Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar by Audemars Piguet

Yes, the Royal Oak is a cash cow (no jokes about Swiss Made cows here) for Audemars Piguet. It is the kind of animal any watch brand would love to have in their stable. The model and its Offshore descendants have been offered in various sizes and materials and played host to numerous complications, subject to the whims and fancies of those fine watchmakers in Le Brassus. Its cult status is beyond dispute.

The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is regarded by many as the go-to choice if they were to only choose one Audemars Piguet watch. What’s not to like about a watch with an iconic design, a respected complication and practical wearability? The latest size introduced not more than two years ago, is moderate too, at 41 millimetres. Potential buyers previously had only the choices of stainless steel or gold, but now a black ceramic option is introduced, priced somewhere in between those options.

Adding to the delight, the watch is paired with a full ceramic bracelet so it is better prepared for the tropics or outdoors than if it were to come with a leather strap. According to Audemars Piguet, producing, polishing and assembling this ceramic bracelet requires five times more man-hours than a regular one in stainless steel.

The Grande Tapisserie dial is in a very dark slate grey, while the sub-dials are sunken and even darker for enhanced legibility. A central hand points to the number of weeks in the year on the dial flange. Although this is used on a more regional than the global basis, it is a very good reminder of how much time we have left in the current year. It should also be noted that the graphical moon phase is the high accuracy sort, requiring one correction in just about 126 years.

At the heart of all the functions is the extra-thin automatic Calibre 5134. It is only 4.31 millimetres thick, thanks to the clever design where the outer radius of the rotor sinks into the recess around the periphery of the movement. A clear view of this is afforded by the sapphire case back.

Comparing this ceramic version with steel or gold is a futile exercise. There is a right watch for everyone and the right person to pick yours is you. That is all we have to say about that.

Specifications

Movement Self-winding Calibre 5134

Power Reserve Minimum 40-hour

Case 41-millimetre black ceramic

Water Resistance Up to 50 metres

Strap Black ceramic bracelet with titanium folding clasp

Price SGD 131,600

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