The 38mm replica Audemars Piguet watches Royal Oak Chronograph is an ideal choice for collectors with smaller wrists.
It might be too small for me, and too big for some, but I suspect it will be the perfect fit for many.
When we received Audemars Piguet's press release about their new products for the year, three watches immediately stood out. The most eye-catching was the first watch in the new collection – the Neo Frame Jumping Hour. A breathtaking pocket watch also garnered considerable attention (partly, of course, because I always write about complicated pocket watches). However, I believe the most practical and meaningful new addition is perhaps the new 38mm Royal Oak Chronograph with its in-house movement.
Most watchmakers will tell you that developing a completely new chronograph movement is one of the most challenging tasks. In 2022, the brand updated the Royal Oak Chronograph, with the 41mm stainless steel model featuring a new in-house flyback movement, which debuted in 2021. This upgrade is welcome, as it includes aesthetic improvements such as optimized sub-dial placement and balance. However, it also replaces the somewhat outdated movement – the Caliber 2385, also known as the improved Frédéric Piguet 1185, released in 1998. The new movement is larger, better filling the case, and features a full-size balance bridge, a free-sprung balance, a frequency increased to 4 Hz, and a 70-hour power reserve, as well as a flyback function. This vertical-displacement chronograph movement employs a robust column-wheel mechanism, resulting in a lower failure rate. replica luxury watches
However, with the introduction of the new watch, the 38mm Royal Oak Chronograph was shelved. The Caliber 1185 continued to be used, but many would tell you it's not without its flaws. This movement suffers from chronograph function malfunctions, second hand failures, overall poor reliability, and frequent column-wheel replacements. Now, with the advent of the new in-house movement 6401, Audemars Piguet's Chief Industrial Officer Lucas Raggi states that reliability and performance have been significantly improved – undoubtedly a welcome development.
The Royal Oak Chronograph is one of the most well-rounded models in the brand's collection, with a more understated and sophisticated aesthetic than previous versions. Perhaps most importantly, this timepiece now offers a wider range of sizes, although currently only three color options are available (stainless steel case with a blue dial, rose gold case with a grey dial and gold subdials, and rose gold case with a sand-brown dial and diamond-set bezel). While I have seen all three models in person, this article focuses primarily on the stainless steel version, as it is likely to be the preferred choice for most people, considering both price and wearing comfort. replica swiss watches
The dial of the new watch has been redesigned. The subdials extend slightly outwards, away from the central axis, and the positions of the hour and 30-minute chronograph counters have been swapped, now slightly above the center line of the dial. This design has appeared on some watches, such as the new Rolex Daytona, but it's usually less noticeable. The "night blue" dial with the "Nuage 50 Grande Tapisserie" pattern remains a classic feature of the Royal Oak collection. I personally prefer the snail-patterned subdials that echo the dial color to the contrasting subdials on the gold model—the latter seem a bit too flamboyant for this already bold design and case material. Date windows have always been controversial, but I personally don't mind this watch having one. While many of us dislike date windows, the brand knows that watches with date displays sell much better than those without.
Turning the watch over reveals a transparent case back, showcasing the new Caliber 6401 movement and its uniquely shaped gold rotor. To minimize the movement's size, the new watch eliminates the flyback function, significantly simplifying the movement's structure. While visually different, the efficiency is greatly improved compared to its predecessor. This movement boasts a 55-hour power reserve (15 hours more than its predecessor) and a 4Hz frequency. While the movement's thickness and width have slightly increased (5.7mm and 27mm respectively, compared to 5.5mm and 26.2mm for the previous generation), even with the addition of a transparent case back, the overall watch thickness has only increased by 0.1mm, a remarkable achievement in case design. richard mille replicas
The previous Frédéric Piguet movement was heavily criticized, particularly regarding the long-term durability of the chronograph function. The new column wheel design is cleaner and more streamlined than the 4401 movement with its flyback function. Raggi points out that while the column wheel can still be replaced entirely if necessary, the likelihood of problems has been significantly reduced. CEO Ilaria Resta emphasizes that ergonomics and reliability are core considerations. Although the finishing is not at the level of independent watchmakers and cannot compare to high-end movements like Chopard's LUC series, its performance is quite excellent for a chronograph in this price range and represents a significant improvement over the previous movement.
I mentioned earlier that the thickness has increased by 0.1 mm. Now measuring 38 mm x 11.1 mm, it feels like a good size and is actually quite slim compared to the Rolex Daytona (11.9 mm) (although its water resistance isn't as good). The Royal Oak Chronograph sample we saw wasn't designed for my 7.25-inch wrist, so the bracelet had one or two fewer links, but I can imagine it would be very comfortable to wear. This watch lacks screw-down chronograph pushers, which I think is a bit of a shame for a Daytona, but even if it did, it would be perfectly acceptable to me, as the watch's design cleverly incorporates aesthetics. It's the best choice—both beautiful and easy to use. The pushers are also slightly spaced due to the new movement, but I don't think this affects its practicality.
Size selection is largely a matter of personal preference. Before you complain about it being "too small," remember to say "for me." I generally prefer smaller watches, perhaps because I'm tall and often told by everyone (including their mothers) that I should wear a large watch "because I can wear it." Well, in the case of this watch, perhaps they're right. Looking back at the photos and recalling how it felt to wear, I think the 41mm version might be more suitable for me. replica jacob and co watches
