Hands-On: Audemars Piguet’s Newest Ceramic Royal Oaks In The Brand’s Historic “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50”

The three new models – a Royal Oak Double Balance Openworked and two versions of the Royal Oak Offshore Self-winding Chronograph (in vintage and modern stylings) – launched last week in the middle of Watches and Wonders. It was curious timing, shortly after the brand’s AP Social Club launches in early 2025, and during a trade show in which the brand doesn’t present. Chanel also dropped these curious and wild J12s with dark blue ceramic cases on the first day of Watches and Wonders, and shortly after came the new APs. Apparently, this was just a coincidence.

AP doesn’t make its ceramic in-house, but the brand says there’s no link between its watch and Chanel’s release. The color is also not proprietary, and it’s hard to tell if it’s the same and differs only in finishing (and the finishing on AP’s ceramic is far and away the best in the industry).