Key Highlights
- Limited edition of 150 pieces in 38.5 mm titanium, reference 26643TI.OO.D002CA.01
- Black aventurine dial with a red anodised aluminium flying tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock — a first at Audemars Piguet
- Hand-wound Calibre 2982, developed specifically for this collaboration, with 72-hour minimum power reserve
- First Royal Oak Concept in this size to feature the interchangeable strap system; comes with black and red rubber straps
- Collaboration with Yoon Ahn and Verbal, co-founders of Tokyo-based fashion label AMBUSH
- Caseback engraved “Audemars Piguet“, “Y/V” and “Limited Edition” affirming collaborative authorship
Purpose Over Excess
Announced on 21 May 2026 from Le Brassus, the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon crafted with Yoon and Verbal is the product of a dialogue between disciplines — watchmaking, fashion and music — rather than a surface-level licensing exercise. Yoon Ahn, creative director of AMBUSH, and Verbal, the label’s co-founder and music producer, share a design philosophy that privileges substance over trend. That outlook is readable in every material decision made here.
The 38.5 mm titanium case is characterised by an alternation of sandblasted, satin-brushed and polished surfaces, a surface treatment language long associated with the Royal Oak Concept’s high-tech identity. The black ceramic crown, topped with a titanium chip, reinforces the commitment to lightweight and wear-resistant materials. Case thickness holds at 11.4 mm — disciplined, given the complexity within.
The Dial as Architecture
The black aventurine dial is not decorative in the conventional sense. Its openworked construction removes the casework between the viewer and Calibre 2982, exposing the barrel and a portion of the gear train decorated with microblasting, satin brushing and polished bevels. Blackened 18-carat white gold hands filled with grey luminescent material provide legibility without interrupting the composition’s tonal restraint.
At 6 o’clock, the aluminium flying tourbillon top cage — anodised in red — commands the dial. The colour choice is deliberate: for Verbal, red references the Earth’s core, the origin point, the source of energy. For Audemars Piguet, it marks a technical first: no previous Royal Oak Concept has carried a red anodised tourbillon top plate. The inner bezel in tone-on-tone black retains a contrasting minute track, preserving functional coherence without visual noise.
Calibre 2982: A Movement Built for Clarity
Developed specifically for this edition, Calibre 2982 builds on the foundations of Calibre 2964 — Audemars Piguet’s hand-wound flying tourbillon movement. The new variation conserves its predecessor’s high-tech architecture while stripping back everything that does not serve the visual and mechanical narrative. The flying tourbillon cage, supported only from below, presents the balance wheel and escapement unobstructed on the dial side. One revolution per minute. The movement totals 212 parts across 18 jewels, runs at 3 Hz and guarantees a minimum 72-hour power reserve.
The sapphire and titanium caseback provides an equally clear view of the movement’s rear architecture, with engraved references to “Audemars Piguet”, “Y/V” and “Limited Edition” that contextualise the timepiece’s authorship without ornamentation. For collectors following the broader context of haute horlogerie through platforms such as Fondation Haute Horlogerie, Calibre 2982 represents a coherent evolution within the Manufacture’s technical lineage.
Interchangeable Strap System
This model is the first Royal Oak Concept at 38.5 mm to carry the interchangeable strap system. Two straps are included: black and red rubber, each featuring the “micro-mosaic” pattern and a quilted inner imprint for wrist comfort. A matching grey variation is available on demand. The system allows the wearer to shift between registers — restrained or assertive — without tools.
A Collection Built on Experimentation
The Royal Oak Concept originated in 2002 as a one-off limited edition of 150 pieces, created to mark the Royal Oak’s 30th anniversary. Its 44 mm case in Alacrite 602 — an alloy drawn from aeronautical engineering — and titanium octagonal bezel established an aesthetic that has since shaped 21st-century Haute Horlogerie. The collection proper launched in 2008 with the Royal Oak Carbon Concept. The first collaborative 38.5 mm edition came in 2024 with the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon “Tamara Ralph” Limited Edition, unveiled during Paris Haute Couture Week. The Yoon and Verbal edition is the second chapter at this size, and adds a new layer to a lineage that the Manufacture has consistently shaped through cross-disciplinary dialogue — a curatorial instinct that the annual calendar of major watch presentations, including Watches and Wonders, has brought into global focus.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the red anodised flying tourbillon on this Royal Oak Concept historically significant?
This is the first Royal Oak Concept to feature a red anodised tourbillon top plate, marking a technical first for Audemars Piguet. For Verbal, the red references the Earth’s core as the origin point and source of energy.
What is the power reserve of the Calibre 2982 movement in this limited edition?
Calibre 2982 guarantees a minimum 72-hour power reserve and runs at 3 Hz with 212 parts across 18 jewels. The movement was developed specifically for this collaboration and is a hand-wound flying tourbillon calibre.
How many pieces were made of the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon with Yoon and Verbal?
This is a limited edition of 150 pieces in 38.5 mm titanium, reference 26643TI.OO.D002CA.01, created through a collaboration between Audemars Piguet and the Tokyo-based fashion label AMBUSH co-founded by Yoon Ahn and Verbal.
