Messages: 26256 Location: Washington, DC
Registered: November 2003
N E W M o d e l - AP Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team Chronograph
Fri, 02 March 2007 11:23
Ideas and individuals
Alinghi stands for a strategy, a team, an objective. A watch is first and foremost about individuals. While they are keenly aware that each person's responsibility matters throughout a lengthy manufacturing process, they also know that high demands are the surest guarantee of quality. Watchmakers, engineers, calibre-designers, along with the dedicated R&D team set up for this project, the designers and all those involved at each stage of production: all have played an essential role in creating the Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team chronograph.
A few grams of carbon
Lightness and resistance were the key goals targeted both by the Alinghi architects and by the creators of the Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team chronograph, which is why both sets of experts opted for an exceptional material: carbon. The hull and sails of Class America boats owe their lightness to the use of carbon fibre. In turn, the watchmakers in Le Brassus, after taking a close interest in the aeronautical industry and pursuing their investigations, discovered a new concept applying forging technology to machining carbon and resulting in forged carbon. Its superior mechanical performances and chemical stability, combined with excellent shock-resistance and lightness, determined the choice of forged carbon as the most innovative material suited to the Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team chronograph.
Nonetheless, its exact composition along with the manufacturing methods and tools all represented major obstacles that had to be rapidly surmounted because, like Team Alinghi itself, Audemars Piguet had very little time ahead of it.
The countdown thus began in the spring of 2004. Working in a resolutely "start-up" style, a small team at Audemars Piguet set to work in secret. Their goal was to create the octagonal case of the chronograph by successfully combining mechanical realities and aesthetic constraints. The complex shape of the case and bezel must not only feature perfect resistance along all axes, but also sharp angles and a perfect surface finish. All of this bearing in mind that a forged carbon part cannot be polished, which means it must be easy to machine in the first place.
Each part is unique
In the first phase of production, Audemars Piguet developed the steel case and bezel dies, housing a few centimetres of carbon wire pieces. Measuring a mere one or two millimetres in diameter, this wire is itself composed of several thousand 7-micron carbon fibres held together by a resin wire. The arrangement of these pieces of wire determines the quality of the part, which means each is truly unique. The die is then compressed at a high temperature under pressures of over 300 kilos per cubic centimetre, compared to customary pressures of a few kilos per centimetre.
In the second phase, Audemars Piguet demonstrated the full range of its machining expertise, acquired through years of practice in the making of carbon movement bridges and plates. The inside of the case and correction of the various drilled holes were thus duly completed. Likewise, in compliance with the demands of high-end watchmaking, the surface of the case was given a slightly iridescent satiny-smooth appearance and a silky-soft feel.
This teamwork, entirely conducted in the workshops in Le Brassus and driven by a spirit of constant innovation, resulted in an ultra-light large-sized chronograph. The forged carbon version weighs a mere 100 grams.
The art of fine-tuning details
Particular attention has been lavished on the details that make the Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team chronograph an exceptional model. The dial features aesthetic accents reflecting the nautical world: the red-rimmed six-hour counter at 6 o'clock and twenty-minute counter at 9 o'clock are graced with an openworked hand shaped like a ship's prow, while the flamboyant Alinghi logo takes the place usually reserved for the 3 o'clock numeral.
The countdown aperture appears in the upper right-hand part of the dial. It counts off the minutes prior to the start of a regatta and gradually becomes red as it nears the crucial moment when the boats cross the start line.
The ceramic pushers, forged carbon crown guards and the crown itself form a homogeneous whole that is seamlessly integrated with the flowing lines of the case. The same concern for continuity is reflected in the wristband directly integrated with the case middle to ensure optimal wearer comfort. Whereas the sapphire crystal is free of any metal support, the legendary octagonal bezel is highlighted by a red silicon joint and black steel screws.
In order to underscore the sporting look of this chronograph, the Manufacture has designed an oversized steel buckle for the extra-broad rubber strap and fitted it with an undulating pin. Finally, in tribute to the winner of the 31st America's Cup in 2003, the back of the chronograph is stamped with a motif showing the team in action and engraved with the inscription Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team Limited Edition.
In addition to the version distinguished by an all forged carbon case, the Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team chronograph is also available with a forged carbon bezel on a pink gold or platinum case.
Mastering time
The start of an America's Cup race follows strict rules. A first signal initiates the procedure, eleven minutes prior to the start. A warning gun is fired one minute afterwards, meaning that the competitors now have ten minutes to prepare themselves and to get their boat to the start line. When the five-minute warning gun is fired, no outside assistance is allowed. During this entire preparatory phase, the strategy consists in sizing up the opponent, evaluating the weather conditions and formulating a race plan in such a way that at the end of the ten minutes, the boat crosses the start line on the favoured side in order to control the opposite team.
The calibre of the Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team chronograph has been designed by the Manufacture Audemars Piguet to follow this complex procedure in real time. The flyback function and the countdown are both perfectly suited to the rules. At the first signal, eleven minutes prior to departure, the flyback chronograph is triggered by means of a pusher at 2 o'clock and the red seconds hand is activated. Ten minutes before departure, the flyback function is stopped by means of the pusher at 4 o'clock, thereby instantly resetting and restarting the chronograph. At this point, the figure 10 appears through the countdown aperture, while the central seconds hand starts running again to perform a complete rotation in one minute. When the third warning gun is fired, the countdown aperture indicates the figure 5, as does the 20-minute counter. At one minute to the start, the countdown aperture shows the figure 1 against a background that has gradually become entirely red. Finally, when the start is given, both the countdown aperture and the minute counter show the figure 10.
Technical specifications
Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team chronograph
References
26062FS.OO.A002CA.01: forged carbon case and bezel, black dial - limited series of 1,300
26062OR.OO.A002CA.01: 18-carat pink gold case, forged carbon bezel, black dial - limited series of 600
26062PT.OO.A002CA.01: 950 platinum case, forged carbon bezel, black and grey dial - limited series of 107.
Calibre: 2326/2848, selfwinding
Diameter: 11.5 lignes (25,60 mm)
Thickness: 7.30 mm
50 jewels
Power reserve: up to 60 hours
Cadence of the balance: 28,800 vibrations per hour
Finishing: all parts decorated by hand; plate rhodium-plated, bevelled and stippled; bridges adorned with C“tes de GenŠve motif
Case
Forged carbon or 18-carat pink gold or 950 platinum
Forged carbon bezel
Diameter: 44 mm
Case in PVD-coated titanium case depicting a photo of Team Alinghi and bearing the inscription Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team - Limited Edition
Ceramic pushers and crown
Bevel screws in black PVD-coated steel
Dial
Black-lacquered with central zone adorned with "Mega-ta[word removed]erie" motif - black-lacquered for carbon and pink gold models and grey-lacquered for platinum version
Luminescent or applied numerals for 18-carat pink gold and platinum versions
Alinghi logo at 3 o'clock
Strap
Vulcanised rubber strap fully integrated with the case middle, and oversized pin buckle in PVD-coated titanium, or in 18-carat pink gold, or in 950 platinum
Functions
Hours and minutes
Flyback chronograph with regatta start function (central seconds hand)
Regatta countdown function
- Jorge Merino