PRESERVING NATURE’S JEWEL

CELEBRATING AN ICON

Audemars Piguet unveils the new Royal Oak RD#3 to celebrate the iconic 50th anniversary

Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet proudly unveils its latest research and development breakthrough (RD#3) with the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin.

This 39 mm stainless steel anniversary model, measuring 8.1 mm in thickness, represents the first “Jumbo” in history to be equipped with a self-winding flying tourbillon. It is powered by the Manufacture’s new self-winding ultra-thin flying tourbillon movement, Calibre 2968, measuring just 3.4 mm thick and adorned with a novel combination of traditional and contemporary handcrafted decorations.

Audemars Piguet’s watchmakers have met several technical challenges to bring this timepiece to life, while devoting particular attention to aesthetic details. Pushing the boundaries of feasibility, this model will be complemented in September by a second 37 mm version for the slimmer wrists, enriched with a dial of a different hue.

A NEW ULTRA-THIN FLYING TOURBILLON MOVEMENT

At the heart of this new innovation is Calibre 2968, an ultra-thin selfwinding flying tourbillon movement that was developed over a five-year period. Audemars Piguet’s engineers and watchmakers took on numerous challenges in order to accommodate this complication – previously reserved for 41 mm diameters – into the smaller volume of a “Jumbo:” a first for the Manufacture and one of the rare examples in the watch industry as a whole. Given the extrathin nature of the form language, this self-winding flying tourbillon had to be creatively rethought to reduce the thickness required to house this complication by repositioning certain components. The tourbillon cage, which is crafted in titanium, is notably equipped for the first time with a peripheral drive. The combination of these two elements not only makes the distribution of energy to the tourbillon more fluid, but also served to lighten and refine this regulating organ.

Providing optimum visibility of the tourbillon and the movement, Audemars Piguet engineers completely redesigned the architecture of the mechanism. The Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin features a new escapement to accentuate the aesthetic details while revealing part of the movement’s workings. The geometry and positioning of the balance wheel arms have notably been revised in such a way as to make the watch’s beating heart even more perceptible. The technical design of the movement results in the flying tourbillon being placed at the dial level, for a greater visual experience.

The hand decoration of the movement components, visible through the sapphire caseback, combines the dynamism and classicism of V-angles with the modernity of traits tirés – a finish that appears on the mainplate and bridges and replaces the traditional Côtes de Genève. The openworked, rhodium-toned bridges offer an unobstructed view, contrasting with the pink-gold-toned colour of certain mechanism elements.

A REFINED AND SLENDER DESIGN

The new RD#3 remains true to the aesthetic codes of the iconic “Jumbo” models. The stainless steel case and bracelet feature the collection’s signature satin-brushed and polished hand finishes, while the timepiece is graced with a Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 Petite Tapisserie dial which pays tribute to the original model. The colour is obtained using a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) process that guarantees a uniform and lasting tone across all the dials.

Just as on the 1972 model, this new “Jumbo” reference is distinguished by bathtub-shaped hour-markers and hands filled with luminescent material to ensure optimal readability in the dark. The Audemars Piguet signature, like the minute track, is printed in white on the Tapisserie motif. The titanium flying tourbillon cage rotating at 6 o’clock stands out against the blue Tapisserie backdrop to create an airy effect.

Contrary to the original model, the contemporary version is endowed with a sapphire caseback, which reveals the new ultrathin movement and the dedicated oscillating weight.

A DEDICATED “50-YEARS” OSCILLATING WEIGHT

The Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Extra-Thin features a central oscillating weight mounted on ball bearings and equipped with two reversers that ensure bidirectional winding. The timepiece is fitted with the dedicated anniversary openworked oscillating weight in rhodium-toned 22-carat pink gold, which bears the “50-years” logo and the Audemars Piguet signature engraved on its surface. Matching the tones of the stainless-steel case and bracelet, it is also adorned with the collection’s trademark polished and satin-brushed finishes.

BLANCPAIN AND BIOPIXEL:

PRESERVING THE HEART OF THE OCEAN

Since the 1953 launch of the first modern diver’s watch, Fifty Fathoms, Blancpain has made ocean discovery and protection a priority. In line with this commitment, the Brand is announcing a new partnership with Biopixel Oceans Foundation and Biopixel. The aim of this collaboration is to support scientific research, propose innovative restoration solutions and raise public awareness of the need to preserve one of nature’s jewels: the Great Barrier Reef.

Through its Blancpain Ocean Commitment initiative, Blancpain has been contributing for several years to the development of concrete and tangible advances in the protection of the underwater world. In addition to its many existing partnerships, the Brand has decided to join forces with the Australian Biopixel Oceans Foundation and the multimedia production company Biopixel, specialising in ocean research and exploration.

Blancpain supports Biopixel’s activities in two ways: scientific research to learn more about certain species and impact conservation decisions; and production of a series of films focusing on personalities who dedicate their lives to protecting and saving the Great Barrier Reef. Through science, innovative technology and sustainable practices of projects including coral restoration, habitat management, animal rehabilitation and megafauna research, this multi-disciplinary project stems from Biopixel’s close collaboration with Blancpain, Australian authorities and universities, as well as local communities such as the traditional owners who have held deep cultural ties with the Great Barrier Reef for centuries.

Biopixel Oceans Foundation’s scientific research, led by marine

Biopixel Oceans Foundation and Biopixel

Biopixel Oceans Foundation facilitates and undertakes scientific research, exploration and education, to raise awareness for the underwater world. In partnership with leading academic institutions, and other NGO’s, Biopixel and the Biopixel Oceans Foundation support numerous reef restoration and other marine environmental projects and provide footage and scientific information to influence conservation decisions, improve knowledge of under-researched species and instil a passion for the oceans in younger generations.

Biopixel is an Australian film company specialising in nature and animal behaviour sequences, particularly of aquatic life. Founded in 2013 by Richard Fitzpatrick and Bevan Slattery, Biopixel was born of a shared passion for technology, diving, nature and the great outdoors. In partnership with James Cook University in Cairns, Biopixel operates one of the largest underwater filming facilities in the world. The company’s clients include world-renowned media outlets such as the Netflix, BBC, National Geographic, ARTE and Discovery Channel. biologists Richard Fitzpatrick and Dr. Adam Barnett, seeks to analyse the movements of marine animals such as sharks and manta rays, between protected areas and endangered zones and to study the behaviour of sharks and marine life with human interactions. The public can track several of these animals online in real time and observe their journey across the Great Barrier Reef, such as the two Whale sharks affectionately named Blancpain & Fifty Fathoms. Since 2019, several research expeditions have been conducted, to gather robust information on the movement behaviour, migrations and habitat use of various species over time.

In parallel to the foundation›s research activities, Biopixel produces captivating footage in high definition (8K) enabling the public to discover the beauty of marine ecosystems and understand the importance of protecting them. Each episode will be built around spectacular underwater footage telling the story of scientific and ground-breaking research. The series is set to be launched in the last quarter of 2022.

The aim of the collaboration between Blancpain and the Biopixel Group is to contribute to the health and survival of the Great Barrier Reef.

Blancpain Ocean Commitment (BOC)

Exploring and preserving the world’s oceans is core to Blancpain. Throughout the nearly 70-year history of the Fifty Fathoms – the world’s first modern diving watch – Blancpain has woven close ties with the explorers, photographers, scientists, and environmentalists who treasure these precious resources. These affinities have inspired the Brand to support important activities and initiatives dedicated to the oceans.

In recent years, the Blancpain Ocean Commitment (BOC) has invested in oceanographic initiatives and partnerships with leading institutions, such as the Pristine Seas expeditions, Laurent Ballesta’s Gombessa project, the World Ocean Initiative organised by The Economist, and World Oceans Day, which takes place every year at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

To date, all these activities in support of exploring and preserving the oceans, undertaken with great passion by Blancpain, have led to tangible results, and made a significant contribution in extending the surface area of marine protected areas around the world, with the addition of more than four million square kilometres.