Marvel at Audemars Piguet’s new Black Panther flying tourbillon

Ruhi Gilder

Luxury watchmaker, Audemars Piguet kicks off their new, long-term partnership with Marvel Entertainment on April 10, with a Black Panther themed timepiece. The Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon is a limited-edition collection of 250 pieces only.  

The 146-year-old Swiss watch manufacturer unveiled the watch at the live event ‘Audemars Piguet & Friends, Live Show from Los Angeles’ broadcasted worldwide and hosted by stand-up comedian and actor Kevin Hart. The star-studded event was attended by Audemars Piguet’s Chief Executive Officer François-Henry Bennahmias, LeBron James, Serena Williams, Ian Poulter, Anthony Joshua, Lu Han, Jon Gray and Mark Ronson. 

Superhero fans are sure to love the futuristic-looking watch, inspired by the Black Panther’s dark, cutting-edge suit. Made with titanium and a black ceramic octagonal bezel, and a purple rubber strap, the new release is available in a 42mm case. 30 hours of engraving and painting by a team of four specialized hands-engravers and four painters resulted in the white gold Black Panther character on the dial. With 72 hours of power reserve and water resistance up to 50 m, it has an extended appeal to adventure enthusiasts as well. The watch is powered by Calibre 2965, which is the latest evolution of the hand-wound mechanism with a flying tourbillon, originally released by Audemars Piguet in 2018.  

The live event also had an auction segment, where a unique version of the Black Panther timepiece was auctioned. All for a good cause, the proceeds went towards supporting a long-term educational programme that Audemars Piguet has established with First Book and Ashoka. First Book is an educational equity non-profit, that has distributed more than 200 million books and educational resources to those in need, and Ashoka is an India-based organization that fosters a community of social entrepreneurs through innovation, critical thinking and leadership. This joint programme seeks to support students from low-income families and provide historically excluded communities with tools to drive long-term impactful change in their communities.

An 18-carat white gold case and an incredibly detailed rendition of the Black Panther, outlined in purple paint makes the piece unique, and suited up for the auction.

The first of the AP x Marvel co-branded watches is offered at approximately $161,824.  

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