Episode 69: Royal Oak, The Most Influential AP (The Story So Far)
Hairspring18 Jul 2025

Episode 69: Royal Oak, The Most Influential AP (The Story So Far)

Some will tell you that Audemars Piguet have become the Royal Oak company. But why is this sole model so damn successful? How did one watch come to invent and subsequently take over a market segment? What are the models worth paying attention to and how are collections structured? This is the story of the Royal Oak, from two years before the 5402’s release straight through to ceramics and RD#2.


Links Mentioned:


AP Chronicle Early Years Story and Stats:


https://apchronicles.audemarspiguet.com/en/article/birth-of-an-icon


Integrated 2499:


https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/jay-z-patek-2499


5182 and 5179:


https://www.instagram.com/p/CzZbEHhJWSJ/

https://apchronicles.audemarspiguet.com/en/asset/7_5


Genta’s First Sketch:


https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/gerald-genta-icon-of-time-3/original-prototype-design-of-the-audemars-piguet


Tapisserie and How It’s Made:


https://apchronicles.audemarspiguet.com/en/article/guillochage-tapisserie


Some Ads:


https://www.adpatina.com/products/1974-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-ref-5402-steel-at-price-of-gold-advertisement


A Series 5402 ‘AP Down’:


https://www.phillips.com/detail/audemars-piguet/CH080222/8


D Series 5402 ‘AP Up’:


https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/important-watches-part-i/d-series-jumbo-royal-oak-ref-5402st-stainless


5402BC:


https://www.phillips.com/detail/audemars-piguet/CH080116/198


Midsized Evolution Guide:


https://www.watchbrotherslondon.com/articles/reference-talk-how-to-identify-royal-oak-ref-4100-14332-14486-14700-14790


14790 Guide:


https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/journal/collectors-guide-audemars-piguet-14790


14802 Jumbo Royal Oak ‘Jubilee’:


https://apchronicles.audemarspiguet.com/en/model/14802-royal-oak-jubilee


25572 ‘The Owl’:


https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/the-owl-25572ba-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-day-date


5548:


https://www.acollectedman.com/products/audemars-piguet-quantieme-perpetuel-5548-yellow-gold-1


Early Royal Oak QP History:


https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/early-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-perpetual-calendar-in-depth


https://apchronicles.audemarspiguet.com/en/article/Royal-Oak-Calendar-watches-1983-1996


https://www.adpatina.com/products/1994-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-perpetual-calendar-advertisement


Special Dials in the RO QP:


https://hairspring.com/products/25820pt-tuscan-dial-royal-oak-quantieme-perpetuel-platinum


https://www.phillips.com/detail/audemars-piguet/CH080222/17


https://apchronicles.audemarspiguet.com/en/model/royal-oak-25636


MoP Dual Time:


https://www.phillips.com/detail/audemars-piguet/CH080222/78


The Start of the Offshore:


https://apchronicles.audemarspiguet.com/en/article/birth-of-the-offshore


‘The Beast’:


https://hairspring.com/blogs/finds/a-very-tropical-early-offshore-25721st-the-beast


Kasparov:


https://hairspring.com/products/25860st-tropical-dial-kasparov-royal-oak-chronograph-steel


15002:


https://www.phillips.com/detail/audemars-piguet/CH080222/82


15202 Generational Differences:


https://www.watchprosite.com/audemars-piguet/first-gen-15202-royal-oak-jumbo/3.1554086.15251221/


16202:


https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-reference-16202-jumbo


56175TT:


https://www.tickingtimehomme.com/about/1990s-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-championship


25829TR:


https://www.gioielleriabonanno.it/en/audemars-piguet-il-tantalio-conquista-il-royal-oak-perpetual-calendar-ref-25829tr/


Frosted Gold:


https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/audemars-piguet-royal-oak-frosted-gold-hands-on


RD#2:


https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/audemars-piguet-rd2-royal-oak-perpetual-calendar-ultra-thin-hands-on


https://revolutionwatch.com/walking-the-ultra-thin-line-the-audemars-piguet-rd2/


Only Wrist:


https://www.instagram.com/p/DL4dfvBT0fD/


https://hairspring.com/products/ur-100v-p-02-titanium-steel


(The only Urwerk calendar is a pocket watch, it turns out)


https://www.urwerk.com/collections/historical-pieces/ur-1001

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