Back in 1998, I purchased my first Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, it was a stainless steel ref. 5402ST A-series that I should've never sold. After buying that first AP, the two-tone Royal Oak ref. 5402SA you see in the picture above was the one that followed. For 20 years as an AP collector and 28 years as a watch collector, I've longed to visit the Audemars Piguet manufacture in Le Brassus, Switzerland.
Posts filed under Audemars Piguet
Rare Bird: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Championship Edition. The Nick Faldo Golfer's Dream Set.
Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship this weekend becoming the oldest golfer at age 50 to win a major championship in the history of the sport. He was wearing an old Rolex Cellini with a white dial while making history. While professional golfers are often spotted wearing special timepieces, there are just a few watches out there that can be directly linked to a particular golfer.
Watch Auctions: Superb Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Jumbo' B-Series to be Auctioned by Phillips Watches
Launched in 1972 at Basel Fair, Audemars Piguet's introduction of the Royal Oak marked the beginning of the luxury sports watch market we know today, causing an immediate sensation as the watch industry had never seen anything comparable before. At the time the most expensive stainless steel wristwatch available, it most notably housed the extra slim calibre 2121 based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 920, that would later be found in the Nautilus wristwatch.
From the Editor: A Disassembled Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 'Panda'. A Feast for the Eyes of AP Fans.
Mexico City is one of the watch capitals of the world. Regardless of the crime wave that has hit the country over the last 20 years, hardcore watch collectors trade pieces and buy/sell watches on a regular basis. More than eight years ago on one of my visits to Mexico City, I decided to call one of my favorite preowned watch dealers in the city and pay him a visit. I still remember like it was yesterday, when I purchased from him my very first Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo A-Series back in 1998.
From the Editor: My Honest Thoughts on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept 'Black Panther' Flying Tourbillon
Never in my wildest dreams, I would’ve imagined I’d be writing something like this. As you all know, I’ve been a fan of Audemars Piguet since 1998 when I purchased my first Royal Oak Jumbo ref. 5402 A-series and it is no secret that AP is one of my three favorite watch brands.
From the Editor: AP Royal Oak Extra-Thin 'Jumbo' 15202ST Pricing Skyrockets as the King is Dead, Long Live the King!
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin ‘Jumbo’ reference 15202ST.OO.1240ST.01 released in 2012 —to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak— is as close as it gets to owning the original Royal Oak Jumbo ref. 5402ST from 1972.
News: Audemars Piguet CODE 11.59 Chronograph with Ceramic Middle Case ref. 26393
For the very first time, Audemars Piguet evolves the CODE 11.59 collection with two pioneering models bringing together 18K white or pink gold cases with black ceramic middle cases. Entwining bold aesthetics and uncompromising craftsmanship, these two-tone timepieces have pushed the manufacturing and hand finishing of the collection’s multi-faceted case to new heights. While the bezel, lugs, and case back are made in 18K white or pink gold, the octagonal middle case is honed from black ceramics.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chrono with In-House Movement ref. 26239
Audemars Piguet is pleased to unveil a new evolution of the Royal Oak Chronograph. Housed within a 41mm 18K pink gold case, this model is equipped for the first time with the latest generation in-house chronograph movement, the automatic Calibre 4401, visible through the watch’s sapphire case back. Two dial options are available, executed in blue or brown hues.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Flying Tourbillon Flyback Chronograph ref. 26622TI
Audemars Piguet is happy to announce the release of a new complication in the Royal Oak Offshore collection. Limited to 100 pieces, the new self-winding timepiece combines flying tourbillon with flyback chronograph in a brand new case diameter of 43 mm, paving the way for a new generation of redesigned Royal Oak Offshore models.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Next Generation ref. 15720ST in 3 Versions
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver has always been a favorite and the entry point watch into the Royal Oak Offshore collection. For 2021, Audemars Piguet has updated the Royal Oak Offshore Diver maintaining the same case proportions at 42 mm in diameter but this time the watch is equipped with ceramic crowns, a new dial with applied ‘AP’ logo at 12 o’clock, a new in-house automatic calibre 4308 and an interchangeable strap system that allows the wearer to switch between straps without the need for tools.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Collection Goes All Green with Five New Models
Right after St. Patrick’s Day, Audemars Piguet goes all green presenting five brand new Royal Oaks all featuring bright green dials. The new green dial models include a new Royal Oak Extra-Thin ‘Jumbo’ in platinum ref. 15202PT.OO.1240PT.01, a limited edition 41 mm Royal Oak Chronograph in 18K yellow gold ref. 26331BA.OO.1220BA.02 in a limited edition of 125 pieces, then a 50-piece limited edition 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon in titanium ref. 26534TI.OO.1220TI.01,
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual UAE Limited Edition ref. 26613ST
Joining the other regional or country-specific limited editions of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar comes now a 75-piece limited edition for the United Arab Emirates. These limited edition pieces include the 50-piece limited edition in platinum with ice blue dial for Switzerland, the 100-piece in pink gold with pink-toned dial for Latin America, the 50-piece in stainless steel with a green dial for Hong Kong, the 88-piece collaboration with Horoloupe in titanium with a slate grey dial with red accents for China, the 20-piece in platinum with black dial for Yoshida in Japan, the 20-piece in white gold with a red dial for Thailand, and lastly the 20-piece in platinum with sand-colored dial for the Time Place in Indonesia.
Insider: Explaining the Different Types of Audemars Piguet Tapisserie Dials
The dial on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is one of the most iconic dials in the watch world and there is more than meets the eye to its making and different textures. Audemars Piguet released the Royal Oak in 1972 with a dial featuring a ‘Clous de Paris’ guilloché motif that is referred to by AP as ‘petite tapisserie’. Then in 1993, the Royal Oak Offshore was released with a similar type of tapisserie but there are small nuances between the two and the rest of Royal Oaks and Royal Oak Offshores out there.
Experience: Partagas 8-9-8 Cigar Jar Meets a Platinum Offshore
Cuban cigars come in all shapes and forms and today there are 27 different brands. While all Habanos are Cuban, by no means all Cuban cigars are Habanos. The title ‘Habano’ is the Protected Denomination of Origin —Denominación de Origen Protegida D.O.P—, reserved for a selection of the most outstanding brands whose cigars are manufactured to the highest standards from tobaccos grown only in particular areas of Cuba and fully hand made.
Breaking News: Patrick Ottomani Leaves and Ginny Wright is Appointed CEO of Audemars Piguet North America
Ms. Ginny Wright is joining Audemars Piguet North America, Inc. as CEO, effective January 18, 2021. Based in the company’s New York City office, Ms. Wright will oversee all of the business activities in North America as well as Latin America and report directly to Mr. Yves Meylan, Chief Commercial Officer, and Mr. Francois-Henry Bennahmias, Global Chief Executive Officer, both based at the company’s headquarters in Switzerland.
Experience: Porsche 911 GT2RS Clubsport. Limited Like an AP Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello 1.
It’s been a while since we last talked about automobiles here on WCL, and as we begin delivering the content for the new year 2021, we said to ourselves, why not talk about the most impressive Porsche ever to start the year with a bang. Very much like an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello 1 ref. 26071IK.OO.D002CA.01, the Porsche 911 GT2RS Clubsport comes in a limited edition of only 200 units.
Experience: Merry Christmas with an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15300
Most people outside of the U.S. in Europe and Latin America celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. Since we also share the tradition of celebrating on Christmas Eve, we decided to prepare a small collection of Christmas-inspired images to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas. May you and your families be blessed with health and may all your dreams come true. Hopefully, your Christmas tree is keeping one of these Royal Oaks nice and warm inside a gift box for tomorrow morning.
Insider: How to Set the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ref. 26574
Today we are talking about a topic that typically gets overlooked. How to set your watch is as important as knowing your watch from A to Z. Setting a perpetual calendar is never an easy process, even when the watch is equipped with one or two correctors only, or if everything can be set via the crown —like on many of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Perpetual Calendars. When it comes to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ref. 26574 it is better to be safe than sorry.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked Black Ceramic ref. 15416CE
Yet another very under the radar release from Audemars Piguet and very fitting for ‘Black Friday’. This time cloaked in black ceramic, the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked Black Ceramic ref. 15416CE.OO.1225CE.01 is the latest addition to the ‘Double Balancier’ line of Royal Oaks first released in 2016 at the SIHH. The double balance wheel tackles the stabilizing issues by fixing a second balance wheel and balance-spring assembly on the same axis.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding Flying Tourbillon ref. 26530. Its First-Ever.
Audemars Piguet is delighted to introduce its first-ever Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon. For the occasion, the manufacture launches three 41 mm references in stainless steel, titanium, and 18K pink gold, all complemented with a refined dial design. The Royal Oak Tourbillon first made its debut in 1997 for the 25th anniversary of the Royal Oak. This latest evolution featuring the flying tourbillon and self-winding mechanism reintroduces this modern classic with updated aesthetics for the new decade.
