When the original Royal Oak first appeared in 1972, it was notable for several reasons and it was available only in stainless steel. However, in 1977 the first 18K yellow gold 39 mm Royal Oak was launched, bringing a whole new character to what would soon be regarded as an iconic design. In 2016, classic 18K yellow gold returned to Audemars Piguet’s product portfolio and was presented in a select group of Royal Oak models including the Royal Oak Chronograph ref. 26320BA at the SIHH 2016 as we reported here.