Audemars Piguet started working with Australian designer Tamara Ralph in 2020, pairing several of its watches with her Spring/Summer 2021 Prêt-à-Porter collection. For 2024, the designer and the watchmaker are taking things one step further by working on a collaborative timepiece that is inspired by the same values that mark Tamara Ralph’s Haute Couture creations – bold femininity, boundless creativity, and timeless elegance.
Tamara Ralph
The fourth generation of a family of couturiers, Ralph grew up in Sydney, Australia, a world away from the runways, of Paris, London, New York, and Milan. However, her passion for creating extraordinary pieces quickly brought her recognition from an international audience. In 2005, she moved to London, and in 2010 she founded Ralph & Russo. Four years later, in 2014, she became the first Creative Director from the UK in nearly a century to be deemed eligible by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture to show during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week. She is also one of only three female creative directors globally to be invited to present her creations at the prestigious show.
Add to this the fact that she has dressed Beyonce for her Mrs. Carter world tour, Angelina Jolie for her damehood, and Megan Markle for her engagement to Prince Harry, and it is no wonder that she caught Audemars Piguet’s eye too. She has a way of blending a sense of luxury with fine craftsmanship and truly unique designs that is not dissimilar to the way the Manufacture approaches its timepieces, making the partnership the perfect match.
The Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon
Together, Tamara Ralph and Audemars Piguet have created a Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon that made its début on the runway of Paris’s Haute Couture Fashion Week this week. Crafted from 18-karat frosted rose gold, this highly creative timepiece features a multi-layered dial made up of four overlapping circular pink gold plates that each present a different colour. Emanating from the tourbillon cage, discs in brown, bronze and different golden hues create a ripple effect across the face of the watch. This is accentuated thanks to a sunburst satin finishing that radiates from the hands outwards in seamless alignment with the individual plates.
“My intention for the design of this piece is for it to capture the spirit and craftsmanship of both my brand as well as Audemars Piguet,” explains Ralph. “The complications of watchmaking orchestrate a foundation which can be played with in terms of textures, colours and designs, allowing for the savoir-faire of couture to shine through. Rich materials, unique colour palettes and ultimate precision are combined, creating an exquisite limited edition of the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon, inspired by Haute Couture.”
The Tourbillon Cage
Continuing the circular theme, the tourbillon cage’s upper frame incorporates three rings that radiate from an off-centered disc paved with 19 brilliant-cut diamonds in perfect harmony with the rest of the dial. The only other details are the pink gold hour and minute hands and an elegant AP monogram logo at 12 o’clock.
The timepiece is powered by the hand-wound Calibre 2964 and is fitted with an integrated bronze-toned, hand-stitched, alligator strap with large square scales. It also comes with a second brown alligator strap for two different looks.
“Tamara’s endless quest for perfection perfectly echoes our watchmakers’ dedication to pushing their craft to the limit,” shares Audemars Piguet’s Chief Executive Officer Illaria Resta. “We are delighted to start 2024 in collaboration with this inspiring woman and it is only the beginning!”
