AP x 1017 Alyx 9SM
Recently, we had an amazing opportunity of going to Tokyo with Audemars Piguet for their newest collaboration reveal. They have launched several new watches in partnership with streetwear brand 1017 Alyx 9SM and its creative director Matthew Williams. To be more specific I am talking about two new self-winding Royal Oaks and two new Royal Oak Offshores. Williams is a bit of a renegade in the fashion world and the collaboration started after he customised a watch together with MAD Paris which then became quite popular. As avantguard as they are AUDEMARS PIGUET understood the potential and decided to work on a proper special collection together. There is a lot of upheaval and streetwear and grunge mixed together.
THE WATCH I TRIED ON
ABOUT THE COLLABORATION
We were presented a total of 5 watch models, from which there are 4 watch models up for sale, and the fifth was auctioned in Tokyo to help the non-profit organisations Kids in Motion and Right to Play. There are two Royal Oak models and two Royal Oak Offshore versions, with two of the references being made of 18-carat yellow gold and the other two being made of white gold. If you know AP you probably know that the brand doesn’t have many yellow gold watches, and for sure I can tell you I never saw a chronology watch with no hour markers on the dial.. This is the first time the same design has been created for both collections at the same time, which is really intriguing. The Royal Oaks and Offshores tend to have quite a different feel, despite the inclusion of an octagon and screws in both, so this is undoubtedly a new design vantage point for AP and Williams.
The hour-markers and date aperture have been removed from the Royal Oak models’ dials by Matthew Williams and Audemars Piguet in an effort to keep the aesthetics as simple and pure as possible, maintaining the monochrome vertical satin-finishing as the focal point. The signatures “Audemars Piguet” in a gold appliqué and “1017 ALYX 9SM,” transferred, are on the 37 mm self-winding reference, which displays the hours, minutes, and seconds. In reality, the 41mm self-winding chronograph has just the hands at three, six, and nine o’clock that are visible. Both are limited series productions. I personally love the minimal design – and as someone who owns a chronology watch I can tell you I never once used its function. hour markers or not, I am not fussed as long as the design is as beautiful as it is.
Although substantially chunkier in true Offshore fashion, the two Royal Oak Offshore models have the same minimalist aesthetic. At three o’clock, adjacent to the AP monogram, the only recognizable feature of the Royal Oak Offshore collection—the date aperture—remains. For its part, the 1017 ALYX 9SM signature is situated at the hour mark. Additionally gone are the chronograph counters at six, nine, and twelve o’clock, leaving simply the hands.
The auction item is a 41 mm Royal Oak Chronograph edition with an 18k yellow gold and stainless steel two-tone case and bracelet, as well as a black coated gold dial embellished with vertical satin finishing. The dial also has the logos of both businesses and chronograph hands made of yellow gold. When in Tokyo we were beyond happy to see that this watch was auctioned for charity for 1million USD – this is what I call a win win.
