Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm yellow gold 10

The reply to that question is easy: everybody. What I mean with this is that there are two quite distinct groups of high-end watch purchasers: the collector and the basic “watch lover.” The collector is the man who spent the previous 15 years residing on TimeZone and the PuristS, the type of guy who hears the name Walt Odets and knows exactly who I am speaking about. The collector is the type of man who understands the distinction between hand handmade and polished. He has gotten well past the point of arguing about brands and understands enough to discuss individual projects. He reveres Patek Philippe for exactly what it meant to watches within the last 100 years, understands the importance and appeal of vintage Rolex, but buys just what speaks to him. A watch buff, on the other hand, is somebody who may be a bit newer to high-end watches, and is still very brand conscious. Both purchase watches from Audemars Piguet, but likely different models, and certainly for distinct reasons.Let’s beginning with the collector. The collector purchases Audemars Piguet Like Watches Replica because of its history in great complicated pocketwatches. The collector buys AP since when Patek Philippe wanted some assistance on the complicated repeater of the Henry Graves Jr.. Supercomplication, it turned out to AP. The collector purchases AP because of watches such as this, this, and this. They purchase AP since the Le Brassus manufacture has been at the forefront of engineering and materials, showing off amazing watches such as the very first minute repeating wristwatch way back in 1892, the first jump-hour wristwatch in 1921, the first skeletonized pocket watch in 1934, the debut of an entire category in 1972, the first ultra thin perpetual calendar wristwatch with central rotor at 1978, the very first self-winding ultra thin tourbillon in 1986, the first grande and petite sonnerie wristwatch in 1994, the first self-winding grand complication in 1996, the first wristwatch equation of time with perpetual calendar in 2000, the high frequency chronometer with double-balance AP Escapement in 2009, also, a ton of other things.

Gold, not mere gold, but gold, is usually thought of as yellow. Gold bullion, the stuff that gets stolen in films, is yellow gold. Despite its popularity amongst villains, this sort of gold has been out of fashion for some time. Pundits have predicted the return of yellow gold, but it hasn’t happened yet. Paying no heed, Audemars Piguet has revived the Royal Oak in yellow gold.

There is no other watch design that shows off the beauty of metal finishing better than the Royal Oak. None. Though the essential form of the watch is simple, octagonal and angular, the lines of the case, particularly its edges, are complex. Even the Patek Philippe Nautilus – a brother from another mother as one might say – has softer, rounder lines.

And so the Royal Oak in 18k gold is especially lustrous. That lustre has only been available in rose gold, or occasionally platinum, until SIHH 2016, when Audemars Piguet debuted an entire line of Royal Oaks in yellow gold, including the Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm (ref. 26320BA). The basics of the watch are identical to the stainless steel model: a 41 mm case with screw-down chronograph pushers and the Frederic Piguet calibre 1185 inside.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm yellow gold 10

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm yellow gold 5

All the right angles

The watch is large, chunky and gleaming. Because it’s so flashy, the nuance of the case finish can only be appreciated up close. It acquits itself very well that way, with wide, mirror-polished bevels and beautifully straight grained surfaces, intersected by a neat, precise edge. Even though the two surface finishes are very different, the edge where they meet is remarkably sharp; it’s hard to think of another watchmaker that finishes cases with such competence. Even the crown guards, which are basic forms in most other watches, are remarkably shaped and finished.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm yellow gold 2

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm yellow gold 3

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm yellow gold 8

All those beautiful sharp edges and angular forms have a downside though, the Royal Oak does not feel as smooth on the wrist as its peers (the Nautilus for instance), a sensation that’s even more pronounced with the weighty precious metal models. And another downside of the lovely case is how easily it scratches and scuffs. All the gorgeous, mirror-polished bevels mark exceptionally easier, as does the brushed top surfaces.

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Decorated with tapisserie guilloche, the dial is classic Royal Oak. The very same motif found on the original 1972 Royal Oak “Jumbo”, it’s made up of tiny, raised squares along with extremely fine, overlapping concentric circles that are a result of the hand-operated engine-turning process. To match the case, the hands and hour markers are 18k yellow gold; the baton hour markers have lengthwise bevels and are impressively well-defined.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm yellow gold 6

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm yellow gold 7

An old soul inside

The greatest weakness of the Royal Oak Chronograph is its movement. Termed the Audemars Piguet 2385, it is actually a Frederic Piguet calibre 1185. Though almost 30 years old, having been introduced in 1988, the 1185 remains one of the most compact chronograph movements on the market. Not only is it small, the refined 1185 is also an integrated construction with all the usual features associated with high-end chronographs, namely a column wheel and vertical clutch. A revolutionary development in its time, the 1185 influenced chronograph design in a major way, especially in the last decade, with movements from Omega, Panerai, Cartier and Rolex being similar in many respects.

But fine as it is, the 1185 is not in-house. Rival luxury sports chronographs from Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin boast in-house movements (the new VC Overseas only just arrived this year). While having an in-house movement in itself means nothing, at this price point a well constructed and decently finished in-house movement is now the expectation given what its rivals are doing.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm yellow gold 1

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm yellow gold 11

Pricing and availability 

Already available in stores, the Royal Oak Chronograph 41 mm in yellow gold is priced at US$56,600 or S$79,400. It’s available with a silver dial (ref. 26320BA.OO.1220BA.01) or dark blue dial (ref. 26320BA.OO.1220BA.02).