The Audemars Piguet 2021 Women novelties are so hot any gender would wear them
The gendering of watches has been a hot topic of late, and for good reason, as there is room for growth from both the enthusiast and manufacturer’s perspective. So when I first received the press release about Audemars Piguet’s new 2021 products for women, I couldn’t help but sigh. But, to be fair, I have no problem with designs being created with women in mind – they certainly deserve attention in a market that currently caters more to the male perspective. However, when I saw the pictures and specs of these fake watches, I was very excited about what I saw. Names and intentions aside, these watches are objectively stunning – so much so that I imagine buyers of all backgrounds would support these pieces. If anything, it’s a testament to the fact that this venerable Holy Trinity maker has a good ear. Sure, they’ve shown that they designed these watches with women in mind, but they’ve also avoided exploiting the stereotypical cues that sometimes dominate the category. These are the same watches that appear as “men’s watches”, but with a flair and form that really provide an interesting update to their corresponding collections.
Of the different replica watches in this group, my favorite is probably the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 34mm Black Ceramic Selfwinding. The Royal Oak is known to wear a little larger on the wrist than it does on paper, and from personal experience, the 34mm configuration does fit my small wrist very well. This frame is nothing new, as the 34mm Royal Oak gained a lot of attention when it was first released. The real revolution is that this size now finds itself in stealth black ceramic, again at the highest level of finish as its larger counterpart in the catalog. It is also the only Royal Oak time and date watch in the entire catalog to feature black ceramic, creating a less complicated and more accessible option for buyers.
The watch’s 34mm case and bracelet are made of black ceramic, while the exhibition case-back is made of titanium. The black “Grande Tapisserie” dial blends perfectly with the tone of the case and strap, but is configured with contrasting rose gold hands, hour-markers, applied AP logo, and even bezel screws, adding a sensual touch to this mainly stealthy watch.
Measuring 8.8 mm thick and water-resistant to 50 meters, this model houses the automatic caliber 5800 – the Vaucher VMF 3002, decorated and assembled in-house by Audemars Piguet – which has a 50-hour power reserve and features a double barrel and variable inertia balance wheel for better running stability and optimal timekeeping. You can also enjoy the added luxury of a pin gold rotor designed by Audemars Piguet and adorned with beveled corners and a central sunken brushed surface that sets off the engraved AP logo.
A perfect example of the blurring of the lines between “men’s” and “women’s” watches, Audemars Piguet has actually launched two new 37mm Royal Oak Double Balance models and quietly introduced a new 41mm model in all three shades of frosted gold. The 37 mm in frosted white gold had already been introduced before, but now yellow and rose gold configurations have entered the fray. However, this is the debut of these designs in the larger 41 mm format – with a matching yellow gold instead of the slate-gray skeletonized dial of the 37 mm counterpart.
Aside from this detail, these configurations share the same design frame, 50 meters of water resistance, and the 3132 movements, the only difference between them being the diameter – all of which are 10 mm thick. Their frosted gold texture, designed in collaboration with renowned jewelry designer Carolina Bucci, replaces the typical satin brush with a diamond dust texture that really catches the eye. To add intrigue, the gem-set bezel of each watch is composed of baguette-cut rubies, tsavorites, emeralds, topazes, tanzanites, and various colored sapphires, resulting in a rainbow aesthetic that copy watch collectors truly love. Knowing Dave and Stormzy, they will soon own the entire collection (if they don’t already).