AMBUSH's YOON and VERBAL Put a Red Tourbillon at the Heart of Their Collaborative Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept

Summary

• Audemars Piguet and AMBUSH co-founders YOON and VERBAL announce a 150-piece limited edition Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon, featuring a black aventurine open-worked dial and a red anodized aluminum flying tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock — a first in AP’s history
• The watch is powered by the manually wound Caliber 2982, an evolution of Caliber 2964 developed specifically for this edition, with approximately 72 hours of power reserve and 212 components in a movement 6mm thick
• The 38.5mm titanium case comes with two interchangeable “Micro Mosaic” rubber straps in black and red, with a quilted inner lining and titanium AP folding buckle

Audemars Piguet has announced a 150-piece Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon in collaboration with AMBUSH co-founders YOON and VERBAL. The watch introduces a red anodized aluminum tourbillon cage — a first for the manufacture — set against a black aventurine open-worked dial in a 38.5mm titanium case, powered by the hand-wound Caliber 2982.

The Caliber 2982 is the right place to start. Developed specifically for this edition as an evolution of Caliber 2964, the movement is manually wound, 6mm thick, and carries 212 components across a 29.5mm diameter. It beats at 3Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour) and delivers approximately 72 hours of power reserve. The partially open-worked architecture is designed with a precise intent: to expose the regulating organ as directly as possible, stripping the dial back to what drives it. Microblast, satin, and polished finishes are applied by hand across the gear train and mainspring barrel, creating a visual depth that changes as the light shifts across the movement. The flying tourbillon, housed in a rotating cage that completes one revolution per minute, is supported only from below — no upper bridge — meaning the balance wheel and escapement are visible without interruption from the dial side.

That cage is where the collaboration makes its most technically significant contribution. The upper plate of the tourbillon cage is finished in red via an anodizing process applied to the aluminum — a first for Audemars Piguet. Anodizing aluminum at this scale, at this precision, on a component this small and this critical to the watch’s function, is an engineering decision as much as a design one. VERBAL’s framing of the choice is worth noting: the red is not decorative in the conventional sense but conceptual — an anchor for the eye that he connects to the earth’s core, to the source of energy, to the origin of time itself. The result at 6 o’clock is a single red element that commands the entire dial without needing to raise its voice.

The 38.5mm titanium case handles the red tourbillon through a considered material contrast. Sandblasted, satin, and polished finishes across the titanium surfaces produce a shifting surface that responds differently to different light conditions, keeping the case visually active without competing with the dial. The black ceramic crown with titanium tip and anti-reflective sapphire crystal caseback reflect the Royal Oak Concept‘s established material language. The caseback carries engravings of “Audemars Piguet,” “Y/V,” and “Limited Edition,” identifying the collaboration with the same restraint applied throughout the object. The two interchangeable rubber straps — black and red, both in the “Micro Mosaic” pattern developed for this edition, with a quilted inner lining for wrist comfort — complete the build via a titanium AP folding buckle. A matching grey rubber strap is available separately.

The YOON & VERBAL x Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon is a 150-piece limited edition available through Audemars Piguet boutiques worldwide.