Every brand you have in your closet has something they are known for. It is the garment or product that put the brand on the map and the one that made customers line up to grab their own to sport. For someone like Tom Ford, it is the collection of suits that are good enough and stylish enough for James Bond. Nike blew up the shoe market with the Air Jordans. Watches are no different and every brand tends to have their own “flagship product” that tends to be the most popular. Rolex sports the Submariner. Breitling’s Navitimeter is the best pilot watch. The Omega Seamaster is the choice of James Bond. And one of the best and most underrated is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
An iconic watch needs an iconic following, and watch enthusiasts the world over flock to try and grab one of these bad boys every chance they get. This cemented it into the Watch Hall of Fame (we’re not sure this exists; we just made it up). Here is everything you need to know about the Royal Oak.
History of the Royal Oak
Any watch enthusiast who pays attention has heard of Gerald Genta. He was a prolific designer who created for all the big names with some very popular models, including Universal Genève Polerouter, the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the Bulgari-Bulgari, the Cartier Pasha, and a whole list of timepieces you have likely seen in movies and celebrities’ wrists. In 1972, Managing Director of Audemars Piguet, Georges Golay, called him up and asked him to come up with a brand new stainless steel waterproof sports watch by the next morning. No big deal; Genta was a professional, after all.
The next day, he showed up and presented Golay with the Royal Oak. Inspired by the Navy dive helmets at the time, the hexagonal shape of the bezel and the eight exposed screws looked exactly like the helmet Carl Brashears would have worn. While it is now seen as an icon for the brand, the massive size (small in today’s standard at 39mm, but big enough then to be named “Jumbo”) and heavy price tag, it didn’t take off right away. However, the trend picked up, and it became the origin of the all-steel sports watch in the industry.
Why is the Royal Oak watch so expensive?
Simply speaking, the Royal Oak changed the watch industry. When it comes to the price of watches and the reason they become so expensive, there are a few things to keep in mind. First is the brand. Cornerstone brands like Rolex, IWC, and Omega will always fetch more than the rest of the industry because they are the cream of the crop. AP is on the list of watch brands that will always command a higher price tag. Mix in with that the rarity, and you have a high cost that is always going to be worth it.
The notable brand of Audemars Piguet and the rareness of the Royal Oak drive the demand through the roof. Watch collectors everywhere salivate over the possibility of getting their hands on an original to add to their collection. And just like anything else, low supply and high demand will result in a valuable commodity that you can sell to the highest bidder. Lucky for anyone who is trying to sell, bidding will typically skyrocket.
What is special about the Royal Oak watch?
So why the demand? There are numerous watches that are rare and made by reputable companies that don’t fetch this kind of dough. You would be right in asking the question. And the answer is simply that the watch launched a whole new branch of the watch industry. The all-steel sports watch did for AP what the Submariner did for Rolex. It changed the dive industry at the same time that it changed the watch industry. Brands like Vacheron Constantin, Girard-Perregaux, and Patek Philippe repeated what AP did in the same year, establishing the Royal Oak as the original origin of the version of sports watches.
Does Royal Oak hold value?
As long as there is a demand for this rare piece, the value will stay with it. Here are a couple of things to look at that will help you understand what you are buying if you’re looking to pick up a watch to collect an original. The Royal Oak became AP’s flagship product, so many models followed it. But the original reference 5402ST, called the A-series, is the most sought-after and only has 2,000 in existence. The A-series is identified by the A stamp on the back of the watch and the AP logo above the six o’clock. The B-series (only 1,000 in existence, so less rare but also less sought-after since it isn’t the original) and all C and D-series models have the AP logo below the twelve o’clock.
You really can’t go wrong with any of the Royal Oak lines of watches, but if you keep your eye out for the original reference 5402ST, you may just have a family heirloom that will rival much of the industry for years and years to come.
