SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Introduces the Royal Oak Selfwinding 34 mm
The new quartet of Royal Oak models marks a first for Audemars Piguet – the Royal Oak Selfwinding 34 mm combines a 34 mm case with an automatic calibre supplied by movement specialist Vaucher. An addition to the line that is not meant to replace any existing model, the new 34 mm watch is now the smallest mechanical Royal Oak for ladies, with the smallest, 33 mm model being quartz, and the next-largest automatic having a 37 mm case. Initial thoughts The new watch fills a gap in the diverse Royal Oak line-up – a watch compact enough for ladies but with a mechanical movement. While the new 34 mm model is not explicitly described as a women’s watch, it is in all but name, as Audemars Piguet already has a 37 mm model as the medium-sized men’s Royal Oak. That said, the proportions of the 34 mm case remind me of the Royal Oak ref. 4100 of the 1970s and 1980s, which was then a large-sized men’s watch and 36 mm in diameter, not too much larger than the new model. By that benchmark, the new 34 mm model should not be a ladies’ watch per se, and could appeal to men who prefer a smaller case size. But for the broader market, it is a ladies’ watch, and I can see its appeal. Importantly, it has a mechanical movement – long absent for the ladies’ Royal Oak – and the versions with the diamond-set bezels offer a bit of bling to go along with the iconic design. So it should attract a new female customer who has always wanted a Royal Oak, but was savvy enough to wait fo...
