Any Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is liable to catch some coveting gazes, but few do so quite like the newly launched blue-on-blue Perpetual Calendar.
The storied Swiss watchmaker with nearly 150 years of history sought to “bestow the timepieces with an air of starlit sky” by constructing the hefty 41mm case and bracelet entirely from blue ceramic. This celestial theme is continued with an application of glittering 18K white gold on the indices and hands.
According to Robb Report, the vivid hue is created by mixing Zirconium Oxide powder with binder content that turns blue when baked at over 2,550 degrees Fahrenheit. The ceramic is finished just as a precious metal would be, satin-brushed and chamfered by hand.
A darker blue appears on the inner bezel and the dial’s “Grande Tapisserie”—the intermediate size of AP’s hallmark Tapisserie pattern of tiny squares.
Powering the hands is the wafer-thin 4.5mm Calibre 5134 movement found in all current Royal Oak Perpetual Calendars, which will display the date even in a leap year so long as it’s wound regularly.
Pricing for the blue ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is available upon request from Audemars Piguet’s website.