AP Royal Oak 77350CE: Black Ceramic with a Rainbow Dial
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 77350CE.OO.1266CE.02.A is the 34 mm Royal Oak designed with jeweler Carolina Bucci, made entirely in black ceramic and limited to 300 pieces. Audemars Piguet lists the case at 34 mm across and 8.8 mm thick, and inside is the automatic caliber 5800 with a 50-hour power reserve.
The video calls it a very unusual Royal Oak. Most of the time the watch almost camouflages itself. Then, as it moves through different light, the dial catches it and throws brief flashes of color across the whole rainbow.
Watch the full unboxing
The 77350CE on a leather cushion, black ceramic from bezel to clasp
Table of Contents
1. Dimensions and Weight
Audemars Piguet's official figures are 34 mm in diameter and 8.8 mm thick. The in-house caliper readings are under the photos below, and the video sums up the result: the watch wears very flat and compact. The black ceramic case keeps the octagonal Royal Oak bezel with its eight hexagonal screws, which sit in gold against the black.
Measured at 43.5 mm lug to lug and 8.7 mm thick on the caliper
The video also points out how light the watch is. Ceramic case, ceramic bracelet: the whole piece barely registers on the scale.
Precision scale reading 0.184 lb, about 83 grams, on the full ceramic bracelet
Case profile showing the slim ceramic middle case and the AP-signed crown
On a 7-inch wrist, the 34 mm black ceramic case sitting flat and compact
2. The Rainbow Dial
The dial is where this watch gets interesting. Under direct studio light it reads fairly flat. Move it through different ambient lighting, the video says, and the colors come alive: think of a club, a party, or just walking from one light source to another. That is when the flashes of purple, blue and green appear, and they pass quickly.
Under direct studio light the Grande Tapisserie dial reads as a soft, even grey
The effect depends on the environment the watch is in, which is why the video mixes in outside footage to show it. Even under studio lighting, the color is still there once the watch moves.
The same dial reading dark, violet and silver as the light moves across it
Violet catching the Grande Tapisserie squares, with gold applied markers and hands
A flash of violet across the lower dial as the watch tilts in hand
The video makes the point that the dial is probably not what you expect from the official press photos. Most of the time it is the kind of watch that hides, and once in a while it shows you exactly what it is.
3. Caliber 5800
Inside is the Audemars Piguet automatic caliber 5800, with a 50-hour power reserve. It drives the hours, minutes, seconds and date. The exhibition caseback shows the movement and its AP-signed rotor, and the caseback ring is engraved Royal Oak Limited Edition Carolina Bucci.
Exhibition caseback engraved Royal Oak Limited Edition Carolina Bucci, showing the caliber 5800
4. The Black Ceramic Bracelet
The 77350CE comes on a black ceramic bracelet with the AP folding clasp. The video calls it the most iconic bracelet in the game, and says it has never seen a Royal Oak where the bracelet isn't at least a strong supporting character. Seeing AP finish a black ceramic bracelet the same way it would finish a steel one is, in the presenter's words, absolutely bonkers, and the video credits Audemars Piguet with executing ceramic better than anyone else in the industry.
The black ceramic bracelet, finished like steel, with the AP folding clasp
The video sums it up plainly: a small Royal Oak in black ceramic, with a dial that changes completely depending on the light. It is a very particular taste, and a limited edition you will very rarely see. Carolina Bucci's earlier collaboration with Audemars Piguet is covered in Audemars Piguet & Carolina Bucci: Reinventing the Royal Oak With a Flash of Frost.
5. Full Specifications
| Reference | 77350CE.OO.1266CE.02.A |
| Edition | Carolina Bucci limited edition of 300 pieces, 2022 |
| Case | Black ceramic, 34 mm, sapphire crystal, exhibition caseback |
| Thickness | 8.8 mm (measured 8.7 mm) |
| Lug to lug | 43.5 mm (measured) |
| Dial | Grande Tapisserie pattern with a rainbow effect, gold applied markers and hands |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Movement | Audemars Piguet caliber 5800, self-winding |
| Power reserve | 50 hours |
| Water resistance | 50 meters |
| Bracelet | Black ceramic with AP folding clasp |
If you are interested in this watch or any other, reach out to us at sales@watchesoff5th.com or on social media at @watchesoff5th. We would be happy to help.
SHOP OUR AUDEMARS PIGUET COLLECTION →
Sources and methodology: Case, dial, movement and bracelet details are as presented in our video of this watch and on its on-screen reference card. Measurements are our own and approximate. The sapphire crystal, Grande Tapisserie dial pattern, 2022 release year and 50-meter water resistance are Audemars Piguet's published specifications for the 77350CE.OO.1266CE.02.A, as reported by Watchonista and Watchbase. All photography in this article is our own, taken from our video of this watch.