2020 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26522st flying tourbillion Purple

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is a watch that requires no introduction. An icon of horology, design, and engineering, the Royal Oak has defined avant-garde watchmaking since its debut in 1972. In a constant state of gradual evolution, thanks to AP’s careful stewardship, the Royal Oak has been home to some incredible variants over the decades, but one modern variant exists as one of the best, the Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin.Launched in 2018, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin does exactly what it’s name suggests, it packs a tourbillon within its case while still managing to retain the Royal Oak’s signature thin profile. Offering collectors a modern profile on the wrist with its 41mm diameter, the ref. 26522ST managed to pack one of horology’s most revered complications, the tourbillon, within its case that stands an impressively flat 8.85mm thin thanks to its incredible manual-wind cal. 2924 movement. Complete with an exceptional level of finishing, as is on display behind its exhibition caseback, the Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin is modern horological marvel inside and out.With its mesmerizing tourbillon on display through the aperture at 6 o’clock on its rich purple dial, the ref. 26522ST is topped off with a stunning display whereby it forgoes the Royal Oak’s traditional Tapisserie patterns and instead features “Evolutive Tapisserie” that uses the tourbillon’s aperture as the focal point of the pattern that then radiates out and across the dial’s periphery in a bid to highlight the Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin’s mechanical merriment.