High jewellery, horology and design cues from nature have united in Audemars Piguet’s Haute Joaillerie collection since 2013. Started in 2015, the Diamond trilogy (Diamond Punk, Diamond Fury and Diamond Outrage) was inspired by the wintery and rugged landscape of the Vallée de Joux, and combined traditional gem-setting techniques with unconventional design for a distinctive effect of elegance, strength and power.

This year’s unique creation pushes gem-setting craftsmanship to new heights. Named after the river that crosses Le Brassus, home of Audemars Piguet, Sapphire Orbe embodies a glittering river of diamonds and sapphires in graded hues of blue and orange, as night merges into day.

Sapphires from Dusk till Dawn

This piece features more than 12,000 stones, each rigorously selected, individually cut and set by hand. The central petal-shaped rings are entirely snow-set with diamonds and graded sapphires in 6 graded shades of blue and orange, each in 20 different diameters ranging from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm in size. Multifaceted, this piece offers a play of colour and light that changes depending on the perspective from which it is seen. It took approximately 1,050 hours to gem-set this piece.

In the domed centre nestles the 2 cm dark blue sapphire-set globe which, when inverted, reveals the watch’s 18-carat white gold dial paved with graded orange sapphires. This spherical case houses a tiny quartz calibre.

The bracelet is made of articulated diamond-set components, for maximum flexibility and comfort.

Audemars Piguet Sapphire Orbe47.2 x 78 mm

Functions: Hours and minutes

Case:
18-carat white gold case in shape of a sphere, entirely set with dark blue sapphires, surrounded by 18-carat white gold rings, set with diamonds, graded blue and orange sapphires, glareproofed sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 20 m

Dial:
18-carat white gold dial, entirely set with graded orange sapphires, white gold hands

Setting:
2,794 briliant-cut orange sapphires: 15.14 carats
3,240 briliant-cut blue sapphires: 23.03 carats
6,069 briliant-cut diamonds: 27.93 carats
Total 12,103 stones: 66.10 carats

Bracelet:
Bracelet composed of 18-carat white gold elements, assembled together by hand and set with brilliant-cut diamonds, jewellery type clasp

Movement:
Quartz: Calibre 2710
Total diameter: 16.2 mm (7 ¼ lignes)
Total thickness: 1.9 mm
Number of jewels: 7
Frequency of the quartz: 32.768 Hz