Imagine the surface of gold glisening like newly fallen snow, or shimmering like pavé diamonds? The beauty of the first Royal Oak Frosted Gold collection of watches will put a sparkle in your eye thanks to Audemars Piguet's newest collaboration with fourth generation jeweler, Carolina Bucci.

In 2016 when the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold collection was released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak for women it was a huge success for the luxury watchmaker. Carolina Bucci designed the first Royal Oak Frosted Gold using her signature Florentine finish to create the singular surface of this irresistible watch.

Now, the Royal Oak Frosted Gold has been re-released in a limited edition of 300 pieces worldwide, but this time enthusiasts can acquire one in yellow gold. The Royal Oak Frosted Gold collaboration with Carolina Bucci came to be when the jeweler was introduced to François-Henry Bennhamias, the CEO of Audemars Piguet. Bucci has been wearing a vintage yellow gold Royal Oak for over five years, before she even put her own spin on it.

Bucci’s family has been specializing in jewelry for years. Her company was actually started by her great-grandfather. “There was a good connection between Carolina Bucci and Audemars Piguet, because we both know the weight and responsibility of carrying a family name,” said Antonio Seward, North American CEO of Audemars Piguet. “We are both companies in the hands of the founding families, so there’s a commonality and connection in the roots of preserving the heritage of a brand.”

Creating the Royal Oak Frosted Gold took three years from the first meeting to the finished product. It took one year to perfect the watch and gold hammering process that gives the watch it’s signature finish. Bucci is no stranger to respecting manufacturing techniques and traditional goldsmith techniques all while adapting them to new trends, so she couldn’t have been more perfect for this collaboration. Bucci used the Florentine technique, which consists of gold frosting that does not eliminate the glimmer or sparkle of the gold. The Florentine finish is obtained by beating the gold with a diamond tipped pneumatic tool vibrating at 12,000 beats per minute. It creates tiny indentations on the surface that gives a sparkle effect similar to that of precious stones, like diamond dust. Three craftsmen work on it at one time for the exceptionally precise handmade finish. Applying the surface treatment technique across the case and bracelet of the watch without altering the clean lines that define the Royal Oak’s form was the first challenge. Then the original gradating bracelet construction also demands that the order in which the finishing is executed be reconsidered for the entire bracelet.

The collaboration process between Bucci and Audemars Piguet was very organic, although there was a strong learning curve to adapt the Florentine technique. Reaching the right balance between the shimmering look while managing to retain the design codes of the Royal Oak, all while maintaining the flexibility and softness of the bracelet was no easy feat. The hammering process was tested through different variations of the technique by both Bucci’s workshops and Audemars Piguet’s manufacturers via a constant back and forth of prototypes traveling between Italy and Switzerland, each party contributing with its own experience and savoir-fare.

The watch is currently sold at Audemars Piguet boutiques globally, at select stores that carry Carolina Bucci’s jewelry, and temporarily at Moda Operandi in New York.