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When Audemars Piguet first teamed up with the London-based couture house Ralph & Russo in 2020, the partnership was framed around shared values: craftsmanship, creativity, and the courage to take risks. At the heart of that alliance was Creative Director Tamara Ralph, a designer known for sculptural silhouettes and precise detailing. Her work has earned her a loyal celebrity following and a regular presence on the red carpet, where her designs have been worn by everyone from Hollywood stars to international tastemakers.
What began as a brand-to-brand collaboration, with Royal Oak and Royal Oak Concept models paired with runway looks, gradually evolved into something more personal. In 2024, Tamara Ralph and Audemars Piguet unveiled a limited edition Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon bearing the designer’s name, marking her as a solo collaborator with one of the most storied manufacturers in Swiss watchmaking. By then, Ralph had also launched her own namesake couture label, allowing her creative vision to move independently beyond the Ralph & Russo framework.
The Royal Oak Concept “Tamara Ralph” watch reflects a meeting of worlds: Haute Horlogerie and Haute Couture, two disciplines shaped by heritage, artistry, and an ongoing search for new ways to express beauty.
The 2020 Debut: Watchmaking Meets the Runway
The collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Ralph & Russo officially began in 2020, when the Swiss watchmaker partnered with the couture house for its Spring/Summer presentation during Paris Haute Couture Week. Rather than a simple exercise in co-branding or product placement, select Royal Oak and Royal Oak Concept watches were integrated directly into the runway styling, worn by models alongside Ralph & Russo’s intricately constructed gowns.
At the time, Tamara Ralph described the collaboration as a natural extension of shared philosophies. Both Maisons prize precision, handcraft, and storytelling through design. They understand how a single detail — whether it’s the cut of a gown or the chamfered edge of a case — can carry both emotional and aesthetic weight.
Alongside Michael Russo, CEO of Ralph & Russo, Ralph stated, “We have long been admirers as well as clients of Audemars Piguet and their exceptional watches, and as such, were thrilled by the prospect of a partnership. Beyond our personal affinity for the brand, we felt a strong connection and alignment through our mutual dedication to both uncompromising craftsmanship and the creation of wonderfully unique styles that withstand the test of time.”
The watches selected for the show were a deliberate part of the collection’s visual language. Audemars Piguet presented a range of six timepieces: two new Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillons in shimmering Frosted Gold, and four Royal Oak Selfwinding 34mm models, conceived specifically for smaller wrists. The 34mm line, introduced just ahead of the presentation, included stainless steel and two-tone executions, as well as an 18-carat pink gold version with a diamond-set bezel.
While the Royal Oak Selfwinding models delivered versatility and refinement, the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon pieces brought a more sculptural, avant-garde energy. Set in Frosted Gold for the first time, their cases featured Carolina Bucci’s (another AP collaborative partner) signature hammered finish, diffusing light like diamond dust. Inside, layered blue dials echoed the radiating pattern of the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock, framed by overlapping circles that added depth without clutter.
This early partnership between AP and R&R didn’t yet bear Tamara Ralph’s name, but it laid the foundation for what was to come. It also underlined Audemars Piguet’s willingness to collaborate with parties outside of watchmaking.
The 2024 Royal Oak Concept “Tamara Ralph” Watch
Four years after the initial partnership, Audemars Piguet and Tamara Ralph unveiled a dedicated collaboration in early 2024: the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon “Tamara Ralph.” Released in a limited edition of 102 pieces, the watch marked a new milestone for the couture designer as it was the first time Tamara Ralph’s name appeared directly on the caseback of an Audemars Piguet timepiece.
Where the 2020 runway partnership had paired Ralph & Russo couture with existing Royal Oak and Royal Oak Concept models, this new release gave Tamara Ralph the opportunity to help shape a Royal Oak Concept watch from the ground up. The result reflected her own creative input across tone, texture, and layout.
The Royal Oak Concept “Tamara Ralph” watch made its debut at Ralph’s Spring/Summer 2024 Haute Couture show in Paris, worn by the closing model as a final flourish to the runway. Its design echoed the collection’s warm palette and emphasis on layered tones. The 38.5mm case was crafted from 18-carat pink gold and finished with Audemars Piguet’s signature Frosted Gold surface treatment to create textured sparkle across the metal. The dial was built from concentric layers in bronze, brown, and gold tones, radiating outward from the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock.
The interplay of finishes was key to the watch’s style. Frosted surfaces were framed by polished bevels and satin-brushed accents, creating shifts in tone depending on the light. Even the inner bezel was sandblasted for even more texture. The movement inside (the hand-wound Caliber 2964) was visible through the caseback, its circular motif mirroring the geometry of the dial.
A bronze-toned “large square scale” alligator strap completed the design, paired with an 18-carat pink gold AP folding clasp, also finished in Frosted Gold. The result was a watch that felt thoroughly integrated into Ralph’s design language.
While unmistakably part of the Royal Oak Concept family, the Tamara Ralph edition tempered some of the line’s more futuristic edges. It replaced sharp contrast with warmth, emphasizing texture, softer colors, and appealing shapes.
A Collaboration Built on Craft
The collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Tamara Ralph isn’t built on buzzwords or quick turnarounds. What started as a subtle integration of watches into a runway show eventually led to a limited edition that felt specific, intentional, and fully thought through. It brought the language of haute couture into watch design without forcing the fit.
Everything came down to materials, proportion, detail, and above all else, killer style.
Whether or not another collaborative release between AP and Tamara Ralph follows remains to be seen. If it does, there’s little doubt that it’ll be another head-turning effort.