Officially unveiled on 4 August 2015 at 6pm is this very pretty seven-metre wide Audemars Piguet Floral Clock at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. With this, Audemars Piguet lays its claim to having the largest floral clock in Singapore. Note the distinctive shape of the Royal Oak along with the tapisserie dial and hexagonal bezel. Flowers planted on the “tapisserie dial” include the Torenia fournieri (Madagascar Periwinkle) and the Gomphrena globose (Bachelor’s button). Photo: © TANG Portfolio

There is now a seven-metre wide Audemars Piguet “Royal Oak” Floral Clock located in Gardens by the Bay at Marina Bay in Singapore, a scenic garden park frequented by both locals and tourists.

Gardens by the Bay is known for its Cloud Forest and Flower Dome conservatories. If you make a visit, try not to miss this clock which can be found between the conservatories and the Supertree Grove. With this structure, Audemars Piguet stakes its claim as having Singapore’s largest floral clock.

This pretty and colourful timekeeper from Audemars Piguet, simply named the “Floral Clock”, was officially unveiled on Tuesday, 4 August 2015 at around six in the evening by Singapore’s Minister of National Development, Khaw Boon Wan, together with Dr Tan Wee Kiat, CEO of Gardens by the Bay and Oliviero Bottinelli, Member of the Board of Directors, Audemars Piguet Holding SA.

Officials present at the official unveiling of the Audemars Piguet Floral Clock. The first five gentlemen from the left are: Dr Tan Wee Kiat (CEO, Gardens by the Bay), Antonio Seward (General Manager, Audemars Piguet Southeast Asia), Oliviero Bottinelli (Member of the Board of Directors, Audemars Piguet Holding SA), Khaw Boon Wan (Singapore’s Minister of National Development) and Switzerland’s Ambassador to Singapore, His Excellency Thomas Kupfer together with other officials. In the background and to the right are the conservatories. Photo: © TANG Portfolio

The octagonal Floral Clock takes its shape from Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak wristwatch that was launched back in 1972. It even features the Royal Oak’s distinctive tapisserie (tapestry) dial which have been designed as individual flower beds.

With this, different flowers such as the Torenia fournieri or wishbone flower and Gomphrena globose or bachelor’s button which we spotted, can be grown in their own “private space” and these will be refreshed on a regular basis.

This Floral Clock is a gift from Audemars Piguet to Singapore to mark the nation’s 50th anniversary of its independence. Singapore became an independent nation on 9 August 1965. The “Royal Oak” Floral Clock therefore comes at the right time – a few days before Singapore’s grand Golden Jubilee celebrations.

For a better view of the Floral Clock, a gift from Audemars Piguet, take the path behind the structure (in front of the clock) that leads you to a higher level. The walk takes less than two minutes and is well worth it. Oliviero Bottinelli together with Khaw Boon Wan (in blue shirt) and Dr Tan Wee Kiat (furthest right) viewing the floral clock. In the background is the unmistakable Marina Bay Sands. Photo: © TANG Portfolio

This beautiful floral gift is in line with the brand’s commitment to worldwide forest conservation and environmental protection as championed by the Audemars Piguet Foundation, notes Oliviero Bottinelli.

 

 

Indeed, Gardens by the Bay is an apt choice for its output of horticultural waste is recycled. Such horticultural and organic waste including those from other parks in Singapore, are processed off-site before being use in a biomass co-generation system housed in Gardens by the Bay itself to produce energy.

This energy powers the cooling systems for the conservatories. According to an article from a January 2014 newsletter published by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), around 2,000 tons of mixed horticultural and organic waste are burnt every month which then generates sufficient electricity to cool the two conservatories at Gardens by the Bay. Even the resultant ash is recycled to be used as fertiliser.

Half-an-hour after the unveiling ceremony of the Audemars Piguet Floral Clock on 4 August 2015 and with the better view at a higher level. Perhaps the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak would have been a wiser choice. Nonetheless, this Royal Oak Offshore “Navy” (with a blue alligator hornback leather strap) is as iconic as its older sibling. Had the unveiling ceremony been held on 3 August, it would be perfect as the dial would display 1, 2, 3 (in the date aperture), 4, 5 and so forth. Photo: © TANG Portfolio

For the clock’s accuracy, GPS technology is used. The “AP Royal Oak” Floral Clock’s “bezel” even has the brand’s signature hexagonal screws which are made of stainless steel. The “bezel” itself is made of granite. This is possibly the first Audemars Piguet “Royal Oak” with a bezel in granite.

Speaking of granite, as we hear the brand has been performing relatively well especially during such challenging times in this part of the world, it is therefore perhaps quite right to say that Audemars Piguet is one independent family-owned brand that is as solid as a rock (pun most definitely intended).

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