Audemars Piguet Is Set to Make Its Runway Debut During Paris Fashion Week

Audemars Piguet is ready to make its Paris Fashion Week debut. No, anthropomorphic versions of its watches won’t be sauntering down the catwalk, but models wearing the storied brand’s timepieces will.

The Swiss watchmaker has announced in a press release that it is teaming up with the British luxury house Ralph & Russo for the biannual event in the French capital. As part of the house’s spring 2021 ready to wear show, models will walk the runway wearing Audemar Piguet’s latest Royal Oak Self-Winding and Royal Oak Concept models.

But these Royal Oak timepieces, all of which are from the watchmaker’s latest collection, are a bit different than what you’re probably used to. That’s because each features a 34 mm case sized for a woman’s wrist. Despite their smaller stature, each example still features all the high-end horological elements that have come to be associated with the iconic watch.

Audemars Piguet 34 mm Royal Oak Self-Winding Two-Tone Model  Diode SA - Denis Hayoun

The 34 mm Royal Oak Self-Winding that will appear in the show is available in four different models. The 18-carat pink gold version features a diamond-set bezel and a silver-toned guilloché “Grande Tapisserie” dial. There are two steel, diamond-set bezel models, set apart by either a silver-toned or blue-grey “Grande Tapisserie” dial. Finally, there’s an elegant two-tone model, which features a steel case and bracelet, an 18-carat pink gold bezel and bracelet links and a silver-toned “Grande Tapisserie” dial. All four models are powered by the brand’s new self-winding calibre 5800 movement.

Also set to make an appearance on the runway is Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon, the first ladies’ timepiece in the Audemar Piguet’s Concept collection. Available in either 18-carat pink or white gold, the watch features a case with a frosted gold finish, an eight-sided, diamond-set bezel and a multi-layered dial free of hour marks to give it a more contemporary feel. The elegant timepiece is powered by the watchmaker’s hand-wound Manufacture calibre 2964 movement.

Audemars Piguet 34 mm Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon 18-Carat Pink Gold Model  Diode SA - Denis Hayoun

If the partnership seems a little out there, both brands felt that their respective collections “mirror one another in savoir-faire and refinement.” The watchmaker and fashion house, the first British house to be accredited by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, are also both family-owned. Paris Fashion Week will run from September 28 to October 6.