Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26240BA.OO.1320BA.01 '1017 ALYX 9SM' Yellow Gold Limited Edition

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 1017 ALYX 9SM is a distinctive collaboration between Audemars Piguet and designer Matthew Williams of 1017 ALYX 9SM, limited to 202 pieces. This 41mm timepiece is crafted entirely in 18k yellow gold, featuring the iconic octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet that define the Royal Oak lineage.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph

Reference Number: 26240BA.OO.1320BA.01
Movement: Calibre 4409
Mechanism: Selfwinding
Frequency: 4Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour)
Functions: Flyback chronograph, hours, minutes and small seconds
Power reserve: 70 hours
Case: 41mm 18-karat yellow gold
Water Resistance: Up to 50 meters
Bracelet: 18-karat yellow gold bracelet with AP folding clasp

So, let's take a look at the watches themselves. First, the pair of regular Royal Oak models. There's a 37mm time-only model, in 18-karat yellow gold, with a matching bracelet. Next up there's a Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph, 41mm across and in yellow gold, just like the 37mm version. Moving up to the heftier Royal Oak Offshore models, we get a pair of 42mm chronographs in white or yellow gold. No matter which reference piques your curiosity, the overall stylistic approach is the same. There's no date, no dial makers, no dial pattern. All that has been removed in favor of a solid gold dial, matching the case material. These dials have been given a vertical brushed pattern, with only the hands (also in matching gold) and the dial text to interrupt the otherwise uniform flow of heavy metal.

This pared-back look is most striking on the chronographs. This complication is traditionally framed in reference to precision — the accurate measurement of passing seconds. By removing the subdials, or in fact, any meaningful timescale, the chronographs are transformed from timekeeping instruments into more symbolic objects. Even the dial text, the brand logo at 12, the 1017 ALYX 9SM text at six, and the legally required 'Swiss Made' text fits into this streamlined aesthetic. The Audemars Piguet Logo is applied, the rest transfer printed. It's surprising how much this dial text stands out once you remove every other element of dial design, and these stark lines of text serve as a powerful indicator of collaboration.

Of course, Audemars Piguet has worked with external designers and artisans before, but what makes this 1017 ALYX 9SM partnership intriguing is that it is the first time that we've seen a new design like this simultaneously roll out across several collections, lending the air of an ongoing capsule collection rather than a one-off.

More than this, 1017 ALYX 9SM's designs provide us with a defining case study as to what the Royal Oak is. Even when you take everything away except the bezel and the bracelet, the Royal Oak and its big brother, the Offshore, are instantly recognizable and iconic. Not only does this demonstrate how the 1017 ALYX 9SM series has captured the heart of Genta's famous design, and brought it into the world of hype-culture streetwear, it shows how truly versatile the design of the Royal Oak is.