Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin, Ref. 16202ST.OO.1240ST.02
View Similar Items
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin, Ref. 16202ST.OO.1240ST.02
About the Item
- Creator:
- Design:
- Case Material:
- Strap Material:Stainless Steel
- Case Shape:Round
- Movement:
- Case Dimensions:Diameter: 1.54 in (39 mm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2023
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Palm Beach, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2467219970132
Royal Oak Watch
For vintage watch collectors everywhere, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak is a stylish, widely coveted status symbol. It features the incorporation of an unconventional material that would one day prove revolutionary to watchmaking, and for celebrated Swiss designer Gérald Genta (1931–2011), it is perhaps his best-known work. Incredibly, its story begins with a simple inspiration: the humble screw.
First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak wristwatch featured a now-legendary design that Genta borrowed from antique diving helmets. More hardware than garment, these helmets were crafted in brass and attached to a diving suit with large screws. Genta translated the motif from the rim of the diving helmet to Audemars Piguet’s newest timepiece, setting eight miniature screws into an octagonal bezel, which surrounded a textured “tapisserie,” or tapestry, dial. Following its launch at what would become the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair, Audemars Piguet aptly touted a “bezel locked dramatically to its face, tightly as a porthole.”
In addition to its unique bezel design, the Royal Oak — named for a group of vessels in Britain’s Royal Navy, according to legend — was also unorthodox for its material. Though stainless steel is a ubiquitous option on watches today, in the early 1970s its use was visionary. The Royal Oak was the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from the durable material — a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.
Stainless steel also allowed for a more integrated connection between case and band, paving the way for the seamless bracelet-style bands that have since been adopted by nearly every watchmaker. The knit-like design of the Royal Oak’s band is echoed by the original model's trademark tapisserie dial, a guilloché backdrop achieved by a precise engraving process. The textural element, paired with the Royal Oak’s sturdy steel and delicate yet industrial screws, gives the timepiece a unique combination of elegance and weight.
Arguably the most prolific freelance watch designer in history, Genta designed timepieces for Omega, Patek Philippe, Cartier and Bulgari, to name a few, but the Royal Oak remains one of his most influential. Since the debut of the original, Audemars Piguet has continued to issue new collections of the style, including men’s and women’s versions in yellow and pink gold, models encircled with diamonds and many more.
Audemars Piguet
The story of celebrated family-owned manufacturer Audemars Piguet and its universally acclaimed, widely coveted luxury watches begins deep in the Jura Mountains in western Switzerland.
The Vallée de Joux has been a haven of watchmaking since the late 18th century, when the residents of farming communities began creating timepieces during the winter months.
Jules Louis Audemars (1851–1918) and Edward Auguste Piguet (1853–1919), both natives of the region, were already deeply entrenched in the world of watchmaking when they joined forces to form a new house of horology near the end of the 19th century, an alliance that would be the start of a multigenerational family company. With complementary specialties within the field, Audemars and Piguet made the perfect pair in 1875: Audemars, the more technically minded of the two, oversaw production, while Piguet specialized in quality control and led the business and marketing parts of the outfit.
Audemars Piguet’s first major milestone came in 1892, when it created the world’s first minute-repeating movement for a wristwatch. (It was sold to Omega, whose origins date to 1848.) That was soon followed in 1899 with the Universelle pocket watch, a masterpiece of horology that boasted a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, alarm and chronograph with jumping seconds. It is still said to be the most complicated timepiece that Audemars Piguet has ever designed.
Between 1918 and 1919, both founders of Audemars Piguet had died and were replaced by their respective sons, incidentally both named Paul. Under the leadership of Paul Louis Audemars and Paul Edward Piguet, the watchmaker continued to innovate. It retained an ever-evolving technical focus and found new praise for its efforts, producing the world’s thinnest pocket-watch caliber in 1925, the first skeletonized pocket watch in 1934 and the world’s thinnest wristwatch in 1946.
When the quartz crisis of the 1970s left many watchmakers in the lurch, Audemars and Piguet found a creative solution, tapping the Geneva-born Gérald Genta to conceive the first-ever luxury watch in stainless steel. Launched at what would become the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair in 1972, the Royal Oak, with its octagonal face and integrated bracelet, would come to define the look of Audemars Piguet and revolutionize the luxury wristwatch industry, setting a standard that continues to this day.
Find a collection of vintage Audemars Piguet wristwatches and pocket watches on 1stDibs.
- Rolex Explorer 36 Oystersteel, Ref. 124270-0001By RolexLocated in Palm Beach, FLPre-owned Rolex Explorer 36 wristwatch (ref. 124270-0001), featuring a self-winding automatic movement; black dial; center seconds hand; and 36mm, brushed Oystersteel case on an Oyster, brushed stainless steel link bracelet. Accompanied by the original Rolex watch box...Category
2010s Swiss Wrist Watches
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Girard-Perregaux 1966 40mm Steel, Ref. 49555-11-431-BB60By Girard PerragauxLocated in Palm Beach, FLPre-owned Girard-Perregaux 1966 wristwatch (ref. 49555-11-431-BB60), featuring a self-winding automatic movement; blue flinqué dial with a sunray motif...Category
2010s Swiss Wrist Watches
MaterialsSteel, Stainless Steel
- Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph, Ref. 5960P-016By Patek PhilippeLocated in Palm Beach, FLPre-owned Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph (ref. 5960P-016), featuring the Caliber CH 28-520 IRM QA 24H self-winding automatic movement; black dial; annual calendar complication with day, date & month displayed in apertures across the top of the dial; chronograph with both the 60-minute & 12-hour counters combined in the 6 o'clock position; power reserve display at 12 o'clock; and 40.5mm, platinum case on a black alligator strap secured by the Patek platinum fold-over clasp. Accompanied by the original Patek Philippe watch box...Category
2010s Swiss Wrist Watches
MaterialsPlatinum
- Rolex 1970s Day-Date Yellow Gold, Ref. 1807By RolexLocated in Palm Beach, FLRolex 1970s Day-Date wristwatch (ref. 1807), featuring a self-winding automatic movement; champagne-colored dial with applied gold hour markers; day-of-the-week aperture at 12 o'clock; date aperture at 3 o'clock; center seconds hand; and 36mm, 18k yellow gold case with a 'bark'-finish bezel on the President 18k yellow gold bracelet with central 'bark'-finish links. Circa 1973-1974. Accompanied by more modern Rolex watch...Category
Vintage 1970s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Rolex Cellini Hand-Wound Yellow Gold, Ref. 606By RolexLocated in Palm Beach, FL1970s Rolex Cellini wristwatch (ref. 5330/8), featuring the Rolex Caliber 1600 mechanical hand-wound movement; champagne brushed dial with applied g...Category
Vintage 1970s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials14k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Breguet Classique Hora Mundi, Ref. 5717BR/EU/9ZUBy BreguetLocated in Palm Beach, FLPre-owned Breguet Classique Hora Mundi wristwatch (ref. 5717BR/EU/9ZU), featuring a self-winding automatic movement; gold dial depicting the American continent, hand-engraved on a ro...Category
2010s Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials18k Gold, Rose Gold
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra Thin Blue Dial UnwornBy Audemars PiguetLocated in London, GBAn unworn NOS 39mm stainless steel Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin by Audemars Piguet 15202ST.OO.0944ST.02. This model is an earlier version of the 15202ST'...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Wrist Watches
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26320ST.OO.1220ST.02By Audemars PiguetLocated in London, GBA 41mm Royal Oak crafted in stainless steel by Audemars Piguet. Featuring a white dial with a grande tapisserie pattern, a date aperture and further fe...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials10k Gold, Stainless Steel
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ultra Thin 57175ST.OO.0789ST.01By Audemars PiguetLocated in London, GBA 33mm stainless steel Royal Oak Ultra Thin by Audemars Piguet. Featuring a blue dial with grande tapisserie pattern, a date aperture and a steel bezel set with the 8-screw design. F...Category
Early 2000s Swiss Wrist Watches
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 38mm Grey Dial CHRONOGRAPH Ref# 26715ST.OO.1356ST.02By Audemars PiguetLocated in New York, NYAudemars Piguet Royal Oak SELFWINDING CHRONOGRAPH 26715ST.OO.1356ST.02. 38 mm, Grey dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern, silver-toned counters, white gold applied hour-markers and ...Category
2010s Swiss Modern Wrist Watches
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15300ST.OO.1220ST.03By Audemars PiguetLocated in London, GBA 39mm stainless steel Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet. Featuring a black dial with a grande tapisserie pattern and a date display at 3 o'clock. The bezel features the iconic 8 screw design which is synonymous with Audemars Piguet. The bracelet comes equipped with a concealed AP double folding clasp. Fitted with a glareproofed sapphire crystal and a calibre 3120 self-winding automatic movement which is shown via the exhibition caseback. In excellent condition, the watch comes with an Audemars Piguet box...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Wrist Watches
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 25860ST.OO.1110ST.01By Audemars PiguetLocated in London, GBA stainless steel Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet. Features a blue dial with a "Grande Tapisserie" pattern, a date and three counters featuring a small second, 30 minute and 12 hour. Complimenting the dial is a fixed stainless steel bezel set with the 8 screw design. The stainless steel bracelet is equipped with a concealed stainless steel AP deployant clasp. Fitted with a sapphire crystal and a calibre 2385 self-winding automatic chronograph movement. In excellent condition, the watch comes complete with an Audemars Piguet box...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Wrist Watches
MaterialsStainless Steel