Audemars Piguet’s third collaboration with Carolina Bucci marks the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary in sleek style, with the limited edition Royal Oak Selfwinding rethought in black ceramic.
In this newest piece, Bucci turns her attention to the dial, imbuing it with a rainbow of colours. The prismatic effect is created using the tapisserie technique, where little squares are intricately laid on top of the brass dial plate in order to create a prism of colour. ‘I felt like I had unfinished business with the famous tapisserie,’ Bucci says on why she chose to work with this technique. ‘It is one of the main codes of the original 1972 design. In my previous collaboration, I had eliminated it completely – trying to find a perfect counterpoint to the complex finish of Frosted Gold. I loved the way the mirror dial worked within the octagonal bezel, but here I think we found an amazing blend – a tapisserie that appears and disappears in different light.’
Patterns of squares vary from piece to piece, making each rainbow design unique. For Bucci, the result had to find the right balance between subtlety and drama in the way the dial refracts the light. ‘Too much of one and the effect would be under or overwhelming,’ she adds. ‘I read the phrase “opulent subtlety” the other day in a review of the watch. I think that is a good way to describe my intentions.’
The dial makes a brilliant foil for the clean and distinctive design of the case, accentuated only with subtle design details such as the pop of hexagonal pink gold screws against the smooth black ceramic of the dial.
‘The Royal Oak is the perfect platform for experimentation,’ says Bucci. ‘It is such a well-known design with various clear codes – the tapisserie, the octagonal bezel and its screws, and the tapered bracelet. Because it is so recognisable, it means as a designer you can push and pull those codes in different directions to achieve a totally fresh look.’
INFORMATION
audemarspiguet.com
-
Seven designers rethinking wood at London Design FestivalAt this year’s London Design Festival, wood proves itself anything but static. We highlight seven designers shaping, colouring, and engineering it in surprising ways
-
Inside Kazakhstan’s brutalist Tselinny cinema – now a hub for contemporary cultureTselinny Center of Contemporary Culture, a modernist landmark redesigned for its new purpose by Asif Khan, gears up for its grand opening in Kazakhstan
-
Oliver Spencer’s orbiting installation offers a meditative shopping experience during London Design FestivalAt Oliver Spencer’s Shoreditch store, a sensory light installation by Studio Rhythmics offers a calming moment during LDF
-
All eyes on Greek jewellery brand Lito as it launches bold new amulets to mark its 25 yearsStriking amulets, seductive stones and secret messages characterise Lito's striking new anniversary collection, an extension of its ‘Tu es Partout’ series
-
The best layering necklaces for an elevated yet casual lookHow to mix, match and stack jewellery for the ultimate high-energy, low-effort style
-
Late summer jewels: what to wear at Golden HourLate summer signals a jewellery style-shift. These independent designers have got it covered
-
Jewellery designers share their most precious personal piecesA host of jewellers give us a peek at the jewellery which brings them joy and solace
-
Hair jewellery to covet and collectToday’s hair jewellery is both practical and pretty. We're pinning our hopes on these simple and elegant accessories
-
Andreas Kronthaler’s costume jewellery for Vivienne Westwood is fun, flirty and fabulousAndreas Kronthaler’s new jewellery draws on romantic and theatrical motifs
-
Fope’s flexible gold chains rethink a classic designElasticity meets elegance in Fope’s new jewellery collection, ‘Luna’
-
Get personal with Bea Bongiasca’s colourful initial necklaces in enamelBea Bongiasca’s ‘B Colour’ collection of initial necklaces brings a chic modernity to personalised jewellery
