It has been a while—eight years, to be precise—since Audemars Piguet has implemented a forged carbon timepiece. The high-tech, robust material is back in a new, evolved form of the Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date. Specifically, the new—and patented—Chroma Forged Technology (CFT) carbon, which was developed in-house over five years, has pigments applied directly to the carbon pieces before the forging process, giving the timepiece a unique look. It is also less prone to scratching.
Muscular but sleek, the Royal Oak Concept collection is just the sort of platform one might expect to debut a cutting-edge material. This new expression is 43mm in diameter and 17.4mm thick. The case middle is made from CFT carbon, which is criss-crossed with blue glow-in-the-dark fibres, making for a dramatic look in low-light conditions. The manufacturing process has inherent variations, meaning that each watch will have a slightly different pattern—including those glow-in-the-dark fibres.
CFT carbon also confers the traditional benefits of carbon materials such as light weight as well as resistance to shocks, heat and humidity. The watch’s iconic eight-sided bezel is in black ceramic, along with the caseback, crown and pushers. It houses Calibre 4407, a mighty example of chronograph movement engineering—it boasts of a flyback function, split-seconds, GMT, and large date. First seen in 2023, also on a Royal Oak Concept, it has a patented zero-reset mechanism that ensures both chronograph and split-seconds hands snap back instantly to zero. The second time zone, along with a day-night indicator, is found on the 3 o’clock subdial. The openworked dial is finished in black PVD with rhodium-toned bevels, making for a light-catching contrast to showcase the movement beneath it. The inner bezel and edges of the subdials are coloured electric blue, a striking match to the blue elements of the CFT carbon case.
This new version of the Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date is the latest in the manufacture’s long history of experimentation and innovation in exotic materials. It first used carbon in a watch in 2004, and introduced forged carbon in watchmaking in 2007. The new carbon CFT material opens new possibilities for the manufacture to experiment in terms of aesthetics and performance, and there is no doubt we will continue to see it in the coming years.
