Today, for the first time, we have the pleasure of presenting to your attention a true successor to the legacy of the great Master and a continuation of the finest traditions of the icon created by Genta...
For us, and probably for many other people as well, the Royal Oak is the most iconic model of Audemars Piguet, and the reasons for this are countless. Beginning its journey in the 1970s, thanks to the light hand of Gérald Genta, this series has gone through numerous editions, but several things have never changed – the octagonal case, the “waffle” dial, the design of the lugs, and so on.
The main reason we are writing about the model for the first time is the fact that the gold versions are very rare, and on the secondary market, listings for them are few in number – believe us, there are reasons for this...
But... let us begin with a few facts – the first Audemars Piguet Royal Oak was launched in the 1970s and became an essential accessory for lovers of watchmaking. In 2012, the larger version of the model in a 41 mm case was presented for the first time and, as you can imagine, it immediately became very popular and sought after. There are many reasons for this – first, despite the larger size, the version turned out to be more balanced and comfortable to wear; second, this size better matched the interests of the male audience. Initially, two steel versions were presented – with black and silver dials, and a few years later the gold versions were also launched. Today’s version has a deep black dial, featuring the familiar “waffle” guilloché – here the medium-sized squares are used, the so-called “Grande Tapisserie” – and in addition to the time indications, there is also a date indicator.
Thanks to the transparent caseback, everyone can enjoy the work and appearance of the brand’s in-house Calibre 3120 movement – operating at the usual AP frequency of 21,600 vibrations, with 278 parts, 40 jewels and over 60 hours of power reserve, while in order to emphasise the noble origin of the movement, the rotor is made of 22-carat gold.
