Audemars Piguet Drop One-Of-One Royal Oak For Charity

This one-off Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is going to auction to raise money for One Drop, a clean water charity. ...
Credit: Audemars Piguet

This isn’t the first time Audemars Piguet have done a one-of-one special edition for clean water charity, the One Drop Foundation. In fact, the last time they did this, the watch sold for $3.4 million USD at Only Watch 2021. Will they do better this time? Maybe because this watch is beautiful.

The Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph “One Drop” (ref. 26240CE.OO.1225CE.98) has a 41mm black ceramic case, pushers, and screw-down crown. The dial features a blue linear-brushed metallic dial with snailed chronograph registers, and those hour markers aren’t ceramic, but blackened gold.

While ceramic doesn’t sound as the deluxe as the platinum edition we saw in 2019, the effect it produces is nothing short of astounding. Maybe it’s too simple to enjoy something that’s matte black. There’s nothing amazing about that kind of design, it’s a safe design, but does it matter when they pull it off this well? Especially when paired with that stunning blue dial.

Inside you will find a 4Hz Audemars Piguet Calibre 4401 flyback chronograph movement with a 70-hour power reserve. You can sneak a peek at it through the sapphire caseback where you will also find on the titanium an engraving, “Unique Piece.”

While this watch clearly isn’t meant for us mere mortals, collectors will absolutely be frothing at the mouth for this watch. The price is sure to be in the millions, but perhaps a little lower than usual given that the watch market is currently undergoing a severe correction in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The watch will go on sale at the La Cuvée One Drop 2022 dinner in Las Vegas on November 12 with all the proceeds going to the One Drop’s Foundation work to provide “safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for the most vulnerable communities.”

READ MORE

Audemars Piguet’s Code 11.59 Embraces the 38mm Realm

The FIA Approves Andretti Entry to F1, But Now Face Their Largest Hurdle

Summer Vibes with Franck Muller’s Vanguard Beach Collection

Unveiling Seiko’s Stunning Prospex 1965 Divers Modern Reinterpretation Collection

New 1,000hp Aston Martin Valhalla Developed With Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll

Win a $500 Mont Blanc Gift Card

Sign up for our mailing list for a chance to win.