Boldly Subtle: The Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Openworked
Audemars Piguet returned to the Geneva shows this year at Watches and Wonders 2026 with very well-chosen positioning and messaging. And given what became my favorite watch among AP’s novelties, it all felt wonderfully appropriate.
If you walked through the hallway that most people used to enter the Watches and Wonders show at Geneva Palexpo, you would’ve seen at the end what looked like a small, almost humble opening into the Audemars Piguet booth. Once you got in, though, everything opened up. The simplicity of the exterior gave little indication of what was waiting inside.
You were suddenly plunged into what looked like a huge old library, with books that could be pulled out to show videos of different periods in history, watch movements, and everything associated with them. You then went through areas showing parts of the manufacturing process and another with artisans on hand demonstrating their artistry and craftsmanship. Of course, there was also a whole array of past and current offerings and novelties. The messaging combined history and brashness, technical ability and creative vision.
In the presentation room, it went from silence during the first welcome to an almost roar as everyone rushed up and started talking about the new pieces. It was unusual because there was almost a one-to-one ratio of pieces to presenters to waiting watch geeks. Everyone began asking questions at once. It was quite fun.
What caught my eye most was something that reminded me of the relative minimalism and cleanliness that drew me to Audemars Piguet far more than the more modern sizes, additions, and flashiness. The watch was the Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Openworked in 39mm.
It is very much Audemars Piguet in design, but quite different in its execution and choice of materials.
It is executed in titanium with details in what they call BMG, or bulk metallic glass. That’s a confusing name because it is actually an alloy with a good amount of palladium in it. The bezel is made of that material, giving it a very unique, or at least different, mirror finish. In certain light, it looked like it took in light more than mirrored it back.
That finish kind of highlights what’s going on with the dial, which is very finely executed openwork. What remains of the dial has a brushed finish, with polished, chamfered sides that sort of delineate everything very well. The barrel takes a prominent position (and looks kind of like the Death Star), surrounded by all the different gears. The two hands are 18-karat white gold, blackened and then filled with luminescent material. The indices are attached to the internal silver-gray bezel, jutting outward toward the back to create a multilayered effect. The whole thing is surprisingly readable, but very interesting.
Even the name of this watch is a combination of different things. It’s a 39-millimeter watch, but it’s called a Jumbo. This size was considered unusually large when the name Jumbo was first connected to the Royal Oak. That, of course, is not the case now. So the watch is actually very nicely sized for what the world is looking for today and not at all what would now be called a large watch. “Jumbo” was originally a nickname for watches larger than usual and only became consistent in Audemars Piguet’s own communications toward the end of the last century. Even “ultra-thin,” in this case, is more of a nod to the past than a description of what is considered ultra-thin today.
The watch is a very nice interpretation of the Jumbo Ultra-Thin Openworked vision and history, with an interesting and very appropriate choice of materials and executions. You will see versions in white gold and yellow gold, but to me, it seems most elegant in the less expensive titanium with BMG accents.
What I like most is how well it highlights what made the watch special when it first appeared, at a time when it was actually underappreciated. The BMG brings mirror-polished surfaces to the bezel and intermediate links, while the case and larger bracelet links are titanium with brushed finishes.
“The maison does have brashness in its DNA, but here perhaps the brashness is in its ability to be subtle and elegant.”
One of the things that would always draw me to Audemars Piguet, though, is the iconic petite tapisserie dial, which is extremely hard to create. Honestly, most people don’t realize the lengths to which the manufacturer must go to create it. Taking that away for an openworked dial is a bold choice, but it very much works here. The combination of textures on the bracelet and case leading up to the shiny glow of the bezel acts as a very appropriate frame for the monochromatic treatment of the calibre 7124.
Models like this were never very easy to come by. And while this is not a limited edition, it is already expected to be relatively rare. But it is not really what pulled many to AP in recent history. It isn’t oversized or done in specialty colors or particularly popular collaborations. The maison does have brashness in its DNA, but here perhaps the brashness is in its ability to be subtle and elegant. This watch draws you in precisely because it doesn’t need to shout.
This article originally appeared in Robb Report Philippines’ Watches and Jewelry Issue.
FAQs
It is a 39 mm openworked Royal Oak that combines a titanium case and bracelet with bulk metallic glass, or BMG, accents and a monochromatic treatment of calibre 7124.
BMG stands for bulk metallic glass, an alloy containing a significant amount of palladium. Audemars Piguet uses it for elements such as the bezel and intermediate bracelet links, where it creates a highly reflective finish.
The watch measures 39 mm, a size historically considered large when the Royal Oak first earned the “Jumbo” nickname but now regarded as relatively restrained.
The watch showcases Audemars Piguet’s calibre 7124 through its openworked construction, revealing the barrel, gears, bridges, and other components from the dial side.
No. The watch is not officially a limited edition, though it is expected to remain relatively rare and difficult to obtain.