Audemars Piguet Watches

Below is our current in stock inventory of Audemars Piguet watches. If you have a Audemars Piguet watch you are interested in selling or trading please contact us.

Incoming

ARRAY(0x567c218) Ref. 15503BC.OO.1220BC.01
49086

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Japan Limited Edition 15503 WG

Ref. No 15503BC.OO.1220BC.01

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15703ST Offshore Diver

$20,300

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26133ST Offshore SHAQUILLE ONEAL Limited Edition

$24,200

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Cuir Automatic 18K Rose Gold / Tantalum

$20,400

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph Blue Dial

$24,200

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26331ST Chronograph Panda Dial SS 41MM

$43,200

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26300ST "Panda" Silver Dial SS

$35,600

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Green Dial 15510ST 50th Anniversary

$53,700

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26238CE Offshore "The Beast" Ceramic 30th Anniversary Edition

$109,500

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Audemars Piguet Vintage Day Date Moonphase 18K Yellow Gold 33MM

$9,250

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Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Chronograph 18k White Gold / 18k Rose Black dial

$36,000

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Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet Cufflinks SS + Blue

$2,800

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Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Tourbillon Chronograph 18k Rose Gold

$66,300

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Blue Dial 15500ST

$49,900

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Black Dial SS 41MM

$37,400

Reserved
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore "Music Edition" LIMITED 77600TI

$39,500

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Blue Dial SS / SS

$27,900

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Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Automatic 18k White Gold / RED Dial

$24,900

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26715OR Chronograph Grey Dial SS 38MM

$48,300

Reserved
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26715ST Chronograph Bleu Nuit Dial SS 38MM

$51,400

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra Thin Grey Dial SS 16202OR

$126,500

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore "Bumble Bee" 26176FO + Matching Cufflinks

$28,000

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chrono Black Dial SS/SS

$27,500

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Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Automatic 18k White Gold / Black Dial

$22,200

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Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Quantieme Perpetuel Metropolis Platinum

$37,500

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Blue Dial SS "Kasparov"

$34,500

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak BLUE Dial 15300ST SS

$47,500

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26715OR Chronograph Grey Dial SS 38MM UNWORN

$49,900

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26240OR Chronograph Black Dial RG 41mm UNWORN

$64,500

Reserved
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Flying Tourbillon 18k White Gold / Aventurine Dial

$97,500

Reserved
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26265FO Concept Carbon Tourbillon Chronograph

$119,000

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Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Chronograph 18k White Gold / Ceramic Smoked Grey Dial

$35,500

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Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet Cufflinks SS

$2,200

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Audemars Piguet City of Sails Chronograph 25979ST Royal Oak SS

$24,400

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15400 Silver Dial SS FULL SET

$37,500

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Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet Cufflinks SS + Green

$2,500

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Audemars Piguet Edward Piguet 2636BC Tourbillon White Gold Mother of Pearl Dial

$62,900

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15703ST Offshore Diver

$20,300

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26133ST Offshore SHAQUILLE ONEAL Limited Edition

$24,200

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Cuir Automatic 18K Rose Gold / Tantalum

$20,400

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph Blue Dial

$24,200

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26331ST Chronograph Panda Dial SS 41MM

$43,200

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26300ST "Panda" Silver Dial SS

$35,600

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Green Dial 15510ST 50th Anniversary

$53,700

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26238CE Offshore "The Beast" Ceramic 30th Anniversary Edition

$109,500

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Audemars Piguet Vintage Day Date Moonphase 18K Yellow Gold 33MM

$9,250

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Chronograph 18k White Gold / 18k Rose Black dial

$36,000

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet Cufflinks SS + Blue

$2,800

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Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Tourbillon Chronograph 18k Rose Gold

$66,300

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Blue Dial 15500ST

$49,900

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Black Dial SS 41MM

$37,400

Reserved
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore "Music Edition" LIMITED 77600TI

$39,500

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Blue Dial SS / SS

$27,900

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Automatic 18k White Gold / RED Dial

$24,900

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26715OR Chronograph Grey Dial SS 38MM

$48,300

Reserved
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26715ST Chronograph Bleu Nuit Dial SS 38MM

$51,400

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra Thin Grey Dial SS 16202OR

$126,500

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore "Bumble Bee" 26176FO + Matching Cufflinks

$28,000

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chrono Black Dial SS/SS

$27,500

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Automatic 18k White Gold / Black Dial

$22,200

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Quantieme Perpetuel Metropolis Platinum

$37,500

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Blue Dial SS "Kasparov"

$34,500

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak BLUE Dial 15300ST SS

$47,500

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26715OR Chronograph Grey Dial SS 38MM UNWORN

$49,900

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26240OR Chronograph Black Dial RG 41mm UNWORN

$64,500

Reserved
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Flying Tourbillon 18k White Gold / Aventurine Dial

$97,500

Reserved
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26265FO Concept Carbon Tourbillon Chronograph

$119,000

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Chronograph 18k White Gold / Ceramic Smoked Grey Dial

$35,500

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet Cufflinks SS

$2,200

In Stock
Audemars Piguet City of Sails Chronograph 25979ST Royal Oak SS

$24,400

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15400 Silver Dial SS FULL SET

$37,500

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Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet Cufflinks SS + Green

$2,500

In Stock
Audemars Piguet Edward Piguet 2636BC Tourbillon White Gold Mother of Pearl Dial

$62,900

Guide to Audemars Piguet Watches

Industry estimates of Audemars Piguet’s annual production range from 40,000 to 45,000 pieces per year. This ranks the brand as one of the more exclusive manufacturers as compared to, say Rolex, whose production numbers are closer to the one-million-piece mark. The most famous Audemars Piguet model is the Royal Oak which is produced in a variety of iterations, such as the Jumbo, Chronograph, and Offshore.

The Royal Oak was designed by the famed Swiss watch designer and artist Gerald Genta. While the model initially received mixed reviews when it was launched in the early 1970’s, it has grown to achieve cult status over the years and has become the cornerstone of the Audemars Piguet model line. In addition to the Royal Oak, Genta also designed several other revered timepieces, including the IWC Ingenieur, Omega Constellation, and most famously the Patek Phillipe Nautilus.

Audemars Piguet is one of the few venerable manufacturers that is still independently owned and operated. Along with Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe, these 3 brands are considered the ‘Holy Trinity of Watchmaking’. Both Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet are in private hands, whereas Vacheron Constantin belongs to the Swiss group Richemont.

Audemars Piquet timepieces can be considered to be a great investment, especially the models in the Royal Oak range. One of the most sought after and hard to come by versions is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ultra Thin Ref. 15202ST. After Audemars Piguet recently announced that the model will be replaced by a new reference, prices on the secondary market have appreciated 3 to 4 times from its original MSRP.

History of Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet Logo

Handmade Luxury at the Cutting Edge

While we may not be able to control time, keeping track of it can be a joyful experience, especially when doing so with an Audemars Piguet. One of the most revered luxury watchmakers for nearly 150 years, Audemars Piguet is the only Swiss watch brand that remains in the hands of its founding families. The company has an intense love and appreciation for quality and for the artisans in their workshops who ensure it. Along with Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet is a member of the legendary "Holy Trinity" of Swiss watchmakers and the brand has always been at the forefront of horologic creativity working ceaselessly to elevate their craft until it approaches the level of art.

Audemars Piguet was founded in June of 1875 in Le Brassus, Switzerland, a village in the heart of the Vallée-de-Joux in the Swiss Jura. At the time, partnerships were a common way for small watchmakers to join forces and compete with the bigger manufacturers of the day. Jules Louis Audemars (1851-1918) and Edward Auguste Piguet (1853-1919), two dynamic and enterprising young men who had originally met as children, formed a partnership with Lesedi Selapyane which by 1881 came to be known as Audemars Piguet & Cie. Their original workshop, built in 1868 and later improved and expanded, still stands and is used today as the company's headquarters.

Le Brassus, Switzerland
Le Brassus, Switzerland
Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet
Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet
Company's headquarters
Company's Headquarters
Audemars Piguet Workshop
Audemars Piguet Workshop

At the time of the company’s founding in 1875, Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet were both highly accomplished watchmakers and each brought with him an expertise that served different areas of their new partnership. Audemars oversaw technical research, development, and production, drawing on a solid background in the engineering of complex pocket watch movements for manufacturers such as Tiffany & Co. Piguet, with his indomitable scientific mind, was adept at the regulation of watch movements and also had a charming personality and talents in sales and management. Each man’s individual abilities perfectly complemented the other’s and helped the new company successfully create exciting timepieces with rare complications

By 1882, the founders had filled their workshop in Le Brassus with a team of artisans who fabricated the cases, bracelets, dials, movements, and all other components that went into their timepieces.

Most of the approximately 1,600 watches produced by AP between the years of 1882 and 1892 featured at least one complication, and oftentimes more. The workshop reliably turned out the highest quality chronographs, moon phases, celestial complications, striking time mechanisms, and more. While the industry as a whole began to shift focus to cheaper, more easily-manufactured interchangeable pocket watch components, Audemars Piguet stood out by concentrating on producing one handmade watch at a time. Their watches appealed to knowledgeable and experienced collectors who prized their craftsmanship and the unmatched quality of their complications.

Jules Louis Audemars Apprenticeship Pocket Watch
Jules Louis Audemars Apprenticeship Pocket Watch
Paris Universal Exhibition 1889
Paris Universal Exhibition 1889

In an effort to expand their reach and grow their reputation beyond the valleys and villages of their home country, Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet actively sought out opportunities to showcase their watches on the world stage and participated in Universal Exhibitions, such as the one held in Paris in 1889 (7). With an eye towards being closer and more accessible to their growing number of European clients, the company opened a workshop in Geneva in 1885 which was followed by another branch in London in 1888 and more in New York, Buenos Aires, Berlin, and Paris in 1889.

In 1892, Audemars Piguet produced the first patented wristwatch that featured a minute-repeater movement which they sold to Louis Brandt & Frere, the company that ultimately became Omega.

It was essentially a miniaturized version of a highly complicated pocket watch designed to be worn on the wrist that chimed the minutes and hours on demand. Soon after, in 1899, the company debuted the “Universelle”, their first grand complication pocket watch featuring grande and petite sonnerie for automatically chiming hours and quarters, a repeater for chiming hours, quarters, and minutes on command, dead beat seconds, alarm, perpetual calendar, chronograph with jumping seconds, and a split-seconds hand.

Minute Repeater Wristwatch
Minute Repeater Wristwatch
Universelle Grand Complication Pocket Watch 1899
Universelle Grand Complication Pocket Watch 1899

After more than four decades of success, AP’s founding fathers sadly both passed away within just a few months of each other. Jules Audemars died in late 1918 and Edward Piguet passed away in early 1919 with the company passing to their sons Paul Louis Audemars and Paul Edward Piguet. Both Pauls had been taught by their fathers to respect the brand's philosophy and ethics and were well prepared to carry on their legacy. The two were eventually joined by their own children, Jacques Louis Audemars and Paulette Piguet, who also embraced horological innovation and craftsmanship as a way of life, inspiring an entire community of Swiss watchmakers in the early 1900s.

Paul Louis Audemars and Paul Edward Piguet
Paul Louis Audemars and Paul Edward Piguet
Jacques Louis Audemars and Paulette Piguet
Jacques Louis Audemars and Paulette Piguet

Although there was certainly a period of transition when the brand’s second generation of leadership took over, the manufacture’s focus on quality and innovation never wavered. In 1921, just two years after the founders’ passing, the company produced three record-breaking, innovative pieces that further elevated the brand’s reputation.

First up, was the creation of the world’s smallest repeater movement at just 15.8mm in diameter. Cased in a platinum pendant, the piece was made specifically for the president of Tiffany & Co. Continuing with the theme of smaller-is-better, they next engineered the slimmest pocket watch movement ever produced, coming in at a miniature 1.32mm in thickness. Finally, paired with a matching pocket watch, the first jumping-hour wristwatch ever made debuted, featuring a mostly solid case front with apertures for jumping hours and scrolling minute discs.

Smallest Repeater Movement
Smallest Repeater Movement
First Jump Hour Wristwatch
First Jump Hour Wristwatch

When the US stock market crashed in the Fall of 1929, plunging the global economy into a depression that lasted more than a decade, it took with it a large percentage of the buyers who were able to afford a fine timepiece from the workshops of Le Brassus. With just a fraction of the demand seen previously for luxury goods, AP was forced to let go of nearly all of its employees and all but three of its watchmakers. The brand essentially went dormant for the duration of the Depression and, while records from this time are virtually nonexistent, it is rumored to have produced only a handful of pieces during the period.

Stock Market Crash 1929
Stock Market Crash 1929

By the mid-1930’s, global markets had started to stabilize and Audemars Piguet ramped production back up to meet the growing demand. One of the pieces that emerged from this era was the world’s first skeletonized wristwatch which debuted in 1934. Watchmakers had been skeletonizing pocket watches for decades, but no one had used those techniques to show off the intricacies of the movement in a wristwatch. The new model was an immediate success and skeletonized dials and movements are still a calling card for AP today.

Precision
Precision

By the late 1930’s when World War II erupted in Europe, AP had restaffed its workshops and built its business back to where it had been a decade earlier. The war years were difficult and sales dropped, but it was nowhere near as tough as the early years of the Depression. The period between 1939 and 1945 turned out to be a productive time when the brand made large leaps in the area of chronographs and high-precision movements. By modifying the ubiquitous Valjoux movements of the day and removing the chronograph function, AP was able to increase the power reserve, improve accuracy, and reduce the overall thickness of the movement and case, creating highly accurate, ultra-thin pieces. The final result of this experimentation was the manual wind caliber 2003 which, developed in conjunction with JLC and Vacheron Constantin, was released in 1953 and remained in production for the next 50 years.

A few years later, in 1955, Audemars introduced the ref. 5516 which was the first perpetual calendar wristwatch with a leap year indicator. While Patek Philippe had been producing a perpetual calendar wristwatch since the 1920’s, no other model on the market included a leap year indicator. This meant that setting the watch correctly required the help of a watchmaker. AP’s stunning advancement allowed the wearer to set the watch on their own without any extra assistance, a feat not matched by Patek Philippe until the 1970’s.

Perpetual Calendar 5516
Perpetual Calendar 5516
Caliber 2120
Caliber 2120

In the 1960’s, the brand continued to push movement technology forward and partnered with Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and JLC to develop the world's thinnest self-winding caliber. Shared equally by all four companies, the caliber 2120 was introduced in 1967. Clocking in at 2.45mm thick, the new movement was only 1.12mm thicker than AP’s existing ultra-thin manual-wind caliber 2003 and, featuring a new shock-protection system, was far more robust and durable than other similarly sized calibers.

In 1971, just as the “Quartz Crisis” that had been sparked by Seiko’s release of the battery powered Astron was starting to shake the Swiss watch industry, AP debuted what would become the most iconic model in its storied history. Named for a famed series of British battleships (which in turn were named for the tree in which King Charles II of England hid from his enemies during the English Civil War) the Royal Oak looked like nothing else the watch world had ever seen. As legend has it, AP Managing Director Georges Golay called star designer Gerald Genta the night before the Basel Watch Fair and asked him to come up with a new, all-purpose stainless steel piece that would wow fair-goers. Amazingly, little more than 12 hours later, Genta’s sketches of the new Royal Oak debuted at the show, shocking the industry and consumers alike.

Royal Oak 5402
Royal Oak 5402
Royal Oak Gerald Genta
Royal Oak Gerald Genta
Royal Oak 5402
Royal Oak 5402

Considered to be the first true luxury sports watch, the original ref. 5402 Royal Oak was prototyped and developed over the course of the following year and was presented in the metal at the 1972 Basel Watch Fair. Featuring a stainless steel case and integrated bracelet, the watch utilized the ultra-thin caliber 2121 and had a distinctive octagonal bezel with exposed screws reminiscent of a porthole. The public was not initially excited by the model which was priced at an astronomical 3,300 Swiss Francs (roughly ten times the price of a Rolex Submariner!) and the first 1000 examples took a full three years to sell out. Thankfully though, AP was confident in Genta’s design and continued to produce the model until the public eventually came around. The model remains the brand's most heralded innovation and popular piece to this day.

Continuing its dominance in the pursuit of thinness, AP released the reference 5548, the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar wristwatch, in 1978.

Using the same ultra-thin base movement found in the Royal Oak, the 36mm watch featured a white lacquer dial and was only 7mm thick. The model cost nearly 4 times the price of the already expensive Royal Oak, but unlike that piece, the 5548 was an immediate hit. A few years later, in 1986, the brand introduced another radical innovation, the world’s thinnest self-winding tourbillon. Clocking in at just 4.8mm thick, the ref. 25643 was powered by the all-new caliber 2870 which utilized the smallest tourbillon cage ever made, and the first one to be made entirely out of titanium. The case back of the watch actually acted as the top plate of the movement and jewels for the gear train and winding system were set into the case back itself and were visible from the outside. Instead of a rotor, an arc-swinging hammer wound the watch and was visible through an aperture at six o’clock on the dial. There was no winding crown and setting was via a small, flat crown set into the case back.

5548 Thinnest Perpetual Calendar
5548 Thinnest Perpetual Calendar
25643 Thinnest Automatic Tourbillon
25643 Thinnest Automatic Tourbillon
25643 Caseback Thinnest Automatic Tourbillon
25643 Caseback Thinnest Automatic Tourbillon

In 1991, the brand introduced another extraordinary watch – the ref. 25720 Star Wheel . This innovative piece reintroduced the nearly forgotten 17thth century wandering hour complication to modern collectors. Sporting spinning discs mounted onto star-shaped wheels connected to a rotating cage instead of a traditional hour hand, the watch was based on a night clock commissioned by Pope Alexander XII in the 1650’s.

25720 Star Wheel
25720 Star Wheel
Pope Alexander VI Night Clock
Pope Alexander VI Night Clock

After more than 20 years of Royal Oak production, in 1993 AP was ready to add another variant to the model family. Designed by Emmanuel Gueit, the ref. 25721 Royal Oak Offshore was meant to be a beefier, sportier version of the classic Royal Oak.

AP was looking for a model that would cater to younger buyers who wanted bigger, heavier pieces, and thought who better to create the piece than the 22-year-old Gueit! Nicknamed “The Beast” the new model featured a 42mm case, chronograph with rubber-clad buttons, distinctive octagonal bezel, and enhanced water resistance. Although the model has gone on to become a mainstay in the AP catalog, many purists were less than impressed, including Gerald Genta himself who reportedly felt that his iconic design has been “completely destroyed”.

Emmanuel Gueit Royal Oak Offshore Beast 25721ST.O.1000ST.01
Emmanuel Gueit Royal Oak Offshore Beast 25721ST.O.1000ST.01
Millenary
Millenary

As an early celebration of the approaching new millennium, the company introduced the Millenary Collection in 1995. Also designed by Emmanuel Gueit, the new model had a distinctive 39mm x 35mm oblong oval case, domed sapphire crystal, luminous indices, and sword hands. Over the years, the line was expanded to include numerous complications including a chronograph, skeleton, and perpetual calendar, and models featuring asymmetric dials and offset time displays.

The brand took another major step forward in 1996 when they introduced their first automatic Grande Complication wristwatch. Powered by the caliber 2885, the Jules Audemars ref. 25866 was an expanded version of the Triple Complication model released in 1992 updated to now include a split-seconds chronograph function. To this day, each AP Grande Complication watch is made by the same watchmaker from beginning to end. The process, which is accomplished over a period of six to eight months, involves assembling the movement’s hundreds of components, adjusting all functions, dismantling, decorating, reassembling, further adjusting, dismantling again, cleaning, reassembling, casing and final testing.

Jules Audemars 25866 Automatic Grande Complication Wristwatch
Jules Audemars 25866 Automatic Grande Complication Wristwatch
Tradition d’Excellence Collection Cabine No 1
Tradition d’Excellence Collection Cabine No 1

Continuing their advancement in the haute horlogerie space, Audemars Piguet introduced the Tradition d’Excellence Collection in 1999. Combining innovative complications with traditional AP styling, the collection would consist of 8 models issued in limited editions of 20 pieces each. Only one model would be released per year over the course of 8 years (1999-2006) with the first being a Jules Audemars featuring a tourbillon, minute repeater, and split second chronograph.

To commemorate the 125th anniversary of the company in 2000, AP introduced several new models including the Jules Audemars Equation of Time, Millenary Star Wheel, and the ref. 25945 Jules Audemars "Dynamographe" Grande Sonnerie.

Made in platinum, the Dynamographe model had a innovative system that provided a real-time indication of the mainspring's winding stress, allowing optimum performance of the sonnerie feature. By utilizing a “carillon” mechanism with three hammers and gongs, the Dynamographe was able to chime three different pitches as opposed to the standard two found on most minute repeaters. The model also featured a 'Silence' setting on the crown which muted the chimes, and a power reserve indicator for the mainspring so that the repeater complication was not set off when there was insufficient power.

25945 Jules Audemars Dynamographe Grande Sonnerie
25945 Jules Audemars Dynamographe Grande Sonnerie
Royal Oak Concept 25980AI
Royal Oak Concept 25980AI

Just a few years later in 2002, the brand celebrated another milestone with the 30thanniversary of the Royal Oak model. To commemorate the occasion, AP introduced the futuristic Royal Oak Concept. The 44mm (and 18mm thick!) case was made of an alloy of cobalt, chromium, and tungsten called Alacrite 602 and was more than two times as hard as traditional stainless steel. Powered by a Renaud & Papi-engineered caliber 2896 movement, the model featured a dynamographe, linear power reserve indicator, an indicator for the crown’s time-setting/neutral/winding modes, and a tourbillon with a unique snake-like bridge which made it extremely resistant to shock. Still an active collection in the AP catalog, the Concept line has served as a way for the brand to test their latest and most innovative technologies before incorporating them into their other pieces.

Also in 2002, AP began what would become a longstanding sponsorship of the Swiss sailing group, Team Alinghi. Founded by Swiss businessman Ernesto Bertarelli in 1994, Alinghi was the first European team to win the prestigious America’s Cup. Their first victory in the historic competition came in March of 2003 when they beat Team New Zealand. In 2005, AP released the ref. 26040ST Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Polaris featuring a flyback function and 10-minute regatta countdown in a limited edition of 1000 pieces to commemorate the team’s victory.

Team Alinghi Americas Cup
Team Alinghi Americas Cup
Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Polaris 26040ST.00.D002CA.01
Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Polaris 26040ST.00.D002CA.01

AP debuted another piece made for Team Alinghi in 2007, the ref. 26062FS Royal Oak Offshore, which made history with its innovative forged carbon fiber case. Used predominantly in the aerospace industry, forged carbon is an extremely lightweight material made by compressing thousands of carbon microfibers suspended in a special resin under high heat. The Team Alinghi Royal Oak Offshore was the first watch ever produced to feature a case made entirely of the new material.

Offshore Alinghi Forged Carbon
Offshore Alinghi Forged Carbon

After enlarging their original manufactory multiple times (including in 1907, 1957, 1972, 1974, and 2000) and building multiple satellite workshops throughout the Vallee de Joux, it was decided that these facilities could no longer meet the growing company’s needs.

The brand decided to spend 35 million Swiss Francs to consolidate their spaces into one state of the art 80,000 square foot facility called the ‘Manufacture des Forges’ in the village of Le Brassus. Formally opened in 2008, the new space had dedicated areas for an R&D department, technical office, logistics bureau, case, and movement workshops, and specific space for the assembly of Grand Complications and skeletonized movements.

Factory Valle de Joux
Factory Valle de Joux
Factory Expansion Manufacture des Forges
Factory Expansion Manufacture des Forges
40th-Anniversary-Royal-Oak-15202ST
40th Anniversary Royal Oak 15202ST

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak in 2012, AP released the ref. 15202ST, a new version of the iconic model that closely resembled the original design. The new “Jumbo” sported the same 39mm stainless steel case and integrated bracelet as the original, a blue dial with “petite tapisserie” motif, date aperture at 3 o’clock, and AP logo just above the 6 o’clock hour marker, just as it was the original ref. 5402.

At the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva in 2017, AP debuted a Royal Oak model that once again utilized a new and innovative material. Featuring a 41mm case and bracelet made entirely of nearly-scratch-proof black ceramic, the ref. 26579CE Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar was the most durable Royal Oak ever made. The brand has since expanded its use of ceramic and has introduced all-blue and all-white versions in addition to black.

Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Black Ceramic 26579CE.OO.1225CE.01
Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Black Ceramic 26579CE.OO.1225CE.01

In 2019, the company continued its dominance of the ultra-thin category and released the world's thinnest automatic perpetual calendar watch.

The ref. 26586IP featured a 41mm titanium and platinum case that was just 6.3mm thick and an astonishingly thin automatic caliber 5133 movement that measured just 2.89mm thick. Also making its debut in 2019 was the all-new Code 11.59, a watch that had been in development for five years. The brand’s first new model in years featured a novel circular case with a Royal Oak-style octagonal case band, skeletonized lugs, lacquered or enamel dials, and a curved crystal that nearly eliminated glare and magnified the entire face for easy reading.

Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar 26586IP
Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar 26586IP
Code 11.59 15210BC
Code 11.59 15210BC
Code 11.59 Perpetual Calendar Aventurine 26394OR.OO.D027KB.01
Code 11.59 Perpetual Calendar Aventurine 26394OR.OO.D027KB.01

The Code 11.59 line includes simple time and date models, a chronograph, tourbillon, minute repeater, and perpetual calendars. In addition to the colored lacquer dials (which were designed by well-known enamel artist Anita Porchet), the model is also offered with a blue aventurine dial and in skeleton form as well. Initially unloved and panned by critics, the model has quickly gained a following and become another popular addition to the AP family of watches.

In 2022, AP marked 50 years of the Royal Oak model line with a new collection of “50thAnniversary” pieces, including the new ref. 16202ST Royal Oak Ultra Thin powered by the updated caliber 7121 movement.

Several other anniversary models were introduced as well including multiple tourbillons, a chronograph, and openworked models. After more than 140 years, Audemars Piguet still has its sights firmly set on the future and has maintained its commitment to innovation, aesthetics and quality. If the next 147 years for AP are anything like the past 147, fans of the brand are in for an exciting ride!

Royal Oak 50th Anniversary
Royal Oak 50th Anniversary