Results for The Royal Oak Launch Story

Hands-On: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph in 38mm Is The Option Smaller-Wristed Collectors Deserve

Maybe too small for me, maybe too big for some, but I'd guess that this will be the Goldilocks option for a whole lot of people.

Introducing: Audemars Piguet Updates The Royal Oak Offshore Diver And Chronograph Lines With Five New Models

The Offshore Diver line is overhauled with three new colors, while the Offshore Chronograph in 43mm gets two new versions with one in the brand's latest blue ceramic.

In-Depth: A Technical and Practical Deep Dive On The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak RD#5 – The Most Extreme "Jumbo" Ever

From the wearing experience to the technical expertise behind it, we look at what makes AP's final Research & Development watch so special.

Introducing: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Chronograph RD#5 Is The Most Jumbo Of Them All

The final chapter of AP's experimental series takes a classic case in a whole new direction.

Opinion: The Culture of the Royal Oak Has Overshadowed the Watch Itself

I can remember the exact moment I realized that Audemars Piguet was not the brand for me: I was listening to an episode of Hodinkee Radio in early 2019 featuring an interview with then current AP CEO François-Henry Bennahmias during which he boasted that he does not read books. For whatever skills Bennahmias has as an executive, and whatever objectively nice qualities come through in the watches made under his tenure with the brand, something about this statement immediately turned me off. In the parlance of 2025, you’d say it gave me “the ick.”  Over the last few years, I’ve thought about this moment a lot as integrated bracelet sports watch mania has waxed and waned, and my own taste has solidified somewhat. Back in 2019, my exposure to Royal Oaks was fairly limited. I basically knew what watch media and the burgeoning watch collector’s scene on Instagram told me. And the narrative, by and large, was that these were the crème de la crème of the high end, a watch that every collector should strive to own. In those days, it really was that simple: there were a handful of watches from big brands that seemed to be on everyone’s hit list at one time or another. The Submariner, the Speedmaster, the Royal Oak. It was drilled into my head, and all of our heads, that watches like this – the icons – were worthy of our universal devotion.  I eventually owned both a Speedmaster and a Submariner. Both of which, I’d eventually realize, were not for me for a vari...

Breitling Launch Meteorite-Dial Chronomat In Collaboration With Erling Haaland

In A Royal Oak and Nautilus World, Why I Love The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Deep Stream Chronograph

Ask and ye shall receive, dear readers! Well, within reason. Quill & Pad reader and frequent commenter Greg has been after GaryG for a while to write a piece on his Vacheron Constantin Overseas Deep Stream Chronograph, most recently in response to Gary's article on three “keepers” from his collection that don’t get a lot of wrist time. Gary didn’t include the Deep Stream on that list as it is a quite frequent wearer for him, but now its time in the spotlight has come.

Introducing – The Two Smoked Blue AP Royal Oak 41mm You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

If you’re a recurring reader of MONOCHROME, you’ve probably seen that we’re normally very reactive, and we try our best to deliver the freshest news possible. However, from time to time, we’re still caught by surprise when a brand releases new editions without prior communication. Today is a perfect example of this situation, as Audemars […]

The Omega Speedmaster-The World’s Most Famous Chronograph That Went To The Moon | Diving Deep

Hands-on – Impressions about the Rubber-Clad AP Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding 43mm

Oversized watches are a thing of the past…? Well, on paper yes. For two to three years now, many brands have been scaling down their watches. Timepieces can move back to 40mm or sometimes even less. Yet, some models are made to be big and bold. 1990s and early 2000s Panerai, the IWC Big Pilot […]

Hands-On: The Pink Gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak That Turned A Devout Yellow Gold Loyalist Into An Equal Opportunist

Our Style Editor explains how this pink watch became the exception to her yellow gold only rule.

First Look – The White Gold AP Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Openworked 16204BC

Last week, we covered most of the new models introduced by Audemars Piguet, as part of the 2024 collection – which included a new ROO time-and-date, a handsome new alloy named Sand Gold and a striking collab watch with John Mayer. There is one watch that we’ve kept away for now, but it’s a stunner. […]

Hands-On: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar John Mayer Limited Edition (Live Pics)

In white gold, made in 200 pieces, and with a beautiful "Crystal Sky" dial, this watch nods to the past and weighs gentle on my mind.

Introducing: Audemars Piguet's New Watches Of 2024: From the Royal Oak To The Code 11.59, The Offshore, And More (Live Pics)

While John Mayer might have been the spring headliner, there's plenty else to love from Audemars Piguet's new releases – including camo like you've never seen.

In-Depth: What's The Future Of The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept? To Figure It Out, We Have To Look To The Past

It was the R&D; platform for Audemars Piguet, but after the groundbreaking "Universelle," is the Concept on its way out?

Introducing – The Seductive Runway Beauty of the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon x Tamara Ralph

Collaborations between watch brands and designers, artists, musicians, trendsetters, artisans, comic characters, action heroes, etc., are the order of the day. You’d be hard-pressed to think of a brand that has not succumbed to some outside input to generate a buzz among younger collectors or even wizened collectors looking for something fresh. Since the unveiling […]

Three On Three: Comparing The Vacheron Constantin Overseas, The Piaget Polo S, And The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15400

It's time to tackle one of the most popular categories of watches of the modern era: the stainless steel luxury sport watch. We've got three takes, and they're going head-to-head-to-head.

The Style Section: The Royal Oak Offshore Is Due For A Resurgence

Our Style Editor makes a case for the return of the Offshore and what its success in the '00s can teach us about pushing watch design forward in 2024.

First Look – The Travis Scott x AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked “Cactus Jack” Brown Ceramic

Collaborations and watches inspired by pop and street culture are, without a doubt, an important part of Audemars Piguet‘s recent history. No other brand on the haute horlogerie scene has fostered such creative synergies with different universes. Sport, pop culture, art, fashion and entertainment… It looks at things from a different perspective, like it or […]

Photo Report: The Collector Experience at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s ‘The Reverso Stories’ Exhibit in NYC

Hands-On: A Glass Bezel And Gold Bridges – Keeping The Quintessential AP Royal Oak Fresh 51 Years On

Audemars Piguet could find themselves boxed into a corner of design with the "Jumbo" but instead, they keep finding ways to do something new with an icon.

Introducing: Celebrating The AP Royal Oak Offshore's Anniversary With Some Music And A Bit Of 37mm-Sized Bling

AP goes from tasting the rainbow to dishing out a healthy dose of salmon and a few other options in between.

Introducing: AP Celebrates the Royal Oak Offshore's 30th Birthday With A Dramatic Limited Edition (Live Pics)

It's the End of Days all over again.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato: The Underappreciated Royal Oak Substitute?

It will surprise nobody that over the last 5 years certain steel sports watches have taken off in terms of popularity and become practically impossible to buy at an authorized retailer. However, fear not as there is still a unicorn out there that has not captured broader attention (yet): the Girard-Perregaux Laureato.

How The Royal Oak Offshore Put AP On The Pop-Culture Map (Video)

This year the Offshore turns 30. In this video interview with CEO François-Henry Bennahmias and heritage head Raphaël Balestra, part of their AP Talks series, we look back at how it changed the horological landscape by infiltrating popular culture.