AP’s Most Radical Watch Hides in Plain Sight
Audemars Piguet just slipped its wildest experiment into its most recognizable watch.
The Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5 (a mouthful, I know) closes a decade of audacious R&D with a trick no one saw coming.
Instead of stiff, clunky buttons, AP rebuilt the chronograph pushers, the main touchpoint of the chronograph experience, to feel like the satisfyingly light buttons found on smartphones.
The RD#5 makes the case that chronographs, usually oversized and attention-grabbing, can stay clean and understated while still carrying heavyweight horology.
That shift humanizes the lofty watch tech. Watch nerds can talk amplitude and torque, but normal people talk about how it feels on the wrist.
The iPhone-style buttons are the dinner table story. The rest is gravy: a novel flying tourbillon spinning at six, a titanium case with NASA-grade metallic glass accents, and an instant reset that makes the whole thing faster, sharper, and stranger.
To pack all of this into a super-thin 39mm watch is unheard of. It feels like a classic car reengineered with the latest Formula 1 internals.
For 10 years, the Research and Development (RD) series has been AP’s runway, a playground for theatrical experiments. From minute repeaters to ultra-thin calendars, each model tackled an “impossible” corner of watchmaking. The RD#5 is the fifth and final chapter, limited to 150 pieces at CHF 260,000 (that's around $326,766).
The Royal Oak is a model that's become a cultural staple. It’s the same watch Jay-Z rapped about in the 2000s, the skeleton Oak Drake shows to millions, the Jumbo Travis Scott wears like a uniform, and on TikTok, the octagon bezel that signals straight-up shorthand for luxury.
Slipping AP’s wildest technical experiment into its most familiar face is a move that almost feels suversive. It's complex in execution, indulgent in concept, but grounded in something universal: a tactile experience that just feels good.
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