Audemars Piguet Just Shrunk And 'Frosted' The Royal Oak
Part of a June drop of brand new watches, Audemars Piguet's new mini 'frosted' Royal Oaks are here to keep us cool this summer. Coming in at 23 mm, the brand new Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold models are now the smallest Royal Oaks that the brand offers — a direct reimagining of AP's 20 mm Mini Royal Oak from the late 90s.
Though smaller in stature than your standard AP, the Royal Oak Mini Gold watches pack a mighty and glimmering punch when it comes to its finishing.
Available in three precious variants, 18-carat yellow, pink, or white gold, the new Royal Oak's "Frosted" finish adds a beautiful vibrant shimmer, that I am sure even Gérald Genta (the original designer of the Royal Oak), would appreciate.
Dubbed Frosted Gold, the finish is created by hand using a diamond-tipped instrument to strike the gold, forming tiny indentations on its surface. This produces a shimmering effect, reminiscent of the glistening surface of freshly fallen snow sparkling in the sunlight.
The technique dates back to ancient Florence but can be attributed to the jewelry designer Carolina Bucci for modernizing the techniques and applying them to jewelry, and inevitably Audemars Piguet's watches.
At a distance, the watch can even appear as if it is gem-set — a solid choice for those of you who love a gem-like finish but still haven't warmed up to diamonds.
At the heart of the Royal Oak Mini models, you'll find the quartz movement, Calibre 2730.
And I am sure those of you obsessed with mechanical movements may raise an eyebrow at the thought of quartz, the caliber 2730 is considered one of the best in its class for a watch this size. With that quartz movement, you get seven years of battery life as well as a switch on the crown on the watch to deactivate the battery if needed.
You can get the brand new Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold at Audemars Piguet now.
Though you may know AP for its Offshore, and Royal Oak Concepts, the Swiss horology legend has had a longstanding history of creating miniature jewelry watches that can be traced back to the 19th century.
So, as the watch meta calls for smaller watches on our wrists, this makes sense for Audemars Piguet. Equally, frosted APs have been a fan favorite for those eager to add a Royal Oak to their rotation since AP introduced them in 2016 — appearing on the wrists of everyone from Travis Scott to Santan Dave.
I am curious to see how this new AP works into people's current rotations, and how this watch will be styled when it inevitably makes its red carpet debut. Until then, I will be eagerly waiting to get my hands on the Royal Oak Selfwinding "Sandgold".
Eager to check out the latest and greatest in the watch world? Be sure to stop by our Highsnobiety Watch Guide or pick up a few watches in our Highsnobiety shop. In the meantime, have you seen Rolex's 2024 novelties?
