Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Concept Gets the Ambush Treatment
The Swiss watchmaker tapped design duo Yoon Ahn and Verbal for its latest buzzy collab.
On the heels of the internet-breaking launch of Swatch and Audemars Piguet’s collaboration—which prompted overnight lines, shopping hysteria, and even temporary store closures in London—Audemars Piguet already has its next buzzy partnership on its hands. This time, the Swiss watchmaker has teamed up with Ambush founders Yoon Ahn and Verbal on a limited-edition Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon that brings the duo’s cross-disciplinary world of streetwear, high fashion, music, and pop culture into the realm of haute horlogerie.
Ahn, who studied graphic design and co-founded Ambush in 2015, was initially drawn to the Royal Oak for its bold geometric design and later became fascinated by the work of Gerald Genta, the legendary watchmaker behind the Royal Oak. She purchased her first Royal Oak over twenty years ago, marking the beginning of her relationship with the house.
Inspired by the first Royal Oak concept, launched in 2002, a watch that Verbal proudly owns himself, the pair set out to create a piece that's just as timeless. “It’s something that we designed that’s going to last. We’re thinking 20 years down the road, this is still going to look fresh,” says Ahn.
Unlike the original 44mm Royal Oak concept, the new watch comes in a more versatile 38.5mm size. For Ahn, the smaller case was essential, as she has long admired the Royal Oak Concept line, she found that previous models were too large for her wrist.
The idea of time shaped the design from the inside out. Starting with the tourbillon, the duo pushed Audemars Piguet to create its first-ever red anodized tourbillon cage, symbolizing the heart of the timepiece as well as the earth’s core and its energy, constantly in motion.
The partially openworked design reveals the hand-wound movement, surrounded by a glittering black aventurine dial meant to resemble the night sky.
For Ahn, the hand-wound movement was a necessary design element that creates “an emotional connection with the piece—it’s quite nice to have a manual movement,” she says. “It’s like an interpersonal relationship, you have to interact with it every day.” The manual movement also allowed Audemars Piguet to forgo a rotor, resulting in a slimmer case and more comfortable fit on the wrist.
Verbal, co-founder of Ambush.
As for the aventurine dial, the duo wanted to evoke the night sky and the celestial origins of timekeeping. “It’s like a little constellation all crammed into this piece,” says Yoon. Fittingly, the launch event in Seoul was starry in another sense, drawing the likes of Hailey Bieber, Lee Jung-jae, and Evan Mock.
Limited to just 150 pieces, the watch is set in a sandblasted titanium case, featuring an open case back displaying its remarkable Caliber 2982 movement, with “Y/V” and “Limited Edition” engravings.
The timepiece comes with interchangeable black and red rubber straps while a special gray version is available upon request.
