For the tenth difficulty of HODINKEE Journal, we did one thing we’ve completed earlier than: A Reference Factors article. Nevertheless, we did it in a manner we’d by no means completed a Reference Factors article earlier than. As a normal rule, Reference Factors focuses on a single mannequin and the way it has advanced through the years through which it was (and is) in manufacturing, with a really granular have a look at the small print which distinguish one from the opposite. Traditional examples from earlier points embrace Reference Factors: The Rolex GMT Grasp and Reference Factors: The Rolex Sea-Dweller.
For Quantity 10, nevertheless, we determined to take a look at the historical past and evolution of one of many world’s most well-known and most desired timepieces – the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The Royal Oak, as any fanatic is aware of, shouldn’t be a single mannequin. Moderately, it’s dozens upon dozens of fashions, each easy and sophisticated (typically extraordinarily difficult), which AP has been making because the first Royal Oak was launched in 1972.
The brand new-for-2022 Royal Oak “Jumbo” Ref. 16202
With the intention to make the story extra tractable, we determined to deal with the only, and a few would possibly say, purest expression of the Royal Oak, that are the fashions with solely the time and date. These embrace the varied Jumbo fashions, the follow-up designs by Jacqueline Dimier from the Seventies, in addition to the mid-size watches first launched in collection manufacturing in 1980 – and all the best way as much as this 12 months, and the introduction of the ref. 16202 Jumbo, with the all-new caliber 7121. The journal article additionally takes a really shut have a look at each the myths and realities of the inspiration, design, and launch of the primary Royal Oak, the ref. 5402.
We hope this video provides you with a style of the decades-long saga of the Royal Oak, and provides viewers (and readers of the journal) a way of the essential and most essential landmarks within the Royal Oak’s improvement. After all, with (based on AP) over fifty totally different variations of the mid-size fashions alone, we gained’t be presenting a complete catalogue of all fashions. However we do assume that for a lot of, a chronicle of serious moments within the Royal Oak’s historical past will present a priceless general have a look at how this important and indispensable a part of the fashionable watchmaking panorama has advanced.
