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Luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet continues its collaboration with Marvel with the introduction of the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man,” the second project in the series that began in 2021. Combining traditional craftsmanship with futuristic technology, this 42mm titanium and black ceramic timepiece is a marvel of openwork engineering and showcases the brand's boundless creativity with its complex functions.
This watch also reflects Audemars Piguet's desire to connect with different cultures, seeking inspiration outside the world of Haute Horlogerie and drawing from the world of popular culture. Limited to 250 pieces, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man” will be launched alongside another unique edition, which will be auctioned off to raise funds for First Book and Ashoka, non-profit organizations working to empower young people to create change and positive impact.
Spider-Man-inspired watches have attracted considerable attention from fans of both the film and television worlds.
Your friendly neighbor
Following the launch of the Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon in 2021, this second collaboration with Marvel features Spider-Man, one of Marvel's most iconic superheroes.
Marvel's Spider-Man unites a vast global fanbase while upholding family and community values. The superhero's image quickly became a pop culture phenomenon after appearing in comic books, video games, and consumer products, among others. More than sixty years after its initial debut, Audemars Piguet and Marvel are pleased to honor this iconic figure.
Spider-Man immediately captivated audiences upon its release. As an ordinary young man, Peter Parker suddenly finds himself with extraordinary powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. With his newly acquired superpowers, Peter embodies the adage, "With great power comes great responsibility." Similarly, Audemars Piguet's commitment to the First Book and Ashoka organizations stems from this principle. This philanthropic effort began in 2021 with the launch of the Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon.
Incredible openwork movements
Presented in a 42mm titanium case contrasting with a black ceramic bezel and crown, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man” open-cased movement emerges as the hero of this timepiece.
Developed from the Calibre 2948 movement, the new manual-winding Calibre 2974 demands the full expertise of Audemars Piguet's engineers, watchmakers, and craftsmen to make this watch visible in the daylight. By minimizing the movement's structure, they achieved a level of transparency that allows the Spider-Man character to appear three-dimensional, as if floating in space through the sapphire crystal. The character's silhouette and volume are cut from a single block of white gold using CNC machining.
The superhero's suit is then laser-etched to achieve the textured, woven-like appearance. This process requires complex machine programming and numerous experiments to obtain the desired result. Following this, the finishing touches involving engraving are meticulously done by hand by a single artisan, making each piece unique. The final character is hand-painted to give him the aesthetic and the recognizable, contrasting two-tone color scheme of matte red and metallic blue. During this stage, the artist emphasizes shadows and contrast to give Spider-Man more perspectives. Spanning the entire thickness of the watch, our hero alone required over 50 hours of work, pushing the boundaries of craftsmanship at Le Brassus.
Close-up of the watch face
The dial features alternating black PVD-coated gold hour markers and hand-coated Arabic numerals, all crafted from the same material. The polished finish is further enhanced by white luminescence that turns blue in the dark, a subtle allusion to the world of Spider-Man.
The watch is adorned with exquisite decorative details, faithful to the brand's watchmaking traditions and design principles. The case alternates between polished and micro-blasted finishes on the top and bottom, while the sides are finished in satin. However, the movement features a range of other decorative techniques, from traits-tirés to sandblasting and polishing.
With a limited production run of just 250 pieces, this watch also comes with a unique design called the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Black Suit Spider-Man”. This one-of-a-kind timepiece features a white gold case adorned with a spider-leg motif.
First, the case is laser-etched to create the spider legs, then filled with a luminescent hybrid ceramic. It is then polished and laser-etched again to form the spider web pattern in the background. The case also incorporates a black ceramic bezel that complements the white case back bearing the inscription “Royal Oak Concept Unique Piece”. Spider-Man appears on the dial in his black suit, a nod to the suit worn by the superhero in several 1980s comics, notably The Amazing Spider-Man #252 from 1984. This lesser-known representation of the character makes the timepiece more unique and mysterious, as does the luminescent material, which glows green in the dark, seen on the hands, hour markers, and part of the figure.
“In this second collaboration with Marvel, we want to pay tribute to Spider-Man, one of the most iconic superheroes in the Marvel universe, who understands that great power comes with great responsibility. And, to mark this occasion, we are pleased to reiterate our commitment to First Book and Ashoka’s work in empowering young people to be agents of change; they are our real-life heroes,” shared François-Henry Bennahmias, CEO of Audemars Piguet.
The strap is interchangeable.
This is the first time the Royal Oak Concept 42 mm case has been equipped with a flexible strap system, allowing the owner of the watch to change the strap and clasp in just a few simple steps.
Equipped with a black and grey rubber strap and a titanium AP buckle, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man” also features a second black and red rubber strap, matching the iconic Marvel superhero costume.
A one-of-a-kind black Spider-Man watch.
The unique Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Black Suit Spider-Man” version will come with a black rubber strap with a smooth velvet overlay and a second black calfskin strap with a woven effect and white stitching.
To continue this long-standing collaboration, Audemars Piguet will also auction off its unique Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Black Suit Spider-Man” watch, as well as several other lots. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to First Book and Ashoka.
