Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Grande Complication watch

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Grande Complication watch is a masterpiece of exceptional haute horlogerie. Drawing upon a depth of watchmaking experience that can be traced to the earliest beginnings of the house of Audemars Piguet, the Royal Oak Grande Complication watch features a movement composed of more than 600 hand finished pieces. This extraordinary, complex creation demands many months of labor to complete and demonstrates one of the most celebrated achievements in all of complicated watchmaking.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Grande Complication watch displays the essential elements that comprise the fabled "Grand Complication"---a perpetual calendar, a split-seconds chronograph, and a minute repeater. The perpetual calendar complication indicates day of the week, date, month, and the leap year cycle, its complex mechanism automatically taking into account the different length of months throughout the year, most notably February, as it varies throughout the 4-year cycle. The split-seconds chronograph, representing the most prestigious type of chronograph complication, features two central chronograph hands, which are usually superimposed; however, by pressing the split-seconds button (which is co-axial with the winding crown of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Grande Complication watch) the split-seconds hand freezes, while the main hand continues onward; a second push of this button causes the hand to immediately overtake the primary hand and re-synchronize with it. This innovative chronograph complication allows for the measurement of two separate events, but due to its complexity, it remains a specialty of only a few accomplished watchmakers. Like all traditional split-second chronograph mechanisms, the chronograph control of this Audemars Piguet timepiece is governed by a column wheel, which ensures optimum smoothness and precision in the controls of the chronograph.

Last but certainly not least, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Grande Complication watch's minute repeater represents something remarkable each and of itself. This immensely difficult complication relies on a complex arrangement of racks, cams, and snails to translate the position of the hands into a series of coordinated strikes which clearly spell out the time in a beautiful series of chimes. Each time the slide lever on the found on the left side of the Royal Oak Grande Complication watch is activated, the hour will be struck on a low chime, the quarter hour(s) will be indicated on a high-low combination chime, and the individual minutes will be indicated with individual high chimes. Visible through the exhibition sapphire caseback, one can admire the multi-layered complexity of the fully integrated Audemars Piguet 2885 Caliber watch movement, as well as its luxurious hand refinement; this includes Cotes de Geneve striping on the bridges, and anglage (chamfering) on all the edges of the steel parts, including the hammers of the minute repeater, which also display a stunning specular polish. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Grande Complication watch features a massive case and bracelet which is crafted exclusively from 18K gold (yellow, pink, or white) or 950 platinum. The famous Royal Oak watch design demonstrates the characteristic contrast between brushed and polished surfaces, as well as unparalleled attention to detail, with many dozens of hand-finished facets in all between the case, bracelet, and bezel; as is the case with all Audemars Piguet Royal Oak timepieces, the Royal Oak Grande Complication watch shows off the unique octagonal bezel with 8 hexagonal screws whose slots are all aligned to form a circle. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Grande Complication watch is fitted with a beautiful dial that features the famous "Grande Tapisserie" pattern; offered in a selection of colors including black, blue, and silver, the painstaking craftsmanship invested in these dials is a fitting tribute to the remarkable mechanism that lies behind them. Due to the immense difficulty of creating a Grande Complication watch, only a few of these works of horological art will leave the Audemars Piguet workshop in Le Brassus,Switzerland each year.