Guide to the AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition
Guide to the AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition
Over the years Audemars Piguet has presented some limited editions of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, dedicated to different countries around the world
Audemars Piguet's latest releases have brought the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar back into the spotlight. However, the collaborations with Travis Scott in December 2023 and the one with John Mayer in March are only the latest special editions made by the maison with this collection.
Just as Patek Philippe makes limited editions of its world timers dedicated to different cities or nations, similarly Audemars Piguet has over the years presented some special versions of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, one of the brand's most iconic models.
In this article we are going to analyze this special editions, jumping from one country to another by going around the world several times.
Switzerland - 26574PT
During SIHH 2019, AP decided to pay homage to its nation through the use of a platinum case and bracelet and an ice blue dial with navy accents. In this case, the maison played on a combination of material and color that is always very successful, in this sense the Daytona and Day-Date platinum are the most obvious testimonies.
Latin America - 26584OR
From the ice blue of Swiss lakes to the sunshine of South America with this combination of a rose gold case, bracelet and dial contrasted with dark blue counters. Introduced in April 2018 this edition was one of the "hottest" that year.
Un'altra particolarità di questo modello si trova nel fondello, in particolare nel rotore. Infatti, ruotando l'orologio si trova un'incisione che raffigura la storica manifattura Audemars Piguet di Le Brassus, in Svizzera. Intorno al vetro zaffiro, che lascia intravedere il movimento, si trova la scritta "Royal Oak Quantieme Perpetuel" e l'indicazione "Limited Edition Of 100 Pieces".
Hong Kong - 26600ST
Moving east, we find the edition distributed in 2018 at the retailer Unique Timepiece in Hong Kong. This watch features a green dial and, among these versions, is one of the most sought after by collectors. That is also because it is made of stainless steel, certainly a rather unusual material for a limited edition.
Japan - 26607BC
The country with the most limited editions is definitely Japan with 4 watches that we will analyze in the course of the article. The watch you see in the photo features a smoky gray dial combined with darker subdials and is produced in white gold. It is made in only 20 pieces exclusively for the Japanese market in 2019, distributed by authorized retailer Yoshida.
Japan - 26574BC
Then there are two rather similar versions, again dedicated to Japan and again with a smoky gray dial, but with the difference that the sub-dials this time are blue with the outermost area in white. This reference features a frosted gold case and bracelet and is limited to 35 pieces.
Japan - 26598BC
The third among the watches made for Japan features the same dial used for the frosted gold model, but is even more precious thanks to the diamond-embellished bezel in addition to being produced in only 15 pieces.
Japan - 26597PT
The fourth, and final, watch dedicated to the land of the rising sun features a dial that is also gray, but with a lighter shade and is made of platinum.
Indonesia - 26611PT
Still in Asia, we find the special edition for Indonesia, presented in the always in 2019 to celebrate the 20th anniversary since the opening of Indonesia's top authorized delaer "The Time Place" and made in 20 pieces, one for each year of the AD's opening.
In this case platinum is combined with a pink gold-toned dial and on the case back we find a special rotor, as was the case with the Latin America Edition. As can be seen from the image below Audemars has engraved the number twenty, a concept that has also been revived recently with the 50th anniversary Royal Oak.
China - 26609TI
In January 2020 AP makes the version you see in the photo for the Chinese market. The coloring is quite similar to that of the Japan edition with the difference being the chronograph hand which is tinged red this time. The substantial change lies in the material with which the whole watch, case and bracelet, is made because for the first time a Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is produced entirely in titanium; previous RO QP models featured a combination of titanium and platinum, with the bezel and central links of the bracelet made in the precious metal. Thanks to the use of this metal, the watch weighs only 104 grams.
This model is made in 88 pieces, and the number was chosen precisely because 8 represents luck in Chinese culture. In addition to the bracelet, two straps are also provided, a red rubber one and a black leather one.
Thailand - 26607BC
For the edition dedicated to Thailand, Audemars played with the shades of the chronograph dial to make up the same coloring as the Thai flag. A bright red has been used for the dial while the subdials are white and blue. This is an extremely rare edition especially because it is made in only 20 pieces.
QATAR - 26574BC
Introduced in 2022, the special edition for Qatar uses the same concept as the Thailand edition-that is, the dial takes up the flag of the nation to which the watch is dedicated. On the maison's website this coloration is referred to as "purple" although the shade is more like burgundy. This edition is limited to 100 pieces and is made in white gold.
QATAR - 26598BC
In addition to the version you see above, this configuration is also made in 2022, again dedicated to Qatar and again with the same dial. In this case the bezel is enriched by the presence of diamonds. This version is produced in only 20 pieces.
UAE - 26613ST
Moving again to the Middle East, and taking a time jump to 2020, we find the edition for the United Arab Emirates. In this case there are two main particularities: the first is definitely the use of steel that was only used for the Hong Kong edition, and the second is the light blue color of the dial. The choice of this shade is a clear reference to the Yas Marina F1 circuit, which uses the same color both in its logo and inside the track.
Singapore - 26607BA
The edition made for Singapore is the only one in yellow gold. The dial picks up the same color as the precious metal, with the sub-dials being colored green instead, creating a widely used and very successful yellow-green gold combination in watchmaking. Another special feature is the 8 present inside the dial, the only number present.
United States - 26574TI
The last watch of these limited editions is the configuration made for the U.S. market in September 2021. In this case the case and bracelet are made of titanium and the dial is blue, a bit more saturated than that used in the classic Royal Oak, with contrasting gray subdials.
These are the limited editions we have discovered so far. We will update you in case we find any other hidden models or in case AP decides to introduce new ones.
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