Audemars Piguet is, before we even start to consider the different collections and luxury watch models available, a founding name in the luxury goods industry.
Operating since 1881, the Audemars Piguet brand is one of only a handful of luxury brands that have retained their value over the years and continued to develop new models while maximising the status and demand for their most iconic and vintage pieces.
Innovation is, as we will go on to discuss in this blog, key to the success of the Audemars Piguet brand and every watch it has released in its 140+ year history. But one particular watch stands out from all the rest, and that’s the Royal Oak.
The Royal Oak watch was designed by Gerald Genta, who was also responsible for developing the Nautilus watch for the Patek Philippe brand – lending his skills and refined expertise to some of the best names in the business. Despite being introduced almost 90 years into the brand’s extensive history and story, the Royal Oak catapulted the Audemars Piguet brand to new heights, with its stylish and sleek but impeccably functional sports watch design.
Let’s take a closer look at the history of the Royal Oak, its release, and how it has continued to evolve since its initial launch in 1972.
When and Why Was the Royal Oak Released?
As you start to dive deeper into the luxury goods market, you will see that many pieces are created in light of, in response to, or having been inspired by, existing pieces.
The Patek Philippe Nautilus watch was designed after the release of the Royal Oak, taking the same underlying concept of a sports watch with equal weight on style and design, and giving it a unique twist.
So, where did the Royal Oak itself come from?
As a brand of firsts, being the first to launch a minute repeater wristwatch in 1892 and the designer behind the thinnest wristwatch in the world in 1946, it follows that Audemars Piguet wanted to be the first to take the ever-popular concept of sports watches but make them stylish and luxurious.
Rolex had been producing activity and sport-specific watches for the last couple of decades by 1972, but what they hadn’t yet covered was an all-encompassing sports watch with the same attention to detail and design. The managing director of Audemars Piguet at the time when the Royal Oak was briefed out to Gerald Genta remembers the designer being told to “invent a model both sporty and stylish in spirit, suitable for evening wear and for the daily activities of today’s man of taste”. What’s more, the watch needed to match the world’s thinnest watch at the time and use the revolutionary Calibre 2121 in its mechanism.
Suffice to say, the Royal Oak is widely recognised today as being the pioneering lead into the world of luxury sports watches – putting stainless steel at the forefront of the market as a high-quality material and boasting the octagonal shape and structure that appears both modern and infinitely timeless.
And what better start to the most innovative watch in the world, than an introduction like that.
But, with all that history in mind, how has the Royal Oak continued to evolve and innovate?
Continued Innovation Over 50+ Years
It wasn’t just the mechanics and underlying concept that made the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak a revolutionary timepiece. It was also outstanding and daring in its design, with visible screws, a more geometric shape, and a unique dial design that added depth to the aesthetic look of the watch.
Most notably, the timepiece became – and remains to this day – just as popular for everyday use as it is for athletes and those accessing the sports watch benefits.
And, since its first release more than 50 years ago, the designs have continued to push the boundaries of horological innovation and flair – culminating in a 50th anniversary reinvention of the original Royal Oak. The 50th anniversary release included timepieces of different sizes, most of which had a 22-karat gold weight, engraved with a 50-year-anniversary logo and brand signature. The anniversary timepieces balance this fresh approach to design with some of the best inner mechanics and working components, ensuring optimum precision (something that has remained a cornerstone of the Audemars Piguet brand since day one).
Over the 50+ years since its first launch, the Royal Oak has seen plenty of variations and fresh versions released. Some of the variations include adopting and using different materials, changing the design and colouring of the watch dials, and integrating increasingly modern and innovative features.
Some of the prominent features that have been added to and integrated into the Royal Oak over the years include the perpetual calendar, minute repeaters, tourbillon, and the lunar cycle, among other details.
All of this, without impacting the delicate size and impeccable precision of a timepiece that continues to delight investment buyers and watch lovers around the world.
Is a Royal Oak Timepiece a Good Investment?
If you want to treat yourself to a new timepiece, or you are an investment buyer keen to put your money into an asset that will continue to increase in value, then there is no better purchase than an authentic Royal Oak.
With Audemars Piguet tapping into the common theme across the luxury market of understocking each model, the demand for every iteration and variation of the Royal Oak remains incredibly high.
With the right certification and a formal valuation, you can own a piece of history – not just connected to the Audemars Piguet brand, but also to the innovation and pioneering of watch history. All that, while also getting to enjoy a timepiece that was made to be worn, and which combines the functional benefits with an underlying approach to style and design flair that is unrivalled.
Proof that innovation can – and often does – bridge the gap between modern finishes and timeless design. For more information on the Royal Oak and to browse our stock, get in touch with the London Love Luxury team today.
