Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Supersonnerie Wins at the GPHG

Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias
accepts the “Exception Mécanique” award at the GPHG 

Swiss watchmaking brand Audemars Piguet is proud to announce that its haute horlogerie timepiece, the Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie, won in the “Exception Mécanique” category at this year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) last week. In a tough race against its competitors, this exceptional piece convinced the jury unanimously.

Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie

The Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie disrupts traditional ideas of minute repeater watches and displays a true desire to break the rules, technically and creatively. This minute repeater of superior acoustic intensity with a supremely clear, sustained tone, is the result of eight years of research in partnership with l’EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne). It is composed of three new pioneering chiming sound developments that have become technological achievements, patented innovations.

The awards ceremony took place in Geneva, at the Théâtre du Léman. The watchmaking industry gathered for an exciting evening to discover the winners of the 16 existing categories featured at the GPHG. The jury of 23 professionals from the luxury and media world was headed by the haute horlogerie specialist and auctioneer Aurel Bacs.

A deeper look into the innovative movement.

Earlier this year, Audemars Piguet presented the outstanding Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie, a minute repeater of superior acoustic intensity with a supremely clear, sustained tone. Three new pioneering chiming sound developments have become technological achievements, patented innovations. Presented in a super-light titanium case, this exclusive production timepiece is precision-made to awaken sound. It brings unprecedented acoustic performance, exceptionally refined sound quality and the clear, harmonic tone of traditional pocket-watches to a contemporary minute repeater wristwatch.

Pure Harmony - The outcome of extensive research is a new method for pre-preparing the steel used to create the gong structure, to achieve a unique minute repeater sound. A scientific system of performance targets was devised according to material cross-section, length and rigidity. Today, these pre-defined targets anticipate the final performance of the steel used by the watchmaker to make the gongs, assisting him to hone the right pitch, tone, and harmony. The result is a shortened, precision-mastered tuning process and a unique sound.

Years of research went into
developing the watch's sound.

Rare Quality - The Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie presents a newly developed case construction that prevents sound absorption, boosting amplification. In traditional minute repeater technology, the gongs are fixed to the main plate. In the Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie they are attached to a new device, a material spread beneath the movement that acts as a soundboard. Now, the gongs transmit vibrations directly to the soundboard – not to the main plate. The technology functions like the upper body of a guitar. With the vibration-to-air system improved, sound quality, tone and amplification are richer.

Brighter Tone - The striking regulator – the device that sets the pace of the striking sequence of hours, quarters and minutes – is redesigned. The anchor system is more flexible and becomes a shock absorber so that unwanted shock noise – created on action – is eliminated. Noise is almost imperceptible; poor frequencies are diminished and the pure, clear sound created by the watchmaker is freed. The result: a brighter, cleaner tone.