Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet is taking part in the Dubai Watch Week (November 24 to 28) hosting a large-scale exhibition titled Beyond the Limits: A Journey through Time, Design and Materials.

This exhibition, which brings visitors at the heart of the Manufacture’s endless quest for innovation, is accompanied by a series of exclusive and public events inspired by the exhibition theme.

Beyond the Limits offers a journey into the Royal Oak Offshore’s universe – a collection that embodies Audemars Piguet’s creativity and endless quest for innovation. © Courtesy of Audemars Piguet

Beyond the Limits: A Journey through Time, Design and Materials dives into the Royal Oak Offshore’s universe. Launched in 1993, this pioneering muscular sports watch defied established conventions and set the trend of large-sized watches adapted to extreme sports and lifestyles. Taking ever-more creative dimensions with a wide array of unyielding materials, sizes and colours, the Royal Oak Offshore embodies Audemars Piguet’s rule-breaking and free-spirited attitude.

The exhibition contextualises the development of the Royal Oak Offshore in the Manufacture’s research in material innovation which accelerated in the 1980s thanks to new technological and horological advancements. Finding inspiration in fields as diverse as aeronautics, aerospace and the automotive industry, Audemars Piguet explored new territories of expression and started experimenting with high-tech materials such as ceramic and titanium.

Divided into two rooms, the exhibition displays a selection of heritage and contemporary timepieces, including emblematic Royal Oak Offshore models. In addition, visitors are invited to experiment with a variety of materials, such as ceramic and gold to better understand their unique transformative journey into high-end ergonomic watch designs.

“Beyond the Limits pays tribute to Audemars Piguet’s 146 years of experimentation with materials, proportions and forms, which have resulted in the creation of pioneering timepieces built to withstand the test of time. Since 1993, the Royal Oak Offshore’s oversized case and muscular aesthetics have provided the brand with a unique offbeat platform for innovation,” says Sébastian Vivas, Heritage and Museum Director.

MASTERCLASSES

To further immerse visitors in its Haute Horlogerie universe, Audemars Piguet is participating in the Dubai Watch Week hands-on workshop programme, with two dedicated masterclasses. Visitors can try their hand at some techniques utilised in the assembly and decoration of watch movements, under the guidance of one of the Manufacture’s expert watchmakers.

PUBLIC EVENTS

Beyond the Limits is accompanied by a series of exclusive and public events inspired by the Manufacture’s creative experimentation to coincide with the Dubai Watch Week.

Audemars Piguet invited over 20 guests for a dinner with François-Henry Bennahmias, Chief Executive Officer, and other members of management in attendance, during which the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon limited edition of 25 pieces, specifically crafted for the Middle Eastern market, was revealed.

This dedicated timepiece features a titanium case and bracelet enhanced with a salmon dial decorated with a sunburst Tapisserie motif radiating from the flying tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock. Its distinctive combination is further accentuated by the use of applied white gold Eastern Arabic numeral hour-markers. This watch houses the latest Manufacture’s selfwinding flying tourbillon movement, Calibre 2950, whose fine watchmaking decorations and rhodium-toned oscillating weight can be admired through the sapphire caseback.

Audemars Piguet is also organising an exclusive women’s workshop focusing on gemstones’ physical and symbolic properties, hosted by Nathalie Barzilay, Audemars Piguet’s Head Gemmologist and Chloé Sarasola, friend of the brand and founder of Nasoha.

To conclude the week, the Audemars Piguet team is throwing two parties inspired by the Royal Oak Offshore’s free-spirited identity: an exclusive off-site Royal Oak Offshore Beach Party, with DJ Kat Sizova at the turntables as well as a public Go Offshore party on its booth featuring DJ Megatronic.