Audemars Piguet recreates a colour intimately associated with its first Royal Oak model of 1972. Although the colour described as “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” has appeared on many dials, it has never been replicated in high-tech ceramic. Inspired by the clear night skies of the Vallee de Joux, this darker tone of blue ceramic is used on the three models – two Royal Oak Offshore Chronographs and a Royal Oak Openworked Double Balance.Audemars Piguet's blue ceramic pays homage to the famous “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” tapisserie dial selected by Gerald Genta for the dial of the first Royal Oak in 1972 (reference 5402ST). Made by Geneva dial maker Stern, the dark blue “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” colour was obtained by adding black pigment no.50 to the protective varnish. The nuage or cloud effect was a chemical reaction produced by the small amount of black pigment poured into the liquid lacquer. Today, the distinctive in-house colour used on dials is obtained using a PVD process. Ad - Scroll to continue with article The difficulty of recreating this exact colour in high-tech ceramic should not be understated, and it took several years to produce a homogenous hue. Having undergone machining and sintering, each ceramic component is finished by hand to recreate the polished and satin-brushed surfaces of the dynamic architecture of the RO and ROO cases.Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel OpenworkedIntroduced in 2016, the dramatic Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked showcases many components of the calibre 3132 on the dial. The showstopper, though, is the spectacle of the two balance wheels, each with its own hairspring, connected by a single balance staff.The 41mm blue ceramic case with a thickness of 9.7mm and ceramic bracelet are decorated with vertical satin-brushed surfaces and brightly polished bevels. Providing a powerful contrast to the rhodium-toned movement, the flange bearing the luminescent hour markers is also blue, and there are lively pink gold details on the hands, indices and the balance bridge. Although the 3Hz frequency of the balance wheels consumes a lot of power, the automatic movement still delivers a respectable autonomy of 45 hours. Quick facts: 41mm x 9.7mm - Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 ceramic case, crown and octagonal bezel - 50m water-resistant - sapphire crystals front and back - openworked dial with Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 flange, applied pink gold hour markers and hands with SLN - calibre 3132 in-house automatic, openworked – double balance – 21,600vph – 45h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds - Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 ceramic bracelet with titanium AP folding clasp - ref. 15416CD.OO.1225CD.01 - EUR 99,900Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 42mmFollowing the design evolutions displayed on the recently released all-black ceramic model, the 42mm ROO receives a full Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 makeover featuring a blue ceramic case, pushers, crown guards and bracelet, a blue mega tapisserie dial and blue chronograph counters. The only contrasting elements are the steel hexagonal screws in the bezel, the titanium pusher in the crown, the white gold indices and hands and the white markings on the tachymetre scale and inside the chronograph counters. Powered by the 4404 automatic integrated flyback chronograph movement with a column wheel and vertical clutch, it packs a 70-hour power reserve. Quick facts: 42mm x 15.3mm - Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 ceramic case, crown guards, crown and bezel - 100m water-resistant – sapphire crystals front and back – Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 mega tapisserie dial and counters, applied white gold indices and ROO hands with SLN, Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 inner bezel with tachymetre scale, date window at 3 o'clock - calibre 4404, in-house - automatic integrated flyback chronograph with column wheel - 28,800vph - 70h power reserve – hours, minutes, small seconds, flyback chronograph with 30-minute and 12-hour counters, date – ?Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 ceramic bracelet with titanium AP folding clasp - ref. 26238CD.OO.1300CD.01 - EUR 85,900Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 43mmWith its two-tone suit, this 43mm ROO plays with Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 ceramic components and stainless steel elements. The steel case middle, caseback, crown chip and crown guards are countered with a blue ceramic bezel, push-pieces and screw-locked crown. The Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 dial has the classic mega tapisserie pattern with contrasting light blue snailed counters at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock and a blue sloping inner bezel with a tachymeter scale. The white gold hands and indices have luminescent material, and there is a date window at 4:30. Powered by AP’s calibre 4401, this automatic flyback chronograph with a column wheel and vertical clutch delivers a robust 70-hour power reserve. Unlike the other two ceramic models, this ROO is paired with an interchangeable Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 textured calfskin strap with a steel AP pin buckle. A complimentary rubber strap is delivered with the watch. Quick facts: 43mm x 14.4mm - steel case, crown guards and chip, Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 ceramic bezel, crown and pushers - 100m water-resistance – sapphire crystals front and back – Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 mega tapisserie dial, light blue snailed sub-dials, applied white gold indices and ROO hands with SLN, Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 inner bezel with tachymetre scale, date window at 4:30 – calibre 4401 in-house – automatic integrated flyback chronograph with column wheel - 28,800vph - 70h power reserve – hours, minutes, small seconds, flyback chronograph with 30-minute and 12-hour counters, date – ?interchangeable Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 calfskin strap with steel pin buckle - ref. 26420SO.OO.A029VE.01- EUR 42,400For more information, please consult audemarspiguet.com.