Audemars Piguet introduces a revolutionary alloy: Polychrome Camouflage Gold

Earlier this year, Audemars Piguet captured my attention with the launch of multiple timepieces, including the Royal Oak Perpetual with John Mayer and the Sand Gold alloy applied to a Royal Oak Openworked Tourbillon.

Now they unveil a revolutionary multi-coloured ceramic called Chroma Ceramic or Chroma Gold, featuring a striking camouflage pattern. It is actually a rather pioneering move for the industry. The unprecedented material is bold, unconventional, and for many, will be genuinely captivating too.

The Journey of Material Innovation for AP

It is not the first time they do something like this. In 1972, AP shocked the industry by using stainless steel for the luxury Royal Oak Jumbo, setting a precedent for the use of "non-traditional" materials in high-end watchmaking. The Offshore series expanded material innovation with titanium in 1998, forged carbon in 2004, and ceramic in 2008. The Royal Oak Concept of 2002 also introduced a case combining titanium and Alacrite 602, a highly resistant alloy. Way more recently, a year ago, in 2023, they launched a precious form of Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG) in the Royal Oak Jumbo 16202XT.

The Chroma Ceramic concept earlier this year marked another significant leap, offering a solid, multi-coloured camouflage ceramic material.

Chroma Gold: What is it and how to make it

The alloy is a luxurious yet equally radical material. Unlike traditional methods that involve coating or bonding separate pieces, Chroma Gold is a solid alloy featuring a camouflage pattern created through an intricate process. This technique results in a homogenous material with varied gold tones in a single piece.

After reading a couple of articles I have discovered that Chroma gold merges three gold tones: white, yellow, and pink into one piece. The process involves Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technology which we do not know what it really entails but it drastically reduces sintering time from several hours to minutes. In their words:

“To create this multi-coloured camouflage gold motif, the different colours of gold are transformed separately. The gold is first melted and then atomised into powder. Each powder is carefully placed in a circular graphite mould to create the desired pattern. The mould is then sintered by passing a powerful electric current through the graphite, creating a meteoric rise in temperature. Combined with mechanical pressure, this allows extremely rapid sintering to occur. The resulting disc reveals the various shades of gold.”

This meticulous technique produces a solid, multi-coloured camouflage gold material. Each piece is unique due to slight variations in the pattern, yet the method ensures visual consistency across different components. These components, whether a case, bezel, or bracelet links, can be finished with traditional satin finishing and polished chamfers, showcasing the white, yellow, and pink hues of the camouflage gold alloy. 

And it works surprisingly well.

What's next?

While Chroma Gold is not yet available, AP has crafted a 34 mm Royal Oak model as a prototype to demonstrate the potential of the material. As with any avant-garde concept, this alloy is already eliciting strong opinions but I think that its unique appearance is undeniable.

And I do prefer this over the Spiderman-themed pieces. In my view this prototype embodies Audemars Piguet’s spirit of innovation better than some recent releases, pushing the boundaries of traditional watchmaking materials. It is a new alloy that highlights their commitment to creativity while it sets a new benchmark for competitors.