New Releases · 2023-08-24

The 1017 ALYX 9SM Royal Oak Chronograph hides its complexity in plain sight

Audemars Piguet and Matthew Williams turn a flyback chronograph into an exceptionally restrained 41 mm yellow-gold Royal Oak.

By Chronolume digest · Original English summary · Based on Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 1017 ALYX 9SM in yellow gold — Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph × 1017 ALYX 9SM, reference 26240BA.OO.1320BA.01. Audemars Piguet ↗

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This is a sourced news summary, not a hands-on review. Read the original reporting at Audemars Piguet ↗

What to know

The Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph created with 1017 ALYX 9SM disguises a complicated movement behind one of the collection’s sparsest dials. Reference 26240BA.OO.1320BA.01 removes the usual chronograph counters and hour markers, leaving centrally mounted hands to display elapsed time against a vertically brushed yellow-gold surface. The result is a collaboration in which subtraction, rather than decoration, provides the signature.

Front view of the AP Royal Oak Chronograph 26240BA 1017 ALYX 9SM — Central chronograph hands preserve the function while clearing the dial. Wristcheck ↗

Its 41 mm, 12.4 mm-thick case and integrated bracelet are made from 18-carat yellow gold, with water resistance rated to 50 metres. Calibre 4409 is an automatic integrated flyback chronograph operating at 4 Hz with a 70-hour power reserve. Production was limited to 200 pieces.