The Fake Royal Oak was designed by now-legendary watch designer Gerald Genta in 1971. It shot to super-stardom over the years and was released in many different variations and references continuously from then until now. The watch has always been known for it’s sporty octagonal case shape, substantial link bracelet, and grande tapisserie dial.
First thing’s first, this watch was created to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the first ladies’ Royal Oak designed by Jacqueline Dimier in 1976. It was a pretty big deal at the time because most women’s watches weren’t that sporty and Dimier’s design was true to the men’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Replica Watches but with some slight changes to size and aesthetics.
A similar approach was taken for the new Frosted Gold pieces. Luxury Audemars Piguet Watches partnered with Florentine jeweler Carolina Bucci to collaborate on this anniversary piece. Bucci is known for her bold jewelry pieces that often have a hammered finish. This process is call the Florentine Technique and it involves a diamond-tipped, needle-like tool that hammers into the surface of gold, creating tiny facets. This allows for an almost diamond-like appearance that shimmers and is rough to the touch.
For the Audemars Piguet Replica Swiss Movement, the Florentine Technique was applied to the surface of the entire watch. The prototypes were all done by hand to create the right finish and the process took over a year to perfect. However it should be noted that the collection will be frosted by a machine that mimics the technique with additional elements finished by hand. Creating the prototype and the final product was quite a challenge, as the technique is applied to the entire case, each bracelet link, and the bezel, to create a seamless look. And boy is it a look.
Both the white and rose gold models feature the grande tapisserie dials, with rhodium-toned and silvered finishes respectively. Each feature a small date aperture at three o’clock and both have center seconds too. The indexes are thin and elongated and add a nice balance to the Audemars Piguet Replica Watches dial. The only thing that bugs me is the floating “Swiss Made” at the base of the dial – why can’t it just be a little lower? But that’s really the only thing that bothers me, which is saying something here.
