SimplyAbuDhabi XLII

small secondscounterat6o’clockdecoratedwithasnailingfinishing.Thefirst versioniscomplementedwithwhitegoldhour-markersfilledwithluminescent coating, while the second model features 13 baguette-cut diamond hour- markers for a shimmering contrast. Bothmodels are adorned with white gold Royal Oak hands filled with luminescent coating for optimum legibility. The white gold details illuminating the dial echo the eight white gold hexagonal screws securing theoctagonal bezel onto the case. Each timepiece is completedwithablackrubber strapenhancedwith titanium studs andanewthree-bladeAP foldingclaspalsocrafted in titanium. Whenceramicmeets acousticperformance Astonishing mechanical complexity and aesthetic details merge in these Royal Oak Minute Repeater Supersonnerie models. The two timepieces are equipped with the Manufacture’s latest hand-wound minute repeater movement, the patented Calibre 2953, which blends advanced technology with refined traditional finishing. Despite ceramic’s limited sound conductivity, the two timepieces present a remarkable acoustic performance thanks to the Manufacture’s Supersonnerie technology. This patented technology results from eight years of research in collaboration with EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. Inspired by the sonic power of older minute repeater watches as well as by the harmony of musical instruments, a dedicated community of watchmakers, technicians, academics and musicians reviewed the case construction to produce a new chiming technology. Acontemporary tribute to thepast Since its establishment in 1875, Audemars Piguet has specialised in chiming mechanisms and crafted complex Grande Sonnerie, Petite Sonnerie andMinute Repeatermechanisms ever since. Records show that more than half of the 1625 watches produced between 1882 and 1892 included a chimingmechanism. This achievement can be attributed to the remarkable skills of the craftspeople working for the Manufacture across dozens of workshops in the Vallée de Joux. While the production of chiming watches never stopped at Audemars Piguet, the creation of chiming wristwatches was rare through most of the 20 th century. Between 1892 and 1957, the Manufacture created 35 minute repeater wristwatches. By the 1960s, chiming mechanisms were exclusively featured in pocket watches. Chiming wristwatches made their comeback at Audemars Piguet in the 1990s, following the revival of other classiccomplications in theaftermathof thequartzcrisis.Minute repeating mechanisms debuted in the Royal Oak collection in 1997 with the launch of the first RoyalOakGrandeComplicationwhichpairedminute repeater, perpetual calendar and split-seconds chronograph. Introduced in 2015 on a Royal Oak Concept, the Supersonnerie technology made its way into the Royal Oak collection in 2019 with a Minute Repeater Supersonnerie model fully crafted in titanium. Subsequent versions executed in titanium, platinum or a combination of the twomaterials followed. Today, Audemars Piguet continues topush the limits of watchmakingwith its interweaving of ancestral savoir-faire, state-of-the-art technology and uncompromising design as represented by these simply incredible black ceramic Royal OakMinute Repeater Supersonnerie timepieces. Simply Abu Dhabi | 183