And eight years on from their last forged carbon watch, Audemars Piguet (AP) brings back forged carbon to their lineup in an all-new iteration: the high-tech Chroma Forged Technology (CFT) carbon.
Chroma Forged Technology (CFT) carbon is the latest innovative material to come out of Le Brassus.
CFT is a brand-new coloured forged carbon that was developed in-house by R&D teams and artisans at Le Brassus, over the course of five years. CFT carbon combines the lightness you expect from carbon with a high resistance to shocks, heat and humidity. But what makes it truly special is the ability to directly colour the carbon fibres itself instead of colouring the resin, allowing for greater creative possibilities in watch design. And the use of less resin in CFT carbon also makes it less susceptible to scratches.
“This new CFT carbon is testament to our teams’ expertise and to the endless quest for innovation that has driven Audemars Piguet since its inception in 1875. It also opens up new creative horizons, promising many surprises for Haute Horlogerie enthusiasts in the years to come,” said Ilaria Resta, the CEO of Audemars Piguet.
To fully show off the capabilities of this new CFT material, Audemars Piguet unveils the new 43mm Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date. The CFT carbon makes up the watch case, accented with blue glow-in-the-dark fibres that shine through the black carbon middle. On the black ceramic bezel and crown, as well as contrasting titanium push-piece guards, the case also features satin-brushing and polishing finishes.
The two-tone black and blue colourway is eye-catching on the openworked dial. Circular apertures are cut into the main nickel silver plate allowing a peek into the lively micro-mechanics inside. The inner bezel and the counters are also finished in an electric blue shade, which accentuates the blue highlights within the CFT case, while increasing legibility. The white gold hands and hour-markers appear white in the day but in the dark, they glow blue thanks to a luminescent filling. The edgy design is further emphasised by the absence of the AP logo on the dial that allows the materials within the watch case to stand on its own.
Finishing the look, the Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date gets a blue rubber strap with black accents. It also comes fitted with AP’s interchangeability system and a secondary black and blue rubber strap, so you can switch out anytime to match your mood.
Most importantly, this chronograph is powered by the selfwinding Calibre 4407, which is AP’s latest chronograph movement which was launched in 2023, and three main functions. Firstly, the flyback function, which is enhanced by a patented zero resetting mechanism that ensures instantaneous resetting on both the chronograph and split-seconds hands.
Then the split-seconds mechanism, which can be independently stopped from the chronograph and instantly catches up to the running hand when the pusher at 9 o’clock is activated. Interestingly, the split-seconds mechanism has been integrated within the thickness of the rotor’s ball bearing in order to reduce the movement’s height, which also allows it to be seen through the sapphire caseback – a rare sight for selfwinding watches.
Finally, the GMT function with day/night display at 3 o’clock allows for a second time zone. The disc and hand rotates at independent speeds, with the hour hand fully rotating in 12-hours while the day/night disc completes a round in 24. The large date display with its digital look completes the functions.
With the unveiling of this new high-tech CFT carbon that’s even tougher and works better with colour, we’ll be keeping an eye out for more creative possibilities from AP in the future.
Read more about the latest timepieces here.
Photos courtesy of Audemars Piguet.