Matthew Williams, founder of the brand 1017 ALYX 9SM is a natural choice for Swiss horological manufacturer Audemars Piguet to work with to create a fresh design for four new Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore references and a Royal Oak unique piece. The two brands have designed this modern collection together to appeal to fashion lovers and allow them to express their individuality.
The choice of Williams is a natural one, given his background. The Californian, who has roots in Chicago, is a creative director of extraordinary talent. He has spent the past decade collaborating with luminaries from the world of art, music, photography and fashion.
Driven by a curiosity for the artistic evolution of fashion, Williams’ inaugural women’s ALYX Autumn Winter 2015 collection marked the start of his exploration. Since then, he has expanded to encompass a comprehensive array of ready-to-wear ensembles, accessories and footwear, spanning both men’s and women’s lines. He has collaborated with the likes of Nike, Dior, Moncler and Mackintosh.
This collaboration between Audemars Piguet and the fashion brand 1017 ALYX 9SM, which was founded in 2015, is the latest example that celebrates the strong ties that Audemars Piguet has forged with different creative worlds, such as fashion.
In Williams’ mind, a watch serves as a manifestation of one’s identity. In pursuit of this collaboration, the designer and the manufacturer have meticulously crafted a collection that comprises various references spanning from 37mm to 42mm. Designed to accommodate diverse wrist sizes, these understated timepieces enable the wearer’s individuality to shine through as fashion and haute horlogerie intertwine.
A very special timepiece
In conjunction with the quartet of models unveiled, an exceptional watch was created too, the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 41mm timepiece in two tones and 18 cts yellow gold with stainless steel elements. The dial has chronograph hands in luminous yellow gold with central hands in a luminescent coating.
The timepiece was auctioned off in Tokyo recently and raised a whopping US$1 million ($1.35 million), with the proceeds going towards fostering play-based learning initiatives for underprivileged children. This noble endeavour is championed by NGOs Kids in Motion and Right to Play. The Kids in Motion initiative revolves around a dedicated project in Lamu, Kenya, empowering the local community to fortify its infrastructure and amplify communal engagement within the educational sphere. Meanwhile, the Right to Play organisation employs play as a transformative tool to unveil the latent potential within each child.
In two pairs
The four references in either 18 cts yellow or white gold, feature a duo of Royal Oak models and another pair of Royal Oak Offshore models.
For the first time, a uniform design has been applied to both collections concurrently. Matthew Williams and Audemars Piguet have streamlined the dials to their most basic and this means the omission of hour markers and the date window in the Royal Oak models, allowing the vertical satin-finishing on the gold dials to shine.
Both Royal Oak models are crafted from 18 caralt yellow gold. The first, a 37mm self-winding reference, serves as an ideal choice for smaller wrists, displaying hours, minutes and seconds on its minimalist dial. This dial features luminescent yellow-gold hands, bearing the distinct signatures of “Audemars Piguet” and “1017 ALYX 9SM” — the former as a gold appliqué and the latter transferred onto the dial. The second model, a self-winding chronograph with a 41mm diameter, has done away with the chronograph counters, leaving only the hands to mark time at three, six and nine o’clock.
The two Royal Oak Offshore models follow the same theme of keeping it to the bare minimum with only the date aperture, which is emblematic of the Royal Oak Offshore collection, remains at three o’clock, next to the AP monogram. The 1017 ALYX 9SM signature is for its part located at six o’clock. The chronograph counters at six, nine and 12 o’clock have also been removed, leaving only the hands — a first for a chronograph. These 42mm limited editions are available in a choice of 18 cts white or yellow gold and comes fitted with the manufacturer’s interchangeable strap system, these models have an additional strap in black rubber.
