Audemars Piguet

Final Stop of Royal Oak 40 Years Exhibition in Singapore Part 1 of 2

 

The Royal Oak 40 Years Exhibition made its final stop of its world tour in Singapore last week after New York, Milan, Paris, Geneva and Beijing.

A recap for friends and fans of  Audemars Piguet and Royal Oak who are unable to attend. 
( This post is in two sections, as it is photo-intensive)

Starting with the press session on 9 September morning with a brief introduction by Francois Henry Bennahmias, CEO Ad Interim of Audemars Piguet, Oliviero Bottinelli, Managing Director of Audemars Piguet Asia amd Sebastien Leon Agneessens, Project & Creative Manger of the Exhibition.

Sebastien Leon Agneessens, Project Manger of the Exhibition with Francois Henry Bennahmias, CEO Ad Interim of Audemars Piguet, Oliviero Bottinelli, Managing Director of Audemars Piguet Asia.


Sebastien gave a brief about using his structural work, Fragments, in the Royal Oak 40 Years Exhibition as showcases for the craft and the Royal Oak collections since 1972.  Additional sensory elements were also injected to provide a glimpse of  Vallée de Joux with recorded sound of ticking of movement, cow bells,church organ and stunning visuals with long-exposure photography by Dan Holdsworth capturing the landscape of  Vallée de Joux in its stillest hours illustrating the passing of time.  Another massive work by visual artist, Quayola, video Matter was also featured.  His work was chosen as he passed through similar experience as the Royal Oak.  Both did work which broke away from the norm (at that time).  Forty years ago,the shape of Royal Oak received much scepticism from the world when launched , similarly to Quayola approach to his work.

Several interesting pointers picked up from the Q & A session after the introduction ...

Firstly, the Oliviero Bottinelli, Managing Director of Audemars Piguet Asia is as young as the Royal Oak, born in 1972

Of the total production numbers of 31K pieces per year, Singapore accounts for 10% of volume, and the biggest allocation is to North Asia.

The ROO is currently doing better (in term of number of units sold) than the RO, however, the management intends to have initiatives to beef up the RO in coming years.  Also will be actively pursuing to attract the younger prospects and clientele.  The shape of RO would evolve and maybe a new shape would be out by 2015.


Next to the venue of the exhibition -  the old Tanjong Pagar Railway Station ( not in operation) in shuttle buses which AP has arranged at two convenient meeting points for the public ...

Entering the compound of the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station ...

Entering into the exhibition hall ...

Headsets for the tour ...

Inside the station ...the previous platform, which was standby for the celebration parties and a stage for the band...

Oliviero Bottinelli, Managing Director of Audemars Piguet Asia with one of the many Chefs ...



Back to the exhibition hall ....


Upon entering the exhibition hall ...

There are total 6 vitrines ( split from Sebastien Leon Agneessens' structural work - Fragments) hosting specific function :

(1) Watchmaker workshop

(2) to (4) Showcases of Royal Oak Collections since 1972

(5) A video station explaining crafts of watchmaking.  Very interesting, must see.  Click here to view them.

(6)  A unit dedicated to  Audemars Piguet providing the history of the brand.


Right ahead is the video of by Quayola, Matter,  commissioned by  Audemars Piguet for the Royal Oak 40th Anniversary Exhibition ..

A short clip of the " Matter"  or for a bigger version, please click here.






Some pictures to give you an idea of the hall housing these six vitrines.  Heard that each of this vitrine weighed more than a ton, thus structural engineers were engaged for the project too.


Notice inside the vitrine-showcases, those wavy-shapes running below the watches ... they were supposedly to be the topography of  Vallée de Joux ...

These standing poles were to represent the trees of the forest of Vallée de Joux ...

A dedicated vitrine to the brand  and  also to ...


Mr Gerald Genta

For videos of the watchmaking craft, please click here.

That's the watchmaker section/workshop ...

Exploded view  ...

The various components of the monohull case ...

See this short clip of the making of the bracelet ... remarkable!!

The mold and carbon fibre from previously secretive molding process of the forged carbon case ...

To read more about forged carbon molding process, please click here.

Next the dial making section ...

The "tapisserie" guilloche dial requires special skills from the engraver running the near century rose-engine turning machine.

The total time to fabricate one dial from blank to completion requires at least 6 hours.

The bottle-neck seems to be at the front process, the tappisserie guilloche .... to finish one dial it needs 1 hour.
So each day, the most it can produce about 8 to 9 dials with one machine.
If I did hear correctly, the factory has only 9 such machines.

The "birth year" of this particular rose-turning machine ...

The tapisserie dial by rose-engine which have sunray effect as the dial consists of many tiny squares separated by the criss-crossing grooves..

Someone asked, what if using stamping to speed up the dial making... the experienced engraver, explained they have tried, but the dial will not look lively as there will be no light-play creating the ray-effect.

Wonderful person to speak to, very willing to share ... and it seems like he may have found a new process.
No details as it is still work-in-progress and confidential

Explaining this near century-old is a masterpiece, a work by a master ... which can engrave any shape or profile (in 3D) with a change of the templates  ...




Outside of the Workshop ...



Now for the watches being displayed ( text / description may be updated if I have the information) ...

Starting from the vintage  ...

1922 Pocket Watch minute repeater designed for  "William H. Hays"

1926 Tonneau shaped wristwatch

1927 Jumping Hour

1928 US $20 Coin watch

Coin was cut horizontally to house a 1.5mm movement.

1940 Chronograph with graduation of pulsations watch

1953 Rectangular asymmetrical wristwatch

1960 Round asymmetrical wristwatch

1962 Oval shaped watch

1970 Oval shaped watch

1971 Skeleton pocket watch set with diamonds

1977 Eliptical shaped wristwatch by Gerald Genta

1978 Extra-plate self winding perpetual calender

1986 Extra flat self-winding tourbillon wristwatch

1983 Philosophical Watch

1978 Extra-plate self winding perpetual calender wristwatch

1992 Minute repeater & jumping hour wristwatch, hand-wound 2865




Please click Part 2 of 2 for the Royal Oak Collections since 1972.


Kong






Related Read:

Press Release of the  RO 40th Anniversary in Singapore



This message has been edited by Kong on 2012-10-16 10:26:05 This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2012-10-16 11:19:52 This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2012-10-18 12:59:59

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