It might seem strange to think that thousands of years from now, everything we consume will become an artefact of its time. Amongst the trinkets, gadgets and ephemera we interact with throughout our days, from toasters to tablets, these quotidian objects will fill the walls of a retrospective vision that asks: How did we view the world and how did we charter our time? With regards to the 21st century, the answer will be thus: with objects that truly pushed the limits of craftsmanship. Those that used modern technology to reveal the best of humanity’s creativity endeavours, and those that were able to look beyond the present, and craft something beyond its time. The totem that defines that divergent spirit is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept. A deeply respected name on wrists across the globe, the humble story of this Le Brassus born-and-raised watch brand is a compelling one. Situated in the pastoral spectacle of the Vallée de Joux, Switzerland, the aim of Audemars Piguet remains the same today as in its 1875 inauguration: to translate tradition and innovative techniques and alchemical prowess into beautiful Watches.

Harnessing an equilibrium of the past and present, the Swiss watchmaker set out with a plan. Hatched in 2002, to mark the 30th anniversary of the iconic Royal Oak, the Royal Oak Concept was conceived, a space in which to test the boundaries and build on tradition, creating an instrument that showcases the technical capabilities of Audemars Piguet. While arresting in appearance, the agenda is a simple one: a provocation on the evolution of watchmaking, and the Swiss manufacturer’s understanding of that, allowing for the advent of new materials, complications and movement.

By the nature of its very title, the Royal Oak Concept collection inhabits this conceptual attitude towards what the future of watchmaking could look like. Diverting convention, taking cues from concept cars, often released by automotive stalwarts to emphasise the mastery of cutting-edge technique and talent, the Royal Oak Concept Does so both in vision, and by composition.

From the horological debut of the super alloy, Alacrite 602, a material often associated with aerospace; to the introduction of a Laptimer complication, produced in collaboration with seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, Michael Schumacher, what makes this collection so significant in the history of modern watchmaking is the desire and willingness to drive an industry built on heritage and ritual into the age of the future. It is a terrain designed purely to challenge what comes next. Leading with confidence and unbound by restrictions of preference, the Royal Oak Concept has always taken the best of its means, offering a challenge to convention on the wrist. And while investigative in approach, the results of this study are in flux, as no new iteration of the Royal Oak Concept is fashioned the same as its predecessor. As such, the Royal Oak Concept collection has undergone a metamorphosis of variations, from fictional superheroes of the Marvel Universe, from Black Panther to Spider Man, life in renderings on the dial, carbon-ceramic construction, patented calibres, behemoth power reserves, a minute repeater eight years in the making, to all-out extravagantly bejewelled cases, frosted in diamonds.

Through its essence, and through decades of development, the story of the Royal Oak Concept is an unfinished one. The page awaits to be turned, the research and transformation continues, another concept waits to be conceived. It is through this platform that a new voice has been established for watches in the 21st century of Haute Horology. To challenge, to inspire, to incite curiosity, and to allow its wearer to carry that same sense of curiosity to ask themselves: what does the future of these intelligent objects look like? The answer, try it on and find out.

Discover the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept through the ages.