Powered by a delicate engine of springs, gears, and screws barely visible to the naked eye, the mechanical wristwatch remains a relic of the past—but a deeply revered one. For collectors, the imperfections of these analog machines are what make them so personal. Their quirks, inconsistencies, and reliance on human input aren’t flaws. They’re part of the emotional draw.
A Reengineered Chronograph That Feels Like an iPhone Button
With the new Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5, Audemars Piguet brings something unexpected to a legacy timepiece: a tactile update that mimics the feel of a smartphone. For decades, the average chronograph pusher required 1.5 kg of force across 1 mm of travel. Giulio Papi, the brand’s director of watch conception, wanted to drastically reduce that, targeting just 300 g of pressure over 0.3 mm. That’s roughly the same sensitivity as the volume button on an iPhone.
The result is pushers that feel effortlessly smooth while maintaining mechanical integrity. Inside the case, the newly developed Calibre 8100 eliminates the traditional hammer-and-cam reset and instead uses a patented rack-and-pinion system. When the chronograph is reset, stored energy in the rack delivers an ultra-clean, retrograde snap-back motion. Paired with a sharp chronograph minute jump, the RD#5 delivers one of the most fluid flyback mechanisms ever integrated into a Royal Oak.
Ultra-Thin Movement, Maximum Complexity
The watch continues to build on the innovation of the 2022 RD#3 by integrating a high-amplitude flying tourbillon featuring a titanium cage and a slimmer escapement. This redesign improves both reliability and energy efficiency while packing an astonishing 379 components and 44 jewels into a movement that’s just 4 mm thick. It’s a technical marvel concealed within the familiar profile of the Extra-Thin Jumbo.
Even with all this engineering, the aesthetics remain classically Royal Oak. The dial features a dark blue Petite Tapisserie pattern, with rhodium-toned pink-gold hour markers, matching white-gold hands, chronograph subdials at three and nine o’clock, and a flying tourbillon at six. The 39 mm titanium case is only 8.1 mm thick and is paired with an integrated bracelet that combines titanium with bulk metallic glass—a palladium-based alloy that offers impressive wear resistance. BMG also appears on the pushers, bezel, and caseback, where a sapphire crystal provides a full view of the ultra-thin movement.
A Watch That Honors the Past While Advancing the Future
The RD#5 isn’t just a technical upgrade—it’s a philosophical one. It shows how far traditional watchmaking can evolve without abandoning its roots. Every decision, from the tactile reengineering of the pushers to the materials used in the case, points to a future where analog doesn’t have to feel outdated. Instead, it can feel more refined, more personal, and more precise.
In pushing the boundaries of a classic, Audemars Piguet has created something that feels effortlessly modern without losing the mechanical soul that collectors love. The Royal Oak RD#5 doesn’t just tell time—it tells a story about what watchmaking still has to say.
