The revamped Royal Oak celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2022. Due to its popularity, the series is extremely difficult to obtain, but fortunately, I was able to borrow an actual watch for my impressions. The Royal Oak Chronograph I wore was highly praised for its excellent finish and minimal movement.
Text by Masayuki Hirota
Article published on June 2023, 1
Royal Oak: A watch that improves every year
Although I appear in an Audemars Piguet video, I generally have no connection to the Royal Oak. I've owned some older models in the past, but I haven't had much experience with the latest, more refined versions.
I happened to be able to borrow a collector's Royal Oak Chronograph, so I tested it on my wrist. It stands out in terms of excitement.
Since 2000, Audemars Piguet has steadily moved towards becoming a manufacture, first by replacing its manual and automatic movements with in-house production, and then by shifting to in-house production of cases and bracelets.
Of course, the Royal Oaks of the past were also highly refined, but the sharp edges that could cut your hand are a feature of more recent models. Moreover, as some astute collectors have pointed out, the Royal Oak has been improving in quality every year. While they may look the same, they reflect technological advances.
Audemars Piguet's craftsmanship is apparent in the touch
In terms of the feel of bracelet watches, I still think the Nautilus and the Royal Oak are the two giants. Of course, there are better watches, but they have a distinct personality that is unmatched. The Nautilus is undulating, the Royal Oak is ticking.
However, the "hard" feel of the Royal Oak is not due to its sharp edges or stiff bracelet. If you compare just the edges, there are many models that are sharper than the current Royal Oak, and many bracelets that are stiffer than the Royal Oak. Surprisingly, both the edges and the bracelet are "softer" than you might imagine.
The reason for the hardness is the deep satin finish applied to the entire exterior. The satin finish, which gives a clear grip to the touch, is rare among current products. At the very least, it is a depth unthinkable for a Japanese manufacturer.
However, although there are strong irregularities, the texture is uniform, which means that this finish, while rough at first glance, is highly refined. Incidentally, I have owned several old Royal Oaks, but I don't remember them being this deep.
The skill of the exterior finish is evident in the edges. Although almost the entire case is satin-finished, the corners remain sharp. Normally, corners would be rounded, so the lines where the satin-finished surfaces meet are given a wide, mirror-polished finish. This is the same as with the Royal Oak, but this is done not to conceal the corners, but to highlight the shape.
The corners of the exterior also appear to be slightly sharpened, which may seem too sharp to those who are not used to it, but I didn't find it bothersome at all.
Edges and surfaces are in a trade-off relationship (for example, Rolex has given up on edges and focused on surfaces), but the current Royal Oak stands out in that it has achieved a high level of compatibility between these two.
