Ben Clymer of Hodinkee gives us a roundup of the ultra-high end, high priced timepieces shown at this month’s SIHH show; many of which are of complications that are stunningly expensive.

I spent last week in Geneva at the Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). The SIHH is unlike BaselWorld because it’s held exclusively for brands owned by or associated with the Richemont group, a luxury conglomerate that owns the likes of Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Panerai, and a few other high-end manufacturers. The trade show is unlike any other in the world – in fact, in any industry. It is very exclusive – only press and select retailers are allowed within its halls and the level of watchmaking displayed is unrivaled.

Expectations are always high for SIHH, but this year presented some truly exceptional timepieces at the high-end. Here are some of my favorite pieces, all of which really push the boundaries of traditional watchmaking…for a price, of course.

See more from SIHH after the jump.

We won’t go on too much about Audemars Piguet, suffice to say this 130 year old Swiss watchmaker know their way around a timepiece.  This ‘Jumbo’ Royal Oak celebrates 40 years of the classic model, often said to be the first stainless steel luxury sports watch. Also available in rose gold, this heavy duty watch is an incredible piece of design.

Audemars describe; A disruptive and downright revolutionary timepiece, the Royal Oak is immediately recognizable thanks to its state-of-the-art engineered strongbox case, octagonal bezel secured by eight hexagonal screws, visible water resistance gaskets, dials adorned with exclusive engine-turned “Grande Tapisserie” motif.” Read on at Perpetuelle.

Click for images.

Michael Williams shares his personal favorites for the holidays. A nice run through the high and low here: from AP Royal Oaks, and ultra priced bottles of wine, Williams’ taste come through with his selections. Worth a look.

See more of Michael William’s eight holiday picks for 2011 after the click.

Swiss driver, Sébastien Buemi, has been adorned by watchmaker, Audemars Piguet, with his own limited edition Royal Oak Offshore chrono. Buemi, a three year ambassador of the Audemars Piguet brand, joins a fine line of other atheletes with a Royal Oak on their wrist. The 42mm case is made from sandblast finished titanium, and features Buemi’s logo on the display back. (tz)

More looks after the click.

A long title on the freshly announced 40th anniversary Audemars Piguet Openworked Royal Oak time piece. Hodinkee gives us the details on the commemorative Royal Oak which sports the original issue 39mm casing size against a new platinum finish and openworked dial. The oscillating weight inside the Audemar Pigeut watch is made from 22-carat gold. 40 total units of the Royal Oak watch will arrive in 2012.

Another look after the click.

Acq turns us onto a new Rizzoli offers coming this September 2011. Francois Chaille’s Audemars Piguet book is a thorough history on the watchmaker and we’re excited to get our hands on it.

“The pursuit of excellence is reflected in Audemars Piguet’s most prestigious models, painstakingly crafted by artisans for over 130 years. Audemars Piguet’s expertise, creativity, and state-of-the-art technology are behind the company’s luxurious and innovative watches. At the turn of the twentieth century, the factory employed more than seventy craftsmen, whose mastery and excellent grasp of the changing times enabled the development of traditional pieces and the production of revolutionary watches, both of the highest quality. These include the slimline jeweled watches for women in the art deco era, chronographs in the forties, the first perpetual calendar watch in 1957, the famous Royal Oak–the first high-end sports watch–in 1972, and the ultramodern Millenary MC12 in 2008.”

Pre-order from Amazon.

Some sportsmen have all the fun. Take Jarno Trulli, the Formula 1 racer. This man just got the king of all chrono’s from the Audemars Piguet house. While her may not the be the first to receive a signature watch, he does hold the seat of having one of the finest. “Celebrating the partnership established between Audemars Piguet and the Italian champion in 2008, the new Royal Oak Offshore Jarno Trulli Chronograph embodies the values shared by the racing driver and the Manufacture: a passion for perfection and precision, coupled with an obstinate determination to maintain high standards. For Jarno Trulli, these values are conveyed through the excellence he displays in his career as a racing driver, a daily experience that leaves no room for rough estimates, but is instead governed by the rigorous precision that makes all the difference.”

Japan looks to get this one before the rest of the world  (available now). 500 total units were produced. (tz)

More looks at the Audemars Piguet “Royal Oak Offshore Jarno Trulli” Chronograph after the click.

The “Royal Oak” family of watches from Audemars Piguet have been highlighted numerous times on Selectism for good reason. They’re bold, massive, and signify the distinct quality only found in Audemars Piguet watches. The latest is a tribute to the Gstaad Classic Rally. “Audemars Piguet are the principal sponsors of the event and to mark the occasion have created a limited edition watch. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Gstaad Classic 2009 features a brushed titanium and a matte rubber bezel with red accents on the timer button. The watch comes with two straps a classic perforated leather strap with red stitching and a matt rubber strap for the summer. It comes in a metal box resembling the fuel cap of a car…” Look the the Gstaad Classic in a run of 50 units. (sybarites)

More views of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Gstaad Classic 2009 after the jump.

Openers JP reports in on these two very limited edition versions of the famous Audemars Piguet “Royal Oak Offshore” Chronographs. Both chronographs feature 42mm casings with red facings but they differ in a few respects to the normal “Royal Oak Offershore” chronos – check the face to see what we’re talking about. Choose between a limited run of 20 encrusted in diamonds and a 200 run edition which is not so grand but still killer Audemars Piguet. More views after the jump.

More views of the Audemars Piguet “Royal Oak Offshore” Red Limited Chronographs after the jump.

H.R. Giger comes to mind when viewing the new Royal Oak Offshore Survivor chronograph from Audemars Piguet. The Survivor is a true time keeping machine built from blackened titanium. The titanium is everywhere – crown, studs, push-pieces, guards, and even on the lower parts of the octagonal bezel. The strap is made from vulcanized rubber for a great flat finish. Technically, the Survivor runs with a 60 hour power reserve, and (my favorite) a “fast date correction” mechanism that ensure proper time if the clock adjustment occurs at midnight – a big no no for many watches. Limited to 1000 units, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Survivor will disappear quickly.

Many more views of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Survivor Watch after the jump.