This is a wristwatch that’s known to many of you, it may not require much of an analysis — but this really is HODINKEE and you can think you’re gonna receive you. The Royal Oak Chronograph is a watch which has tens of thousands of fans the world over, and a few detractors, also. The ROC, since I’ll call it, is something of a middle ground between two completely different Audemars Piguet buyers — the collectors, and, well, everybody else. The Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore families frequently appeal to very different people, but I’ll get to that soon. In this review, I tackle a mainstay at the AP lineup, along with also an interesting piece of haute horology, though one with no own in-house motion. I will have a look at how this 41mm column-wheel, vertical clutch chronograph wears, and if the issue of where the motion came out of is something worth noting in any way. That is the HODINKEE Week On The Wrist with all the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph, and it’s one worth spending a while with.AP is really a distinctive watch manufacture. It’s among the few worldwide haute horology brands that stays in the hands of its founding family, with different members of their Audemars family still sitting on its board. But, the ownership of AP isn’t necessarily the most interesting side of this 175 year-old manufacture — the question that matters is that purchases AP’s watches?
The Audemars Piguet Watch Gold Replica Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph 25th Anniversary and Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph are three brand new, pre-SIHH 2018 references which we will see in shops next year, even when AP is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Royal Oak Offshore line.When Audemars Piguet unveiled the first Royal Oak Offshore some 25 years ago, I don’t think they anticipated it to be the success that it is now, even though it mostly built on the original Royal Oak recipe: go very large, very bold, and expensive. Now, all this was to be taken to another level with the Royal Oak Offshore.It was big and brash, and purists who saw it at Basel back in 1993 screamed that the Royal Oak was desecrated — probably the same people who jumped out to about the original Royal Oak desecrating luxury watches in general. Truth be told, the Offshore has been a daring move by Audemars Piguet, but today most of us know how well it’s paid off. Now, the Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore are Audemars Piguet’s best-selling collections — basically synonymous with the manufacturer itself, which obviously isn’t a fantastic thing, but we will leave that discussion for another time.
Last year Audemars Piguet Schumacher Watch Replica unveiled a slew of Royal Oak watches in yellow gold, with a notable omission, the Royal Oak Extra-Thin “Jumbo”. As the Royal Oak marks the 40th anniversary of the first yellow gold model of 1977, that has now been rectified with a pair that will make their debut at SIHH 2017.
The new Royal Oak Extra-Thin watches in 18k yellow gold join the 50-piece limited edition made for Singapore retailer The Hour Glass last year, with both the case and bracelet in yellow gold.
The Royal Oak “Jumbo” for The Hour Glass with a dark green dial
While the version for The Hour Glass had a green dial, the two new additions to the collection are in dark blue and yellow gold respectively. Both dials are finished in the traditional style of the Royal Oak, decorated with Petite Tapisserie guilloche and featuring yellow gold applied markers and hands.
The case diameter is 39mm, the exact same diameter as the 1977 original “Jumbo”, though the sapphire display back means the modern iteration is slightly thicker than the solid back original.
But the movement inside remains the 2121, the slim, self-winding calibre originally developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre but now made by Audemars Piguet.
Price and availability
The Royal Oak Extra-Thin in yellow gold with a blue dial is the ref. 15202BA.OO.1240BA.01, while the same with a matching yellow gold dial is the ref. 15202BA.OO.1240BA.02. Both are priced at US$55,400.
