Introducing Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man”

My Spider Sense is tingling! The Daily Bugle reports that Spider-Man was sighted in Le Brassus swinging through the atelier of Audemars Piguet - although it appears that his fellow Avenger Ant-Man may have shrunken him down to fit on the dial of the latest Royal Oak Concept. Get ready to meet your friendly neighborhood Tourbillon!

Following the success and ensuing buzz surrounding the announcement of the “Black Panther” edition of the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon back in April 2021, it was inevitable that a follow-up would be in the works. Behind closed doors, the artisans at Audemars Piguet have been quietly tinkering away to bring Brooklyn’s favorite web slinger to life. The result is the astonishing (or for fans of the Andrew Garfield era, amazing) Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man”.

SECOND COLLABORATION WITH MARVEL

Much like the initial collaborative release, our titular hero is front and center on the dial. Sporting his signature red and metallic blue costume, the character appears to leap out towards the wearer against a transparent backdrop – with the left hand cocked and poised for a THWIP! from his signature web shooter. Each figurine begins as a solid block of white gold which is painstakingly shaped through a combination of CNC machining and delicate hand-engraving, ensuring that no two are identical all the while conveying an uncanny sense of fluidity for a static miniature Peter Parker. Each superhero figure requires more than 50 hours of work by the skilled craftsmen at Audemars Piguet. 

This impressive miniature Avenger perches beside the brand new Calibre 2974 hand-wound movement, which features a stunning openworked design that eliminates as much material as possible to fully showcase the technical prowess and knowhow of the Audemars Piguet engineers. This technological marvel (see what we did there) is encapsulated within a wonderfully three-dimensional and lightweight titanium case, with a diameter of 42mm making the timepiece surprisingly proportionate on wrist sizes exceeding 7 inches.

This release is destined to be controversial. Just like Marmite and Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe –  it is a love it or hate it scenario. So has Audemars Piguet landed themselves in a sticky situation? Most certainly not. The finite yet dedicated intersection of watch and comic book enthusiasts will, like clockwork, swiftly be sharing their hot takes on social media platforms upon announcement.

THE NITTY GRITTY

Before diving head-first into the horological multiverse, this is what fans of Marvel and Audemars Piguet can expect. The aforementioned 42mm diameter titanium case alternates between polished and micro-blasted finishes on the top and bottom, while the sides are satin-finished. Complementing the futuristic wristwatch are a set of correspondingly innovative rubber straps – one in black and gray, and the other in black and red –  which for the first time will be interchangeable without having to pay your nearest authorized dealer a visit.

In addition to the white luminescence on the hour and minute hands as well as Arabic numerals and hour markers, the same compound has been applied to the eyes of the Web-Head suspended on the dial – emitting a menacing blue glow to ward off any multidimensional villains lurking in the dark.

Whether you’re a fan of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield or Tom Holland (or, spoiler alert, all of them in the same film), this exceptional watch will no doubt resonate with comic book fans and movie goers alike. As J. Jonah Jameson would say: “I want Spider-Man!” Whilst we don’t think he was referring to the watch, we most definitely are.

EXPECTED AVAILABILITY

With great watchmaking comes great exclusivity. The uber-complicated timepiece is limited to 250 pieces worldwide. Retail price is set at CHF 195,000.

One special unique piece featuring the “Black Suit Spider-Man” will be auctioned off for charitable purposes to benefit the First Book and Ashoka associations, which are non-profit organizations that work to empower young people to create change and a positive impact. Unlike the standard model, this one-of-a-kind variant comes with a black rubber strap that has been treated for a velvety texture. A second calfskin leather strap with striking silver stitching is also included as an alternative.

SPECIFICATIONS

Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon "Spider-Man"
26631IO.OO.D002CA.01

Case: Titanium case, black ceramic bezel and screw-down crown, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback. 
Dial: Openworked movement, 3D Spider-Man character in hand-painted gold, gold hour markers and hands with luminescent coating.
Movement: Hand-wound Calibre 2974, total diameter 32.25mm, total thickness 5.82mm, frequency of balance wheel at 3 Hz (21 600 vibrations/ hour)
Power Reserve: 72H
Water Resistance: Up to 50m
Functions: Tourbillon, hours and minutes. 
Strap: Black and gray rubber strap with an interchangeable system and AP folding clasp. Additional black and red rubber strap.
Price: CHF 195,000