How do you spice up a decade-long collaboration with a tennis legend like Serena Williams? For Audemars Piguet, the answer was obvious: give her free rein to create her very own timepiece. Lord knows she has the experience by now.

After 12 years spent as brand ambassador for the historic Swiss brand, Williams put on her watchmaker hat and got to work.

The result is quintessentially Serena: a luxe balance of soft and hard, translated via a pink-tinted mother-of-pearl dial and white ceramic case, bezel, and bracelet. The soft-hued casing feels perfectly aligned with the legacy that Williams brought to tennis; she chipped away at the male-dominated sport for decades, packaging her power into an unapologetically feminine exterior. 

“I’ve always believed that strength and feminine energy can exist side by side,” Williams notes in the press release. “To me, this watch is a reminder that you don’t have to choose between power and grace – you can embrace both.”

Even the watch itself, AP’s Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph, fits Williams perfectly. Athletes have gravitated toward the style for its thinness and precision since its 1997 debut, with collaborative editions released by stars in competitive sailing, cricket, and football. 

The release fits a string of moves by Audemars Piguet to branch out beyond its (rightfully earned) reputation for high-high-end luxury. Sure, it may still turn out white-gold, couture-level watches with jewel-encrusted peacocks, and this Serena-designed timepiece may retail for $95,900. But it's also down with the people; this year’s collaboration with Swatch on a “Royal Pop” proved the 150-year-old is still hip with it. 

By releasing a fresh new take on the classic Royal Oak with an athlete as GOATed as Serena Williams, AP has proved it knows exactly what it takes to get the people ticking. 

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