AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK

20th April 2017

One can’t help but wonder whether Gérald Genta – the watch designer who created the original Royal Oak, allegedly in one night – expected his design to become the icon it has. This original Royal Oak DNA has been developed and reworked by Audemars Piguet, and this has ensured that the desing has stood the test of time. At its’ initial release the Royal Oak shocked the watch world, and even now the many variations of the Royal Oak are pushing the boundaries of fine watchmaking to their very limit.

On looking at the luxury watch featured here, one can clearly see the design cues taken from Gérald Genta’s design – the octagonal bezel, the 8 screws etc. What is interesting to note is that part of the reason the first Royal Oak was so revolutionary is that it used steel rather than more conventional materials like gold. The success of the Royal Oak is such that steel is now considered the ‘standard’ and it is often more interesting to use gold! The metal used here for the case, bezel and integrated bracelet is 18-carat pink gold, which gives off a beautifully rich lustre as a result of the polished and brushed finish that is so carefully worked.

One major difference between this timepiece and others from the Royal Oak collection is in the finishing on the dial. Coloured dials have been incredibly popular over the last couple of years, and contrasting sub-dials are much the vogue right now. The colour choice here is a deliciously warm chocolate-brown, which works perfectly with the pink-tinted gold of the sub-dials. If brown isn’t necessarily a colour you’ve considered it’s worth pointing out that it provides a refreshing alternative to the harshness of black and white dials, and with fashion institutions such as GQ currently recommending brown suits ties and everything in between, we certainly think it’s a colour worth considering.

In terms of movement it is virtually impossible to beat Audemars Piguet, who have been making in-house movements in the Vallée de Joux since 1875. The Calibre 2385 deployed in this Royal Oak Chronograph utilises a column-wheel mechanism for the chronograph function, which provides superior accuracy and ease of operation. The movement is made up of 304 parts, features an 18-carat gold self-winding rotor and provides 40-hours of power reserve.

Available online now and in our ROX Argyll Arcade Boutique.

Audemars Piguet watches are available online and in our Argyll Arcade boutique.

When the Scottish Open tees off this July, there will be one particular wristwatch lurking in most of the top players’ lockers back at the Gullane clubhouse. Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson will have all de-wristed their treasured Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks before taking to the hallowed greens.