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Results for The Royal Oak Launch Story

41,661 articles · 261 videos found · page 12 of 1398

Audemars Piguet & Travis Scott Introduce the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “Cactus Jack” SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet & Travis Scott Introduce Dec 1, 2023

Audemars Piguet & Travis Scott Introduce the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “Cactus Jack”

Rumours of a brown ceramic Royal Oak began circulating several months ago, and the latest launch from Audemars Piguet (AP) has proven them true. However, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked “Cactus Jack” 41 mm is more than a new colour, and instead it’s a 200-piece limited edition collaboration with American Rapper Travis Scott and his streetwear label Cactus Jack. The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “Cactus Jack” is interesting for being more than just a change of dial colour, which is usually the route taken for limited editions. While it is based on the standard model, the “Cactus Jack” gets a brown ceramic case as well as typography based on the musician’s handwriting on the dial, along with Cactus Jack’s smiley emblem for the moons. Notably, the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “Cactus Jack” is just one part of AP’s collaboration with Mr Scott. Their tie-up also includes a line of clothing, including hoodies, t-shirts, and caps, that will be available on Cactus Jack’s own retail site. Initial thoughts Although the “Cactus Jack” is fundamentally identical to the regular production skeleton perpetual in ceramic, it looks strikingly different because of the case. Typically I am not a fan of brown ceramic, but here the material sets the watch apart instantly. This differentiation is a good thing since there are many, many version of the Royal Oak perpetual calendar – the non-skeleton ceramic model is already available in b...

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Audemars Piguet Introduces the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man” SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Introduces May 25, 2023

Audemars Piguet Introduces the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man”

Two years ago, Audemars Piguet (AP) introduced the Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther”, a watch that caused a stir, to put it mildly. While the comics-and-complications combination was unorthodox, the watch was a commercial success. Now AP is following up – as promised – with its second Marvel collaboration, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Spider-Man”. Like its predecessor, it has a miniature sculpture of the superhero as the dial and it is once again again a Royal Oak Concept, but now powered by a new calibre.  And the Royal Oak Spider-Man watch also continues the charitable tradition started by its predecessor. A unique version of the new watch, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Black Suit Spider-Man” that depicts a black-and-silver superhero, will be sold at auction to benefit First Book and Ashoka, a pair of charities that bring education to disadvantaged youth. Initial thoughts In some ways, the Royal Oak Black Panther did not look serious enough for such an expensive watch; it was perhaps too purple. While its aesthetics were subjective, it was certainly well executed. The miniature sculpture was done well in both detail, colour, and form. The same holds true for the Royal Oak Spider-Man, but it is an altogether more attractive watch. For one, it is less purple and more monochromatic, with much of the watch being black and white, leaving only the superhero figure to convey colour. And the figure itself is better positioned in that it allows more of t...

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The Swatch Collaboration Effect — Here’s What Happened (This Time) Fratello
Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop Jun 9, 2026

The Swatch Collaboration Effect — Here’s What Happened (This Time)

The Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop watch resulted in long queues at Swatch boutiques worldwide. We witnessed the chaos and mayhem at several of them on May 16th. Police had to enforce order, stores had to close, mall owners were angry, and managers of nearby shops were pissed because they couldn’t open or had […] Visit The Swatch Collaboration Effect — Here’s What Happened (This Time) to read the full article.

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Introducing – Audemars Piguet Brings Summer Colours to the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Monochrome
Audemars Piguet Brings Summer Colours Jun 1, 2026

Introducing – Audemars Piguet Brings Summer Colours to the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph

More than three decades after its debut in 1993, the Offshore remains arguably the version of the iconic Royal Oak best suited to an active summer lifestyle. Nicknamed “The Beast” when it was launched, the Royal Oak Offshore challenged the conventions of luxury watchmaking with its oversized proportions, visible rubber elements and bold, muscular design… […]

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Sunday Morning Showdown: Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop Vs. Omega × Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch Fratello
Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop Vs May 31, 2026

Sunday Morning Showdown: Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop Vs. Omega × Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch

Welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown! This week, we pit two Bioceramic hype monsters against each other. Daan defends the original Omega × Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch. Thomas counters with the recent Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop. Which collaborative Swatch model did it better? Let’s see! The Royal Pop retails for €385 or €400, depending […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop Vs. Omega × Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch to read the full article.

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Audemars Piguet Upgrades the Royal Oak Chronograph 38 mm SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Upgrades Feb 4, 2026

Audemars Piguet Upgrades the Royal Oak Chronograph 38 mm

Audemars Piguet (AP) updates the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 38 mm with a new manufacture calibre, sapphire display back, while slightly tweaking the iconic design – and retaining the price of its predecessor. The new cal. 6401 comes with welcome quality-of-life improvements such as a longer power reserve and instantaneous date without tradeoffs in wearability, beat rate, or even cost, making this compact chronograph one of the most sensible and compelling offerings in the Royal Oak line. Initial Thoughts AP debuted the first Royal Oak chronograph in 1997 and it was powered by the Frederic Piguet cal. 1185, a landmark movement for automatic chronograph design. Now, nearly three decades later, AP is a true industrialised manufacture, and the cal. 1185 has been replaced with the new cal. 6401, a modern movement that with meaningful upgrades under the hood. This also comes with some minute tweaks to the dial and a crowd pleasing display case back, while the case and bracelet remain as excellent as always. Laudably, this comes without a significant price increase, with the new Royal Oak Chronograph 38 mm in steel costing only 3.6% more than its predecessor. New Engine AP’s new cal. 6401 is a solidly-spec’ed movement despite being small and thin for a modern chronograph. It’s wide and taller than the Frederic Piguet cal. 1185 but only slightly. It is 27 mm in diameter (up from 26.2 mm) and 5.7 mm tall (up from 5.5 mm) though even with the addition of a sapphire ...

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In-Depth – Audemars Piguet Reimagines the Chronograph with the Royal Oak Jumbo Chronograph RD#5 (Incl. Video) Monochrome
Audemars Piguet Reimagines Oct 1, 2025

In-Depth – Audemars Piguet Reimagines the Chronograph with the Royal Oak Jumbo Chronograph RD#5 (Incl. Video)

The chronograph is undoubtedly one of the most, if not the most, popular complications among watch enthusiasts. However, few people realise that this mechanism is one of the most complex in watchmaking. Most chronographs operate on the same fundamental principles. However, with the Royal Oak Jumbo Chronograph RD#5, Audemars Piguet dares to challenge conventions that […]

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Audemars Piguet Scales Down the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Scales Down Sep 13, 2025

Audemars Piguet Scales Down the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar

Audemars Piguet (AP) shrinks its innovative new perpetual calendar movement, reflecting the industry-wide shift towards more compact sizing. The scaled-down model arrives in two models to start: the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar 38 mm ref. 26684 loses the controversial week-of-the-year indicator, while the Code 11:59 Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar 38 mm ref. 26441 retains the pointer. Notably, the marketing for the new 38 mm models implies a more feminine target audience, but the appeal of a mid-sized Royal Oak perpetual transcends gender. Initial Thoughts The march towards smaller sizes continues. Regardless of the client’s gender, it helps that Audemars Piguet has a real winner here, with a user-friendly movement that is also extremely technically interesting, contained inside the iconic and very well built Royal Oak case. Pricing is relatively reasonable as well – US$110,000 in stainless steel hardly screams “good deal” but is fair against the wider market. The absence of a 52-week scale on the Royal Oak 38 mm models is necessitated by the narrower dial and differentiates the 38 mm from the 41 mm. Many will welcome this change given the niche nature of a week indicator, though the result is arguably less distinct from the many other sub-dial-centric perpetual calendars on the market. Also, a matching 38 mm and 41 mm pair in the same colourway would be cute, and a missed opportunity. Compact Case At 38 mm, this is the smallest Royal Oak perpetual calen...

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Audemars Piguet’s New Ceramic is the Same Hue as the Royal Oak 5402 SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet s New Ceramic Apr 16, 2025

Audemars Piguet’s New Ceramic is the Same Hue as the Royal Oak 5402

“Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” was the colour code for the original Royal Oak “Jumbo” ref. 5402 ST of 1972, and now Audemars Piguet has translated the dark blue shade into its latest ceramic. Making its debut in three Royal Oak models, including the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked, the “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” ceramic is restrained and a departure from the bright, almost electric blue of the brand’s earlier blue ceramic. Initial thoughts Ceramic is a material that lends itself well to the Royal Oak design; the brushed and polished surfaces that are the trademark Royal Oak surface finishing look good with the hardness and glossiness of ceramic. The earlier bright blue ceramic used by AP was too bright in my opinion. The new dark blue hue, on the other hand, feels just nice. The downside of an all-ceramic Royal Oak is the price. The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph with a matching ceramic bracelet costs almost US$90,000, double the price of the steel equivalent and almost as much as the gold model. According to AP, the cost is primarily due to the difficult in finishing the ceramic – every element of the case and bracelet is brushed or polished by hand – which is true, but it’s still expensive. The most affordable model with the new ceramic only has its bezel and pushers in ceramic ” Night blue” According to AP, “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” (which translates as “night blue, cloud 50”) was the code for the dark blue, almost grey, in the catalogue of Stern...

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First Look – The New-Gen AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Selfwinding with the New Calibre 7138 Monochrome
Audemars Piguet held Feb 25, 2025

First Look – The New-Gen AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Selfwinding with the New Calibre 7138

About a year ago, when Audemars Piguet held its yearly event to present its new collection, the brand introduced a highly appealing version of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Selfwinding, made with artist and seasoned collector John Mayer. Besides the incredibly textured dial, AP issued a highly important statement. This watch marked the swan song […]

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Audemars Piguet Introduces The 43mm Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion” Fratello
Audemars Piguet Introduces Nov 20, 2024

Audemars Piguet Introduces The 43mm Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion”

Audemars Piguet put a tourbillon inside an edgy titanium watch, and Kaws put a miniature Companion. “AP” is very active in the art scene, so every once in a while, a special collaboration watch emerges. Audemars Piguet introduces the 43mm limited-edition Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion,” a series of 250 futuristic titanium watches infused with […] Visit Audemars Piguet Introduces The 43mm Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion” to read the full article.

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Audemars Piguet and KAWS Debut the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion” SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Nov 19, 2024

Audemars Piguet and KAWS Debut the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion”

Continuing with its limited editions that cross over into pop culture, Audemars Piguet (AP) now turns to KAWS for its latest collaboration, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion” 43 mm. The contemporary artist, whose real name is Brian Donnelly, lends his “Companion” figure to the dial. Depicted as pressing up against the crystal, the character is realised as a miniature sculpture in titanium with a flying tourbillon at its heart. Kaw’s signature creation takes up almost the entirety of the dial courtesy of the newly-developed cal. 2979 that has a peripheral time display, allowing the hour and minute hands to go under and around “Companion”. Initial thoughts The Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon by Kaws is AP’s best collaboration to date. Amongst AP’s past collaborations, some were too minimalist, while the Marvel editions were controversial (though I liked them). Amongst contemporary art collaborations more broadly, the Kaws tourbillon ranks up there alongside the Hublot Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami in terms of appeal (though it is nowhere near as affordable as the time-only Hublot). The overall aesthetic of the Kaws tourbillon is coherent and appealing. Encircled by an industrial-technical-looking chapter ring, the figure looks at home. The visible large gears for the peripheral hands add to the visual effect. Granted, the Kaws tourbillon is a figurative depiction of the artist’s best known work, so it isn’t exactly imaginative, but it is done ...

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Introducing – The Full-Gold AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Monochrome
Audemars Piguet remains truly impressive Nov 6, 2024

Introducing – The Full-Gold AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin

We’ve talked about the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin on multiple occasions already, and for obvious reasons. When first presented as a prototype watch named RD#2, it was the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar wristwatch, with an impressive 6.2mm thickness. Despite Bulgari re-gaining the title a year later, this Audemars Piguet remains truly impressive and is […]

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Audemars Piguet Returns to Forged Carbon with the Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Returns Sep 20, 2024

Audemars Piguet Returns to Forged Carbon with the Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds

Having pioneered the use of carbon-fibre reinforced polymer for watches cases with the Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team of 2007, Audemars Piguet (AP) is returning with a new generation of the material that debuts in the Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT. Based on the original model in old-school titanium, the new split-seconds chronograph has a carbon composite case made using Chroma Forged Technology (CFT) that allows for greater colour and patterning in the material. As a result, the CFT carbon case has the typical marbled appearance of carbon composite, but flecked with blue veins that glow in the dark. Initial thoughts The Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT might seem like yet another variant of AP’s popular model, but it  is equipped with one of the brand’s latest movements, the cal. 4407. The movement boasts a modern, sophisticated construction, along with one of the most innovative implementations of the split-seconds mechanism in modern watchmaking. The CFT carbon case dresses up the movement in more eye-catching attire, especially for those who found the first version in titanium too conventional. Although the new split-seconds only includes blue as an accent, the range of colours is essentially limitless since CFT carbon can be coloured in myriad hues. That means more colour variations are surely in the pipeline. Though novel for AP, coloured or luminous carbon composite is not a new concept since the material been used for watch ca...

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Audemars Piguet Scales Down the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet Scales Down Jul 23, 2024

Audemars Piguet Scales Down the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked

Audemars Piguet (AP) first unveiled the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked in 2016, in full-sized 41 mm format. It’s a technically interesting take on the brand’s signature luxury-sports watch. While it is a time-only watch, the skeletonised movement sports a pair of mirrored, superimposed balance wheels and hairsprings. Though already available in 37 mm with a sparkly “frosted” case or entirely gem-set, the 37 mm model wasn’t offered in the classic Royal Oak finish. Now the movement makes its debut in a compact 37 mm case in the traditional brushed-and-polished finish. It’s available in either pink or white gold with the open-worked movement colour-matched to the case metal. Initial thoughts  The Double Balance Wheel model is something of a halo model for the Royal Oak range. Though it is not complicated in the functional sense, it is equipped with an interesting feature that theoretically contributes to chronometry. Add to that the distinctive aesthetics of the skeletonised movement, and the result is a watch that is classical Royal Oak in design yet more sophisticated in technical terms. The original 41 mm model, however, was fairly large, and the angular form of the Royal Oak accentuated the size. The original 37 mm models were extravagant and perhaps too over-the-top for everyday wear. The new pair is easily more wearable and should appeal to a wider audience. The new models are each priced at US$98,100, which is comparable to the earlier versions...

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Cartier’s Success Story: Exclusively Inclusive, Universally Unique Revolution
Cartier s Success Story Exclusively Jul 3, 2024

Cartier’s Success Story: Exclusively Inclusive, Universally Unique

Cartier remains a remarkable success story, especially with the brand achieving a turnover of 3.1 billion CHF in 2023, according to the Swiss watch industry’s top 50 companies report by Morgan Stanley and LuxeConsult. We spoke with Cyrille Vigneron, CEO of Cartier, to explore the brand’s enduring appeal and core values that make it one […]

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First Look – Two New Gold Versions of the AP Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked 37mm Monochrome
Audemars Piguet increased May 31, 2024

First Look – Two New Gold Versions of the AP Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked 37mm

Openworked or skeletonised watches are treats for the more mechanical-minded admirers of watchmaking, and the more complex the movement, the better. In 2016, Audemars Piguet increased the viewing pleasure two-fold when it unveiled its Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked ref. 15407. As its name indicates, the movement was equipped with two balance wheels, one […]

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Hands-on – A Statement in Style… the AP Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm in Yellow Gold Monochrome
Audemars Piguet unveiled Apr 15, 2024

Hands-on – A Statement in Style… the AP Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm in Yellow Gold

In 2022, Audemars Piguet unveiled a plethora of new Royal Oak models to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this iconic line. Among these releases stood the Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph 41mm reference 26240, adorned, like other anniversary automatic editions, with a special rotor sporting a prominent 50 logo. However, by 2023, these gave way to regular models […]

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Audemars Piguet Introduces the Royal Oak Tourbillon Openworked “Sand Gold” SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Audemars Piguet has firmly Mar 7, 2024

Audemars Piguet Introduces the Royal Oak Tourbillon Openworked “Sand Gold”

Audemars Piguet (AP) has introduced the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked in a new proprietary 18ak gold alloy known as sand gold. Essentially a precious-metal variant of the steel version released in 2022, the new Tourbillon Openworked showcases the brand’s commitment to interesting materials – possible in part due to AP owning its own case maker. While the hype for integrated-bracelet sport watches has ebbed, AP has continued to deliver successive variants of its popular Royal Oak in exotic materials ranging from brown ceramic to frosted gold. Priced at CHF250,000, this latest variant pairs a warm-hued gold case and bracelet with one of the brand’s most modern movements. Initial thoughts Unlike its “Holy Trinity” peers Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet has firmly embraced a contemporary, architectural aesthetic throughout its collections. The new Tourbillon Openworked is emblematic of this theme, eschewing traditional decorative finishes like Côtes de Geneve in favour of minimalist graining and sharp angles. Featuring the brand’s latest generation flying tourbillon movement plated to match the case, the sand gold tourbillon presents a striking monochrome appearance. While skeletonised watches can often look fussy and chaotic, the geometric bridges of the cal. 2972 were clearly designed with openworking in mind. As a result, the overall aesthetic is clean and organised. The 41 mm case is well-proportioned at just 10.6 mm...

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