Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Steel — Skeleton Dial '50th Anniversary' | Ref. 26735ST.OO.1320ST.01

The 2022 fiftieth anniversary of the Royal Oak invited Audemars Piguet to push its most iconic silhouette into entirely new technical territory. The ref. 26735ST answers that challenge with a flying tourbillon presented in polished-and-brushed stainless steel, its openworked architecture turning the 41 mm case into a transparent stage for haute horlogerie theatre.

The skeletonised dial removes every surface that might conceal the movement beneath, exposing the bridges, wheels, and the freely floating tourbillon cage with extraordinary clarity. Luminous-tipped Royal Oak hands traverse the openworked chapter ring, while the octagonal bezel—hand-finished with alternating satin and mirror-polish planes as Genta originally prescribed—frames the composition with characteristic authority. The transparent sapphire caseback mirrors the dial's openness, allowing the movement to be admired from any angle. Water resistance is rated to 50 metres.

On its fully integrated stainless-steel bracelet secured by the AP folding clasp, the 26735ST occupies a singular place among 50th Anniversary references: a steel tourbillon that will define this commemorative generation for decades to come. With box and papers, it represents a landmark acquisition for the serious Royal Oak collector.