can choose between an Aletsch Blue dial or a Pitch Black dial, both paired with a Lucent Steel A223 case and matching bracelet. Additionally, a third model was released with the same jet-black dial, but this time it features a bi-metal case made of Lucent Steel A223 and 18-karat ethical rose gold. This luxurious combination extends to the bracelet and buckle, with precious metals being used exclusively for the bezel and crown.

Chopard 03.05-C
In addition to its attractive face and sculpted torso, the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is equipped with a remarkable movement, the Chopard 03-05-C. This self-winding chronograph movement is again produced in-house at the company’s Fleurier factory and has many features, including some very impressive patented technology.

The COSC-certified movement has a flyback function. For a normal chronograph, the stopwatch is started by pressing the pusher at 2 o’clock and stopped by pressing the same pusher again. To reset the register (return to zero), the wearer simply presses the pusher at 4 o’clock. Everything is very simple and logical. However, imagine if you needed to time consecutive events and suddenly the index numbers had to start, stop, reset, and start again very quickly. It’s a challenge for even the most dexterous of people.

A flyback chronograph takes the hassle out of timing consecutive events. It can be used like a traditional chronograph, but its flyback function provides additional convenience. Assuming the chronograph is running, the wearer simply presses the pusher at 4 o’clock and in the blink of an eye the chronograph is stopped, reset and starts from zero. The flyback function of this particular movement is patented and uses three rotating hammers with elastic arms to reset the counter to zero.

top luxury copy watches lovers will be pleased to hear that the Chopard 03-05-C is a fully integrated movement with column wheel and vertical coupler. This gives the putter a creamy smoothness. Furthermore, when the chronograph is activated, the central chronograph seconds hand begins its journey without hesitation or hesitation. In addition, Chopard has equipped the movement with a patented unidirectional transmission system that “prevents energy loss while ensuring rapid winding, a feature highly regarded in the inherently power-hungry chronograph category”.

The oscillating weight is partially skeletonized and made of tungsten. The balance beats at 28,800 vph (4Hz) and the movement has a power reserve of 60 hours.

ALPINE EAGLE XL CHRONO 2022
Earlier this year, Chopard launched two other Alpine Eagle XL Chrono watches at the Watches & Wonders show. Clearly, the success of the eagle-themed model shows no signs of abating.

Familiarity is the order of the day. The 44mm case is also made of Lucent Steel A223. Aletsch Blue and Pitch Black dials recreate performance, while the tried and trusted Chopard 03-05-C is on hand to offer another chronograph performance.

However, this year’s Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono ditches the elaborate bracelet found on previous models in favor of a color-coordinated blue and black strap. Each strap has a titanium insert and has a pin buckle made of Lucent Steel A223.

These differences may sound insignificant, but in fact, they give the Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono a completely different look. Arguably, these latest styles are more casual with a touch of sportiness that brings a little something new.

Throughout Chopard’s history, the company has considered the wants and needs of the watch-buying public, creating watches that meet those demands and inspire enthusiasm in the process. In fact, it was this careful attitude that led Karl-Friedrich Schaefer to conceive the St. Moritz watch at the age of 22. This previous model blends elegance with everyday versatility and practicality.

Alpine Eagle continues the St. Moritz legend and now attracts a new generation of brand advocates. The success of the inaugural Alpine Eagle and subsequent iterations of the Raptor-inspired model is evidence of this.

I can’t honestly say that I prefer a Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono with a steel or rubber strap, but, like all watch lovers, I’m certainly glad to have more options.

technical specifications
Model: Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono
Ref: 298609-3003 (Lucent Steel A223 with Aletsch Blue dial)
Ref: 298609-3004 (Lucent Steel A223 with jet black dial)
Case: Lucent Steel A223, diameter 44.0 mm, height 13.15 mm, sapphire crystal and display case back
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, semi-instantaneous date, stop-seconds, tachymeter, chronograph
Movement: Chopard 03.05-C, automatic, 28,800 vph (4Hz); 310 components; 45 jewels, 60-hour power reserve, certified chronometer (COSC)
Bracelet: Blue or black rubber strap with titanium inlays, Lucent Steel A223 pin buckle