By Scott Campbell

In late 2010, F1 legend and Audemars Piguet ambassador Michael Schumacher challenged the engineers at Audemars Piguet to create a mechanical wristwatch designed specifically for use in motorsport, to allow him to measure and record an extended series of consecutive lap times.

This was a horological challenge that had never before been met in a mechanical watch, and one that was inspired by motor racing's very specific requirement to be able to time and compare multiple, consecutive laps - a task which has traditionally been carried out using a bank of two or more stop watches arranged in series.

Now, after almost five years of development, Audemars Piguet can claim to have conquered that challenge and is honoured to be able to pay tribute to the greatest F1 driver of all time by unveiling the Royal Oak Concept Laptimer Michael Schumacher - the world's first luxury watch to feature two angular indexing systems on a single chronograph, each with an independent 'memory'.

It is the first motorsport-specific watch to feature a complication imagined by the celebrated driver, and it is the first time that a movement has been developed from scratch by Audemars Piguet at the behest of an ambassador.

Traditionally, short circuit motor racing is timed from the track side with two or more hand-held stop watches. As one lap is completed, the first watch is stopped and the second is started.

If a split-second chronograph is used, it is to measure intermediate times only. When the chronograph is started, both second hands run simultaneously. When the split-second pushpiece is pressed, one hand stops allowing the reading of intermediate time, while the second hand keeps going. By again pressing the split-second pushpiece, the first hand will be resynchronized with the second and both will continue the timing.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Laptimer Michael Schumacher features a single chronograph driving two central hands which can be controlled independently via three pushpieces - the first sited at the conventional two o'clock position to start and stop the chronograph; the second sited at the four o'clock position to reset the chronograph, and the all-important third pushpiece sited at the nine o'clock position.

The third pushpiece makes it possible to simultaneously stop either of the two chronograph hands, while returning the other to zero and restarting it - meaning that, while the time of the most recent lap is being noted down, timing of the next lap is already underway.

The watch therefore negates the need for two or more hand-held timing devices, streamlining the operation within a single wrist chronograph.

With a new hand wound in-house caliber 2923, the timepiece's movement measures 34.6 mm by 12.70 mm and consists of 413 components, 34 of which are jewels. It operates at a frequency of 4Hz and has a 80-hour power reserve, generated by two mainsprings. It utilizes three column-wheels. One column wheel, located at the six o'clock position, controls the chronograph sequence, while the two at the 12 o'clock position control the laptimer functionality.

Finally, in honour of his extraordinary career, the Royal Oak Concept Laptimer Michael Schumacher will be made available in a limited edition of 221 pieces in recognition of the number of F1 World Championship point-winning races in which he competed.