The Royal Oak is possibly one of the most recognizable Audemars Piguet models. First launched in 1972, the world's first luxury sports watch has grown into a complete collection of sturdy and aesthetically pleasing timepieces. The legendary watchmaker Gérald Genta designed the original Royal Oak, distinguished by its octagonal bezel with eight hexagonal white gold screws. The design of the watch was inspired by a scene that Genta had seen on the shores of Lake Geneva: a diver being fitted with a diving helmet. The watch, which made its debut on BaselWorld trade show, in April 1972, was also named after one of the famous sailing ships of the British fleet.
The original Royal Oak was made of stainless steel, which was, at the time of its debut, considered a high risk for any high-end sports watch. At the time, luxury watches were all round, slim, and made of gold. The first major milestone in evolution of the Royal Oak occurred in 1977, when the first yellow gold variant became available. Many years have passed since then, and the legendary Royal Oak is now available in a number of different versions, with new limited editions being constantly released. Last year, classic yellow gold returned to Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak portfolio, and this year, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first precious metal Royal Oaks, Audemars Piguet has created a new line of extra thin watches in yellow gold!
The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra Thin "Jumbo" is available in two distinct versions; each crafted from 18-carat yellow gold, and fitted with Petite Tapisserie dial in either blue or vintage-inspired champagne. The blue dial features a lighter shade – similar to the yellow gold models released last year, while the champagne dial beautifully blends with the gold of the case, creating a warm and pleasant monochromatic aesthetic. On both versions, the AP logo appears at six o'clock positon, evoking the look and feel of the original "A-Series" Royal Oak.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra Thin with a blue dial
15202BA.OO.1240BA.01
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra Thin is equipped with the ultra-thin self-winding Manufacture caliber 2121, which beats at a frequency of 19,800 vibrations per hour and provides around 40 hours of power reserve. First introduced half a century ago, the caliber is assembled from 247 individual parts and 36 jewels. It rests in a yellow gold case, with a glareproof sapphire crystal and case-back, which is sealed against the ingress of water to 50m of depth. In addition to hours and minutes, the caliber also drives the calendar disc, displaying the current date through an aperture located at 3 o’clock.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra Thin with a champagne dial
15202BA.OO.1240BA.02
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ultra-Thin ref. 15202 in yellow gold will retail for $55,400 USD. More details at Audemars Piguet online.
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