he “RD#5”: from its name alone, one senses that this new Audemars Piguet timepiece will require delving into patents and technical drawings to grasp its essence. A watchmaker’s product, for watchmakers. Except that... it’s precisely the opposite. The manufacturer’s specifications are the opposite. They answer a question of disarming simplicity: what do collectors like, and how can we respond to that?

Of course, the challenge is as old as the watch itself. But it is often achievable within the limits of what is known, industrializable, and economically viable. For an RD#5, these questions do not arise. The piece is exploratory and limited (150 copies). It sets new standards and opens up new creative avenues.

“The main idea is to entrust the internal mechanics with what the external mechanics no longer have to do,” explains Giulio Papi, Director of Watch Design. In short, reducing the effort required by the user to read and adjust their watch, so that it does the work for them.

“It’s like a smartphone”

The pushers feature the most visible improvements. Or rather, the most noticeable ones. “Like those found on a smartphone,” says Giulio Papi. The comparison is simple, but the technical challenge is complex.

"Modern models, constrained by water resistance and industrial production, require a 1.2 mm stroke and 1.2 kg of pressure, and lose some of their finesse. The RD#5, inspired by the chronographs of the 1950s, renowned for their smoothness, aims for ergonomics similar to smartphone buttons: 0.35 mm for 0.35 kg,“ he continues.

”The watch has two pushers. First, our Start/Stop, where the column wheel, a guarantee of smoothness, is combined with a vertical gear clutch to achieve the ergonomics of a smartphone. Next, the reset. This is where the major innovation lies. Traditionally, this relies on a hammer acting on a heart, which is energy-intensive and has a long stroke, directly requiring finger pressure. The RD#5 replaces this system with a pinion and a rack. The rack spring is wound by the pinion while the chronograph is running. The push-button now simply releases a lock, allowing the rack to return its energy to the pinion to reset the hands to zero. In addition, by removing one tooth from the pinion, the rack falls back every 60 seconds while the chronograph is running: this trick allows the minute counter to be instantly incremented by one tooth, which becomes jumping."

User friendly

This ergonomic work continues on a global scale throughout the watch. The movement is only 4 mm thick, in keeping with the principles of quiet luxury. The same goes for the case, which has a modest diameter of 39 mm. The peripheral oscillating weight, which had not been seen at AP for about ten years, offers a completely unobstructed view of the movement. The power reserve is 72 hours.

And, the icing on the cake: there is no longer any need to pull out the crown. A light press unlocks it and gives access to the winding and time-setting functions. Could this idea be adapted to the complexity of setting a QP? Or could we envisage a chronograph with a jumping seconds hand too? See you for RD#6, perhaps...