AUDEMARS PIGUET LAUNCHES COLLABORATION WITH YOON AND VERBAL
Following up on the success of the Royal Pop collaboration with Swatch, Audemars Piguet has just revealed their latest Royal Oak iteration in celebration of the iconic pillar of their watch manufacturing legacy. In a new collaboration with Tokyo-based duo style Yoon and rapper Verbal, Audemars Piguet has launched its newest Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon, which merges bold yet minimalist design choices to create a futuristic vision of the brand’s aesthetic. Inspired by the duo’s affluence across music and fashion, the piece brings style and creativity to the forefront of the Audemars Piguet look, whilst maintaining uncompromised craftsmanship.
This collaboration feels especially interesting, considering Yoon and Verbal’s entrepreneurship and fluid creative careers. Known for co-founding their high fashion brand AMBUSH, they’ve made their dent in the Tokyo fashion underground, specializing in genre-defying, innovative jewelry. Their perspective brings stylistic choices that bring a certain edge to the classic Royal Oak look, while still upholding its traditional form. Verbal’s passion for watch collection also makes this collection feel special, considering that he is interested in the mechanics, as well as the aesthetic.
“Creativity is always in motion. You keep evolving, regenerating, moving forward, so the design of this limited edition had to follow that energy. For me, it was about balance, about creating something truly universal that anyone could connect with.”
Launching with a limited edition of 150 pieces, the 38.5mm watch is built from striking titanium, paired a shimmering black aventurine dial and a vivid red tourbillon that looks straight out of a science fiction movie. Through its austere shape and build, it appears more as an engineered object rather than a typical accessory. The watches inner working are centred by the Calibre 2982, a hand-wound flying tourbillon movement that had been developed specifically for the project. Through the partly openworked design, we are offered a closer look into the mechanics of each ticking second, stripping the watch back to its primal identity.
