Delve Into the Futuristic Innovation of Audemars Piguet’s Latest Royal Oak Concept Watches

As Zlatan Ibrahimović examines the timepieces in Hypebeast’s latest campaign.

In a new Hypebeast-produced campaign, Audemars Piguet invites footballing icon and avid watch collector Zlatan Ibrahimović to Audemars Piguet House Milano where he takes a look at two of the latest Royal Oak Concept timepieces. With horological specialist Austen Chu, Ibrahimović discovers how their technical features and material innovations are marking new firsts for both the watchmaker as well as the industry at large.

For over 20 years, the Royal Oak Concept line has been home to the watchmaker’s modern-day innovations. Its 2023-released Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date as well as its freshly uncovered iteration featuring a new colored forged carbon case continue to showcase Audemars Piguet’s dedication to avant-garde watch creation.

Making a statement as the first-ever self-winding, split-seconds flyback chronograph, the contemporary model presents a highly technical makeup yet remains uncomplicated for the wearer to use. The flyback function, for example, allows for restarting the chronograph without having to reset it first, thanks to a patented zero resetting mechanism.

Both models feature a slightly curved 43mm case as well as other design elements including an openwork dial and an interchangeable strap – the first of its kind in the Royal Oak Concept collection. While the first iteration is executed in titanium sports grey and black tones with subtle red and yellow accents, the second timepiece boasts a two-tone black and blue aesthetic.

The bold tones of the latest version come from the introduction of a brand new forged carbon case middle with captivating marbled blue pigments, developed using the patented Chroma Forged Technology (CFT). The watchmaker’s pioneering work in engineering carbon on watches dates back to 1998, however, it wasn’t until 2007 that it introduced forged carbon to the watchmaking industry. As for the new colored version, Audemars Piguet spent over five years developing this new technique, showing how its dedication to material innovation leads to striking results.

Built from layers of colored carbon fibers that have been cut into small pieces and mixed with resin before being compressed in a mold, the CFT carbon lends a unique pattern to the Royal Oak Concept model. More than that, its layered and compressed construction creates an airtight resistance to humidity, heat, and shocks, allowing the sports watch to withstand the rigors of intense athlete training, of which Ibrahimović knows all too well. Accentuating the blue tones of the carbon and luminescent material on the hands and markers, wearers can also opt for a blue strap, alternatively, swap out for black.

Take a closer look at the two Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date models in the new Hypebeast campaign featured above.

To find out more about the Royal Oak Concept timepieces, head to Audemars Piguet’s website now.