Any watch fan who loves high-end watchmaking is bound to be attracted by Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak series. The characteristic elements that make up the Royal Oak are first outlined by the octagonal case shape, and then the Tapisserie plaid decoration on the dial comes into view. As the image responsible for Audemars Piguet, the Tapisserie plaid decoration creates a strong identity. It is not only a decorative pattern exclusive to the series, but also a representative Icon recognized by the watch industry, symbolizing immortal classics, timeless aesthetics, and finesse. of traditional watchmaking.

The classic plaid that belongs to Audemars Piguet
Stay true to the origins while boldly reinventing

Tapisserie, the most famous pattern of Haute Horlogerie, appeared on the dial of the original Royal Oak 5402 as early as 1972. Hundreds of pyramid-shaped flat squares were engraved on the metal base plate by traditional machine-engraving techniques. , later officially named Petite Tapisserie small plaid decoration, widely used in modern Royal Oak watches. In 1999, the larger Grande Tapisserie was born, using the same machine engraving process as the Petite Tapisserie, but the area of ​​the pyramids that make up the check is twice as large, so the Royal Oak “Jumbo” uses Petite Tapisserie. We can see that there are as many as 680 to 740 pyramids in the face plate, while the face plate using the Grande Tapisserie is about 380 pyramids. The space is more relaxed and more calm and elegant. The main face plate decoration.

In 2001, a third member of Tapisserie appeared, namely the domineering Méga Tapisserie oversized plaid decoration, matched with the masculine shell of the Royal Oak Offshore, adding a more powerful style to the series. Different from the machine engraving process used by the previous two brothers, the small and large plaids, the Méga Tapisserie uses a punching machine to apply gravity on the face plate to emboss the pattern, presenting a completely different outline texture; in 2021, the Méga Tapisserie will evolve with The appearance of Méga Tapisserie is newly debuted, creating a tower-shaped lattice pattern with a more inclined surface, and adding a connected cross pattern between the diagonal lines of the pyramid. The more three-dimensional visual depth and the intersection of rich lines make Méga Tapisserie undoubtedly Become a representative of boldness and detail.

Tapisserie In addition to the changes in the size of the pyramid-shaped plaid, the Evolutive Tapisserie deformed plaid decoration that appeared on the Royal Oak ultra-thin tourbillon in 2017 also showed the distinctive style of the classic Icon, as if projected from the 6 o’clock tourbillon mechanism The plaid pattern of the plaid, from small to large, shows the light of craftsmanship in turn, inheriting the DNA of Tapisserie, and is the new appearance after transformation.

Tapisserie plaid isn’t actually plaid?
The fusion secret of the three decorative codes

Although we commonly refer to Tapisserie as a plaid decorative surface, the pattern of this decoration is not as simple as the literal plaid. Tapisserie is made by operating a special engraving machine to copy and miniaturize the pattern on the large-scale model, and machine-engraved on the surface of the square-inch metal base plate. The craftsman will set a number of precise parameters for the machine according to different watch models. After the perfect setting, the extremely sharp carving knife will start a journey of strolling the dial from the outermost periphery of the dial, and the dial is fixed vertically. The bottom plate will automatically rotate counterclockwise, and the engraving knife will move slightly toward the center every time it rotates to engrave the next circle of patterns. It can move inward by 1mm every 11 revolutions.

The process is like using an ancient loom to weave a richly patterned rug on a faceplate, with every bit of craftsmanship and fine detail. The main body of the faceplate is hundreds of tower-shaped squares. The surface of the square tower has very fine concentric circular patterns, which lead to explore the trajectory of the carving knife; the bottom background between the lattice and the lattice is also There are countless fine diamond-patterned dots, just like ultra-mini diamonds, radiating rich light and shadow from four sides. fake watches for sale

According to official information, every time the dial rotates, the carving knife will cut out 339.5 diamond rhombus patterns; each dial will rotate 154 times to complete the engraving, so there will be more than 50,000 diamond rhombus patterns on the dial at the same time. shine! This explains why Audemars Piguet’s dials are always colorful in light and shadow when there is no metal brushing, because the dials engraved with hundreds of square lattice patterns and tens of thousands of diamond patterns are equivalent to one The city of mirror shot, dazzling light is also inevitable.

2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak collection, and the Tapisserie plaid is especially unseen in this year’s Royal Oak watch. If you want to choose a style, the first Top Choice that comes to the minds of watch fans is usually the classic “Cloudy Night Blue 50” color with a Petite Tapisserie small plaid dial, because it is the closest to the 1972 original Royal Oak. The original color selection, including this year’s 16202ST “Jumbo” with a diameter of 39 mm, and the newly released RD#3 26670ST with a diameter of 39 mm, both of which are “Yunye Blue 50” with Petite Tapisserie, stainless steel case with metal The chain strap is a style that faithfully inherits the DNA of the first generation, and currently only the “Jumbo” style can be matched with small plaids. Watch fans who love classics and want to collect classic colors are bound to be the first choice.

Of course, Audemars Piguet will never fail to look forward to new features, or collectors who are already quite familiar with Royal Oak. This year, “Jumbo” specially launched a new color, 16202BA in gold and 16202OR in rose gold, with smoked gold respectively. The yellow dial and the smoky gray dial, the dial decorated with the Petite Tapisserie small check pattern is PVD electroplated and painted, placed on the rotating frame and painted on the outer edge, the outer vignetting enhances the dramatic effect of the color contrast, and also brings the vision together. Closed in the center of the dial, the most important thing is to fully demonstrate the gorgeous presence of precious metal watches.

As for the Grande Tapisserie, the current mainstay of Royal Oak, the large-scale plaid decoration is a brilliant year with a rich color selection! For example, a three-hand date watch with a diameter of 37 mm has silver, gray, bright light blue and stylish army green in addition to the classic color “Cloudy Night Blue 50”; a chronograph with a diameter of 41 mm There are black, cloud night blue 50, silver, army green, etc., and with stainless steel or rose gold case and bracelet. The classic Icon has been reincarnated into a modern code that grasps the pulse of fashion.