The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Carbon Concept Tourbillon and Chronograph watch

The Swiss Manufacture Audemars Piguet has revealed its new Royal Oak Carbon Concept Tourbillon and Chronograph watch (Reference 26265FO.OO.D002CR.01). Light and sturdy, this is the first watch with both a case and a movement made of carbon.

As AP cares to point out, the carbon fiber in this particular case is not woven, but is compressed in the presence of a special polymer at a temperature close to 240° and an impressive pressure of 7.5 tons per square centimeter!

The resulting material is lighter than titanium, but is harder than steel.

Of course, the list of used materials does not end there since this beautiful model also features movement parts made of forged carbon, the bezel, the crown and the pushpieces crafted in ceramics, a part of caseback made of PVD blacked titanium, and central bridge from eloxed aluminum.

What is really interesting about this watch is its original 30-minute linear chronograph minute counter, which is coming courtesy of the Calibre 2895 hand-wound movement.

As you can see, the counter consists of a double vertical scale (tens of minutes from 1 to 2; minute units from 0 to 9).

The minutes in the chronograph mode are read off through dedicated openings on the counter bridge.

The elapsed time is indicated by these openings shifting from white to black.

Certainly, this piece of art requires some time to get used to it but when you do, you will have no problem reading the linear dial.

Well, I guess so.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Carbon Concept Tourbillon and Chronograph watch technical specifications:

Movement
Calibre 2895, hand-wound with tourbillon
Total diameter: 15.33 lignes (34.60 mm)
Casing-diameter: 33.80 mm
Thickness: 12.01 mm
34 jewels
384 parts
Power reserve: 237 hours
Cadence of the balance:
21,600 vibrations per hour
Finishing: hand-polished bevelling, sides hand-drawn with a file, matt surface, sapphire-blasted
Carbon mainplate, eloxed aluminum bridges

Case
Forged carbon
Ceramic bezel
Caseback ring in black PVD-coated titanium
Diameter: 44 mm
Total thickness: 15.85 mm
Sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance: 100 m

Display
Integrated onto the movement
Graduated dial ring with luminescent hour-markers and white minute markers
Openworked luminescent hour and minute hands

Strap
Hand-sewn alligator leather with large square scales,
AP folding clasp in titanium

Functions
Hours and minutes
Linear chronograph minute counter with central sweep seconds hand
Power-reserve indication
Selection indicator