The Minute Repeater Supersonnerie duo get ceramic casebacks too featuring small apertures designed to enhance the minute repeater’s sound
Audemars Piguet has launched two new 42 mm Royal Oak Minute Repeater Supersonnerie timepieces featuring cases crafted from black ceramic, a first for the brand. The use of ceramic extends to the caseback too, which is adorned with numerous apertures designed to enhance the minute repeater’s sound when worn. Paired with elegant white gold and titanium accents, these watches promise to offer an exceptional acoustic experience that defies the traditional limitations of ceramic materials.
The black ceramic’s composition consists of Zirconium Oxide powder (ZrO2) combined with a binding agent. After sintering at temperatures exceeding 1,000°C, the ceramic achieves its uniform colour. Each component then undergoes pre-polishing and pre-satin brushing before meticulous hand-finishing, following Audemars Piguet’s signature alternation of satin brushing and polished chamfers. To further emphasize the acoustic excellence, the casebacks bear engraved sonic waves, a nod to the remarkable sonic performance delivered by the Supersonnerie mechanism.
The monochromatic black theme continues on the Grand Tapisserie dials, featuring a minute train and small seconds counter at 6 o’clock, with snailing finishing. The first model boasts luminescent white gold hour-markers, while the second model gets 13 baguette-cut diamond hour-markers for a striking contrast. Both models are adorned with luminescent white gold Royal Oak hands, echoing the eight white gold hexagonal screws securing the octagonal bezel to the case. The ensemble is completed with a black rubber strap enhanced with titanium studs and a new three-blade AP folding clasp, also crafted in titanium.
Equipped with Audemars Piguet’s latest hand-wound minute repeater movement, Calibre 2953, the watches boast an innovative case construction where the gongs are not attached to the mainplate but to a titanium membrane, which functions as a soundboard, significantly improving sound transmission. Coupled with a solid caseback featuring small apertures on its side for improved air circulation, the titanium membrane ensures that the minute repeater’s notes resonate perfectly when the watch is worn, regardless of the materials used for the external parts. The Supersonnerie technology’s versatility has allowed Audemars Piguet to incorporate it into various case materials across their collections, from titanium and platinum to 18-carat white and pink gold.
The Supersonnerie mechanism, developed by Audemars Piguet in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), was originally launched in the Royal Oak Concept collection. It revolutionized minute repeater watches by delivering the volume and resonance typically associated with pocket watches. Inspired by the sonic power of vintage minute repeaters and the harmonious sounds of musical instruments, a dedicated team of watchmakers, technicians, academics, and musicians reimagined the case construction to develop this groundbreaking chiming technology.
