Hands On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Grained Dial in White Gold
Audemars Piguet (AP) just revealed its new launches for the year and one of the highlights is a new version of the classic Royal Oak “Jumbo”. Harking back to the uncommon “Tuscan” dial from three decades ago, the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Ultra-Thin in white gold boasts a grained blue dial. Initial thoughts At a distance, the new “Jumbo” looks like an average Royal Oak with its white metal case and blue dial. But on the hand, it is evidently different. It is still thin and elegant but wonderfully weighty thanks to the gold case and bracelet. Granted, the quintessential Royal Oak is a steel “Jumbo” but the white gold case leaves this feeling a bit more refined and sophisticated. And then there’s the dial. With its granular surface, it is recognisably different from the average Royal Oak – and also easily beautiful. The PVD treatment gives it a gorgeous metallic blue that combines with the texture to catch the light nicely. Although it is not a limited edition, this feels special, mostly due to the fact that it’s the only white gold “Jumbo” in the catalogue. There is another white metal “Jumbo” in the line up – the platinum model exclusive to AP Houses – but it has a green dial that feels a bit too fashionable. This grained blue dial, however, feels more like a classic. The standard steel “Jumbo” is already an excellent watch, combining the perfect proportions of the original Royal Oak with the excellent cal. 7121. This version in white ...