Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Ref. 15400ORThe pride and joy of watch collections around the world, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is the definitive luxury sport watch. We won't bore you with all the details surrounding its genesis at the hands of Gérald Genta in 1972, but if there's one thing to take away from its origin, it's this: Often imitated, never duplicated, there's nothing quite like a Royal Oak on the wrist. It's even fair to say that the popularity of the Royal Oak – distributed equally among enthusiast circles and the Jet Set – kickstarted the integrated sport watch trend that's taken over 21st century watch design. The Royal Oak we have here is a solid 18k rose gold example with a white dial executed in the classic "Grande Tapisserie" pattern for which the Royal Oak has long been recognized. This is the 41mm ref. 15400, a model that was added to Audemars Piguet's catalog in 2012 for the 40th anniversary of the original Royal Oak. This is a Royal Oak through and through, so you have the classic multi-finish, articulating Royal Oak bracelet (a work of art in itself) that's matched with an Audemars Piguet-branded folding clasp. Glareproof sapphire crystals are placed on the front- and back-facing elements of the watch. Finally, a color-matched date window is placed at three o'clock. In the hand and on the wrist, it's easy to tell why the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is the grail of grails for so many watch enthusiasts. It's the quintessence of sporty-casual design, while also being an excellent example of high-end Swiss watchmaking. |