In celebration of its 150th anniversary, Audemars Piguet has unveiled a creation that speaks volumes about its philosophy of pushing boundaries while respecting its heritage. The new timepiece, born from the brand's secretive Research & Development department, is the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph, designated RD#5. This watch is the result of a five-year mission to solve a fundamental challenge in modern watchmaking: how to engineer a timepiece with immense technical sophistication that remains comfortable, intuitive, and perfectly suited to a contemporary lifestyle.
The foundation for this project is none other than the Royal Oak “Jumbo,” a design that has transcended its era to become an icon. When Gérald Genta first penned its lines in 1972, the watch's 39 mm diameter was considered so large that it earned the nickname “Jumbo.” Today, those very proportions are celebrated by collectors as a masterclass in ergonomic design. Its 8.1 mm thickness and 39 mm case size create a profile that is both substantial and incredibly wearable. It was these very characteristics that made it the ideal canvas for Audemars Piguet’s latest development, yet they also posed the greatest challenge: fitting a selfwinding chronograph and a flying tourbillon into this slender frame for the first time in the model's storied history.
Courtesy of Audemars Piguet
At the core of the RD#5 project was a deep dive into ergonomics, a comprehensive study that guided every decision from the movement architecture to the case design. The goal was to anticipate and meet the expectations of the wearer, creating a tactile and user-friendly experience. The most immediate result of this focus is found in the chronograph push-pieces. In many modern chronographs, activating the function requires a firm push, with a travel distance of a millimeter or more and a required force of around 1.5 kilograms. This can feel stiff and unsatisfying.
Audemars Piguet's team looked outside the watch world for inspiration, specifically to the haptic feedback of smartphone buttons, which typically require only 300 grams of force over a 0.3 mm travel. The challenge was to replicate this light, crisp sensation in a mechanical watch. This pursuit of tactile comfort is a return to form, recalling the smooth pushers of mid-20th-century chronographs before industrialization and the advent of water-resistant seals led to the heavier mechanisms common today. The RD#5 successfully re-engineers this experience for the modern era, delivering a much smoother and more pleasant interaction.
The ergonomic enhancements extend to the crown. Rather than a traditional pull-out stem with multiple positions, the RD#5 features a discreet function selector integrated into the crown. A simple push toggles between winding and time-setting, with a small visual indicator confirming the selected mode. This system is not only easier to use but also preserves the clean, original aesthetic of the Royal Oak design. To accommodate the complex movement within the "Jumbo's" slim profile, the engineers employed "glass box" sapphire crystals for both the front and back. These crystals are flat on the exterior but are hollowed out on the inside, creating precious extra millimeters of clearance for the movement, oscillating weight, and the sweep of the hands without increasing the watch's overall thickness.
Courtesy of Audemars Piguet
The true revolution, however, lies within. The all-new Calibre 8100 represents a fundamental reimagining of the chronograph's reset mechanism, a system that has seen little change in over 150 years. Audemars Piguet’s engineers have developed and patented a new system that moves beyond the traditional hammer-and-heart-piece configuration. This innovation optimizes the storage and release of energy, resulting in a chronograph that is not only more ergonomic but also more precise and visually engaging.
The new system is based on a rack-and-pinion mechanism. The Director of Watchmaking Design, Giulio Papi, offers a helpful analogy: a traditional chronograph is like a car driving with the handbrake on, constantly creating friction. Calibre 8100 removes that handbrake. Instead, when the chronograph starts, it's like the car is attached to an elastic band. The energy that was previously lost to friction is now stored in that elastic band. This design eliminates the need for a friction spring, preventing the chronograph hand from shuddering when it starts.
When it's time to reset, this stored energy is unleashed. The chronograph hand flies back to zero in a retrograde motion, completing the reset in less than 0.15 seconds, a movement so swift it's almost imperceptible. The use of lightweight titanium for the chronograph hand and wheel further reduces inertia, making this instantaneous reset possible. This stored energy also powers another feature highly prized by collectors: an instantaneous minute jump. With each full revolution of the chronograph seconds hand, the minute counter advances in a single, crisp click.
Courtesy of Audemars Piguet
Beyond the novel reset system, Calibre 8100 is packed with technical refinements. It features an innovative vertical clutch that combines the principles of traditional and friction clutches, moving vertically to engage and thus reducing the unnecessary rotations that can cause the seconds hand to jump upon starting. A column wheel ensures the smooth operation of the start and stop functions. The movement is, of course, a flyback chronograph, allowing for the timing of consecutive events without needing to stop, reset, and restart the mechanism.
Visible through the sapphire caseback, the Calibre 8100 is as beautiful as it is clever. To maintain an unobstructed view of the intricate mechanics, the teams developed a peripheral oscillating weight crafted from platinum. This allows the wearer to fully appreciate the movement's refined finishing, which includes hand-beveled chronograph bridges, meticulously executed sharp inward angles, and a soft satin finish. The robust movement provides a healthy 72-hour power reserve and operates at a frequency of 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour), making it a reliable companion for an active lifestyle.
The RD#5 is the latest chapter in Audemars Piguet's ongoing series of Research & Development innovations. It follows the RD#1, which set new standards for the acoustics of chiming watches; the RD#2, which reinvented the ultra-thin perpetual calendar; the RD#3, which introduced the ultra-thin selfwinding flying tourbillon that now appears in this watch; and the RD#4, the mind-bogglingly complex Code 11.59 Ultra-Complication Universelle. The RD#5 continues this legacy by tackling and solving a long-standing challenge in one of watchmaking's most popular complications.
Courtesy of Audemars Piguet
To complement the watch's slim profile, the case and integrated bracelet are crafted from a combination of innovative materials. The main case and bracelet links are made from lightweight titanium, known for its high strength-to-weight ratio. This is contrasted with components made from a precious Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG). BMGs are special alloys that, when cooled rapidly, form an amorphous, non-crystalline structure similar to glass. Audemars Piguet's proprietary BMG is composed of over 50% palladium and offers exceptional resistance to wear and corrosion, along with a brilliant, mirror-like sheen.
This high-tech material is used for the bezel, the caseback, the push-pieces, the function selector on the crown, and the connecting studs in the bracelet. These BMG elements are finished with a mirror polish that creates a stunning contrast with the satin-brushed surfaces and polished bevels of the titanium case and bracelet. The result is a dynamic interplay of light that highlights the Royal Oak's iconic architectural lines.
The dial is the signature "Petite Tapisserie" guilloché pattern, rendered in the classic "Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50" (Night Blue, Cloud 50) color. This deep blue provides a perfect backdrop for the rhodium-toned, 18-carat white gold bathtub-style hands and hour-markers, which are filled with luminescent material for readability in low light. The two chronograph counters at 3 and 9 o'clock are finished with a snailed pattern, adding subtle texture while maintaining the dial's clean, symmetrical layout. The flying tourbillon at 6 o'clock performs its mesmerizing rotation, a constant visual reminder of the mechanical complexity within.
Courtesy of Audemars Piguet
As a nod to the brand's 150th anniversary, the dial features a special "Audemars Piguet" signature at 12 o'clock, which was inspired by designs found in the company's archives. The caseback carries further commemorative markings, with "1 of 150 pieces" and the "150" logo engraved to signify the model's exclusivity.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5 is a milestone creation, released as a limited edition of 150 pieces to commemorate the brand's 150th anniversary. This level of innovation, material science, and craftsmanship comes with a price tag of CHF 260,000. It's a watch that redefines what a chronograph can be, merging extreme mechanical complexity with an unparalleled focus on user experience and comfort, all while paying homage to one of the most iconic designs in watchmaking history.
Case: 39 mm titanium case with bulk metallic glass (BMG) bezel, push-pieces, and crown chip. 8.1 mm thickness. Glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback. Water-resistant to 20 m.
Movement: Calibre 8100 selfwinding movement. Functions include a flying tourbillon and a flyback chronograph. Features 44 jewels, 379 parts, a 72-hour power reserve, and a frequency of 3 Hz (21,600 vph).
Dial: Blue "Petite Tapisserie” dial with matching snailed counters. 18-carat white gold luminescent bathtub hands and hour-markers. Silver grey-toned inner bezel.
Strap: Integrated titanium bracelet with BMG links and a titanium AP folding clasp.
Price: CHF 260,000
Reference Number: 26545XT.OO.1240XT.01
Notes: Limited edition of 150 pieces celebrating the brand's 150th anniversary. Features a completely re-engineered, patented flyback chronograph reset mechanism for a smoother, short-travel pusher feel. It's the first time a Royal Oak "Jumbo" has been equipped with both a selfwinding chronograph and a flying tourbillon.