- The Royal Oak revolutionised the luxury watch market, introducing high-end steel sports watches.
- Audemars Piguet added several new models to the Royal Oak collection on its 50th anniversary.
- These three Royal Oaks are the best-selling Audemars Piguet watches in the aftermarket.
It’s impossible to discuss modern luxury watches without mentioning Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak.
Designed by an icon of haute horlogerie Gérald Genta in 1972, this contemporary icon was a bold leap into a new world of high-end luxury steel sports watches in a market inundated with formal dress watches and complicated pocket watches.
Sports watches weren’t getting a look into the same conversations of luxury, without precious metals or innovative movements. The Royal Oak made the horologists sit up and take notice, redefining what it meant to be both sporty and sophisticated in a market that was dominated by other models.
Today, three models dominate the aftermarket scene according to Circle Red Watches director Jonathan Tu, with collectors and enthusiasts alike vying for their own slice of this iconic horological lineage.
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Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Ref. 16202ST
The first Royal Oak represented everything Audemars Piguet stands for: timeless design, groundbreaking engineering, and a commitment to craftsmanship. It’s only fitting then, that every model that precedes it carries the same inherent qualities that have made this Swiss luxury brand so revered in the industry.
Released in 2022, the “Jumbo” Extra-Thin (ref. 16202ST) commemorated 50 years of the Royal Oak with the same 39mm classic dimensions, integrated stainless steel bracelet and Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 Petite Tapisserie dial that popularised this piece in the 20th century. At its heart lies the new in-house Calibre 7121, boasting a quick-set date and a 55-hour power reserve – a technical feat in such a slim profile.
“This replaced the Audemars Piguet ‘Jumbo’ which was obviously monumentally important in the world of high horology – ushering in the new world of high-end luxury steel to the Royal Oak collection with a new movement with a quick set date, but still maintaining the same proportions as before. Lovely.”
Jonathan Tu, Circle Red Watches director
According to Jonathan Tu, the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin is the most popular Audemars Piguet on the aftermarket, retailing between $80,000 AUD – $100,000 AUD.
Royal Oak Selfwinding Ref. 15510ST
Also launched in 2022 as part of the Royal Oak’s 50th-anniversary lineup, the Royal Oak Selfwinding (ref. 15510ST) marked a cornerstone of the contemporary collection – coming in slightly larger so it’s the perfect Royal Oak for larger wrists.
With a 41mm stainless steel case and the signature Grande Tapisserie dial, it offers a range of colours to suit every taste – from the ever-classic Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50 reminiscent of the original 70s release to the trend-forward green dial that seems to have gained popularity for modern enthusiasts – and maintains typical motifs of the original release such as an integrated stainless steel bracelet.
“This piece is the latest and greatest 41mm AP Royal Oak on a bracelet. For me, the Royal Oak has the best bracelet in the business and what stands out with the Selfwinding model is the variety of dials available – green is obviously hot right now but the blue is classic against the stainless steel.”
Jonathan Tu, Circle Red Watches director
Under the hood, AP introduced Calibre 4302, with an impressive 70-hour power reserve. The 15510ST stands as a modern classic, effortlessly blending heritage with contemporary appeal.
Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph Ref. 26240ST/OR
You could say that one of the Royal Oak collection’s biggest assets is this aura of understated elegance. For many, the enduring term “quiet luxury” comes to mind. So when AP brought out the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph (ref, 26240ST/OR), watch aficionados were rightly excited by the prospect of a more flashy, more complicated offering to geek out about.
This 41mm chronograph, available in stainless steel, boasts a silver-toned dial with the brand’s Grande Tapisserie pattern, silver-toned counters, white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating. It’s a stunner.
At its core is the in-house Calibre 4401, a flyback chronograph movement with a 70-hour power reserve, bridging the gap between sporty chic and understated luxury; the best Royal Oak who want a piece of this iconic collection with the added bonus of a chronograph complication.