AP RO Perpetual Calendar in CERAMIC!

[Baco Noir]

Am I the only one who missed this news? AP released an AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar made fully from ceramic - including the bracelet!



www.audemarspiguet.com/en/watch-collection/royal-oak/26579CE.OO.1225CE.01/

Crafted in hand-finished black ceramic, this Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar features day, date, month, astronomical moon, and week of the year. The leap year indication — pioneered by Audemars Piguet in 1955 — is also featured on the “Grande Tapisserie” decorated dial.

It’s $94k USD, so out of my realm of possibility, but so hot all the same.

[rw16610]

Wow! I like that! With good insurance coverage I would totally consider a fully ceramic watch some day! This brand never fails to amaze me!

[Baco Noir]

Dec 10, 2017 18:15:46 GMT -6 rw16610 said:

Wow! I like that! With good insurance coverage I would totally consider a fully ceramic watch some day! This brand never fails to amaze me!

I’m really shocked the were able to make the RO bracelet out of ceramic.

[rw16610]

Yeah, those little links must be challenging! Would love to see how this was made.

[carl]

That really is outstanding. Knowing a bit about how much work goes into the metal bracelet, I can only imagine the challenges in making one of ceramic. Very few watch makers would dare to go further than a ceramic case and bezel, this only highlights AP's level of craftsmanship. And I bet that moonphase is a work of art!

[CHIP]

Rado has been doing it for decades, at a fraction of the cost.

IMHO the premium they charge for ceramic is crazy, and that’s true for all Watch companies.

Think about it... Apple developed their own in house ceramic compound and they offer it in two colours. They charge about 500 more for it. The Swiss charge ten times that amount or more for a ceramic case.

It’s one of the issues I’ve had lately with a lot of Watch companies lately, they over charge like crazy for no reason at all.

[Baco Noir]

True, others can do ceramics cheaply, but one of the main issues with ceramics is weaknesses caused by inclusions (point defects in the crystalline structure). While inclusions can be hidden in larger pieces and not affect performance (not fail due to brittle fracture), the smaller the ceramic part and the more sharp corners, the greater the risk of failure from a point defect. The small connector links, as well as all the sharp corners and chamfers, really increased the failure potential here.

That said, yes, the SS version of this watch is $60k and the gold versions are $95k, so the ceramic price is probably too high on this one.

[carl]

I would tend to give AP the benefit of the doubt on this one. I can only imagine the care and development that must go into that intricate bracelet. And, the way that case has to be assembled, literally with those screws running right through it to hold the case together.

As Chip says, though, most of the time the premium charged for ceramics is usually through the roof, especially after all the years of R&D. I am constantly shocked at the prices, for example, of the ceramic case Omega Speedmaster models, and that is only for the case and no ceramic bracelet.

Personally, I still find the prospect of owning a ceramic watch, or a watch with any ceramic parts, to be fairly scary. I suppose I have come to finally accept that ceramic bezels are the way to go, although I haven't even brought myself to get one of those. Other than aesthetic value, I really don't quite understand the whole point of ceramics in watchmaking, other than maybe the bezels. I was actually quite shocked to see that AP has an all ceramic watch!

[rw16610]

I guess a major selling point is the obvious, scratch resistance. Some folks are super concerned with this and like the bezels, ideally want a piece that can look new, always. It comes at a price with the issues Roger points out above. $60,000 for Steel, $95,000 for Gold, $94,000 for a more unique looking, scratch resistant version. Most buyers won't even fully understand or know the risks in getting such a watch. Give me the Gold version over that any day! I do really like the finishing on the material though, even though the others would be my preference for appearance. I'm guessing most potential buyers for a watch like this have it all and would really want something outside the norm, willing to pay an insane amount.