Audemars Piguet is one of the biggest names in luxury watchmaking, and although many different AP models have existed over the years, a few collections have been able to maintain a strong popularity as new versions have emerged and technology has continued to advance. A very good example of this is the Royal Oak collection.

In this article, we will take a deeper look at the Royal Oak collection and explore its history, while taking a more in-depth look at model updates over the years and the most popular watches in the history of the collection.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak collection was launched in 1972 at the Swiss Watch Fair, later known as Baselworld. It was launched against a backdrop of growing interest in “quartz” technology among Swiss luxury watchmakers, and is widely considered to be the world’s first luxury sports best replica watches.

The defining features of the Royal Oak collection included the hexagonal bezel and exposed screw heads, with the overall design taking inspiration from traditional diving helmets. The first model introduced was the Royal Oak Ref. 5402ST, which featured a 39 mm case that was just 7 mm thick, helping to provide a sense of refinement and luxury to the sporty watch that had been reserved for luxury dress watches until then.

The model also introduced the self-winding calibre 2123, which offered exceptional precision and shock resistance, and was fully integrated with the watch’s date display function. In the years since, various new complications have been introduced to each model, including a perpetual calendar and a moon phase indicator option.

The Royal Oak Ref. 15300ST first went on sale in 2005 and remained in production until 2023. It is powered by the low-beat Caliber 3120 movement and is available in stainless steel and pink gold. Black, blue and white dial colours are offered, while the case diameter is 39 mm, making it a good choice for those with thinner wrists.

Visually, one of the defining features of this generation of Royal Oak replica luxury watches is the placement of a large “AP” logo at 12 o’clock in place of the dial markers. The watch also features an old-fashioned clasp with the large AP logo there as well.