A Guide to Audemars Piguet's Most Collected Watch: The Royal Oak

Audemars Piguet watches have been a staple of the horological industry for nearly two centuries. The watchmaking brand originated in 1875 in the quaint Swiss Village of Le Brassus in Vallée de Joux, north of Geneva. Two young entrepreneurs (and childhood friends) Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet founded Audemars Piguet in 1875. The manufacturer instantly distinguished itself in the watchmaking industry with its Grande Complication pieces, featuring enviable technical capabilities that pushed horological innovation to the next level.

The two made a superb team. Audemars focused on creating complex watch movements to sell to watch manufacturers, while Piguet focused on the regulation of watch movement. Audemars Piguet continues to push the limits of horological creativity, further solidifying the brand as the Master of Watchmaking.

Today, the brand’s most iconic and most collected watch is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, a 1970s creation that has been rendered a timeless component of every savvy watch collector’s prized possessions. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak was born in 1972 when the Swiss watch industry was facing an existential threat: newfound competition from Japanese watch brands that started making quartz timepieces.

Swiss makers, on the other hand, specialized in costly mechanical watches. Customers were on the lookout for a watch that they could wear all day no matter the occasion or condition. AP’s Italian agent at the time saw an opportunity, and thus, the Royal Oak was born.

Accompany us on a journey through the history of the Royal Oak collection and an exploration of the exquisite Royal Oak timepieces you will find on the market today.

Recruited by Audemars Piguet Managing Director Georges Golay, legendary designer Gérald Genta was tasked with designing a new watch on the eve of the Swiss Watch Show, Basel (later known as Baselworld). With less than 24 hours, Genta worked all night designing what would become the masterpiece of his career (on a napkin, as all legendary origin stories naturally begin). The metal collar of a deep-sea diving helmet inspired Genta's design. Exposing the screws on the bezel seems to be the inspiration from the outside of the divers’ suit.

The proposed timepiece had a petite “tapisserie” dial and an intricate wristband for flexibility. The stainless steel watch had an integrated bracelet, setting it apart from others on the market. Genta stood by his stainless steel design, even though it was comically more expensive than a dress watch made from gold at the time. The octagonal bezel and eight hexagonal screws made of gold and white gold distinguished the watch as a modern icon.

At that time, stainless steel was a bold choice for an expensive watch. The material was considered more utilitarian than formal, but the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak changed that perception. In fact, it even paved the way for other stainless steel watches of the era, including the Patek Philippe Nautilus, which was introduced in 1976 as the brand’s competition for the Royal Oak watch.

According to Genta, there was a misunderstanding when he first received instructions to design the watch. “One afternoon, at four o’clock, Mr. Georges Golay, rings me up and tells me: ‘Mr. Genta, I need a steel sports watch that has never been done before, I want it to be something totally new and waterproof.’

"On my part, I understood that what he was looking for was a brand-new waterproofing technology. ‘I want the design by tomorrow morning.’ I designed it overnight and my idea was to replicate the system of the scaphander’s helmet on the watch case. With the eight screws and with the joint visible on the case’s exterior. So, I was given the ‘green light’ straight away to begin work on the prototype.”

Originally, the watch was planned to have the name Safari. Considered not to be on brand, Carlos de Marchi came up with the name Royal Oak. The name stems from Britain’s famous Royal Navy battleship, the HMS Royal Oak. The ship got its name from the Royal Oak tree and saved King Charles II of England. This ship hid him during the 1651 Battle of Worcester.

While naming anything can be tricky, a luxury watch is no exception. Audemars Piguet later released a Special Edition of the Royal Oak Offshore in 2005 named The Safari. That watch sports a leather band, white dial, and black numbers. Still, the classic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak reigns supreme (though, since 1971, the brand has created countless riffs on the classic that have become icons in their own right). That includes the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore collection, an offshoot of the original Royal Oak watch that was meant to be more sporty and versatile.

The attractive octagonal watch went into production the following year. The prototype was white gold, as it was initially more cost-effective. Rumors of early commercial failure were greatly exaggerated over the years. While it took over a year to sell the first 1,000 Royal Oak watches, it was clear that Genta created the trend for luxury sports watches.

A handful of people had a hard time justifying that a stainless steel sports timepiece was considered a luxury watch. However, that did not stop many other people from wanting one. Between 1972 and 1978, the company produced 6,050 models. It is safe to say that the Royal Oak saved the company from bankruptcy.

Gérald Genta is considered the most successful watch designer in the world for his complicated and pricey watches. He designed more iconic watches in his career than any other designer. Some of his most notable designs include IWC’s Ingenieur, Omega’s Constellation, and Patek Philippe's Nautilus. But none are more notable than the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

The first owner of the notorious timepiece was Mohammad Razi Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, who saw potential in the watch. Pahlavi wore a white gold version. Since then, this milestone watch has been spotted on many celebrity wrists. Here are just a few of the recognizable faces who love the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak:

The Royal Oak is Audemars Piguet’s best-known and most collected watch. In 2022, it celebrated its 50th Anniversary with new in-house calibres, dial animations, and refined finishing techniques. Its movement remains the thinnest automatic in the world. The timepiece can be found in case types of steel, titanium, pink gold, ceramic, yellow gold, white gold, and platinum. With a wide range of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak prices, there is a watch for every collector’s budget.

Which Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watches are worth keeping an eye on? Consider these options that exude haute horlogerie from every angle.

Invest in a jaw-dropping take on the traditional Royal Oak with this beautiful perpetual calendar model. Find three calendar subdials plus the brand’s proprietary leap year indicator on the northern half of the watch’s face. At the 6 o’clock position, lose yourself in the distinctive moonphase display that has become a symbol of prestige and glamour in the horological sphere. Measuring 42 mm in diameter, this timepiece is versatile and eminently wearable while signifying class and taste from every angle.

The ceramic models of the Royal Oak have proven incredibly popular with celebrities and everyday watch aficionados alike. This timepiece is crafted from light and durable ceramic and exemplifies modern horological takes in a bold riff on the classic Royal Oak silhouette. This Royal Oak showcases the brand’s mastery in both aesthetics and technological innovation. It is available now at Avi & Co., your trusted partner in luxury watch collecting.

While the perpetual calendar is undoubtedly one of the most popular Royal Oak complications, the flyback chronograph version of the watch has also made its mark. The chronograph feature, essentially a stopwatch controlled by two pushers on either side of the crown, is a much-loved function and makes this watch endlessly desirable. We also love the refinement of the rose gold case paired with a memorable green leather bracelet, as seen above.

Ready to shop for an Audemars Piguet watch? You are in the right place! Schedule an appointment with Avi & Co. or shop our Audemars Piguet Royal Oak collection online. We look forward to being your destination for luxury.

In addition to Audemars Piguet watches, we also offer numerous other luxury watch brands, including Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Richard Mille. We have also launched three of our very own Avi & Co. watch lines and our bespoke Diamonds by Avi & Co. collection, which showcases fine diamond jewelry that is crafted to impress.

Make an appointment to shop in store with us today at any of our three locations. We cannot wait to give you a warm welcome into our Avi & Co. family.