Audemars Piguet

An Avant-Garde Pioneer of the Watch Industry

Audemars Piguet produces some of the finest, most highly coveted watches the world has to offer. The brand belongs to a group known as the "Big Three" of Swiss watchmaking, which also includes Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. Established in 1875, the company remains in family hands to this day and is one of the last Swiss watch manufacturers still owned by its founding family. AP (as its fans call it) produces all sorts of timepieces, from simple two-hand watches to models with intricate complications like a perpetual calendar or minute repeater.

The brand's most famous model, the Royal Oak, has legendary watch designer Gérald Genta to thank for its iconic looks. Its arrival in 1972 turned the world of luxury watches on its head, as AP listed this distinct stainless steel piece for as much as a gold watch. This model established the luxury sports watch genre, which today includes the Patek Philippe Nautilus.

Other top Audemars Piguet watches include the Royal Oak Offshore and the Royal Oak Concept. The Offshore debuted in 1998 and is a larger, more masculine version of the classic Royal Oak. On the other hand, AP uses the Concept series to experiment with new materials and technology. One recent result of these experiments is the Royal Oak Concept "Black Panther" from 2021. The manufacturer developed this timepiece in collaboration with Marvel Studios.

In 2019, Audemars Piguet launched a brand new collection known as the Code 11.59. These models combine design elements from classic AP watches with modern details. The manufacturer also developed several new calibers specifically for this collection, including the company's first integrated automatic chronograph caliber – much to the delight of many watch fans.

5 Reasons to Buy a Watch from Audemars Piguet

• First-class mechanical luxury watches
• The Royal Oak: A solid investment with the potential to appreciate in value
• Exceptional in-house calibers
• Perfect craftsmanship and the finest finishes
• A large selection of models

Prices at a Glance: Audemars Piguet Watches

How much does an Audemars Piguet watch cost?

Audemars Piguet watches cover a wide range of prices. You can find vintage timepieces from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s for less than 2,400 USD on Chrono24. Quartz models from the 1970s and 80s demand similar prices.

If you're looking for a Royal Oak, you'll have to make a much larger investment. Even the most affordable models, such as the quartz-powered Royal Oak Lady, cost at least 22,000 USD. Men's time-only watches and chronographs change hands for anywhere from 35,000 to 110,000 USD. Models with more intricate complications often sell for six-figure prices. The most expensive edition, the Royal Oak Grande Complication, will set you back more than 730,000 USD.

Prices for the much weightier Royal Oak Offshore begin around 14,500 USD on Chrono24. That will most likely get you an older model from the 1990s. More recent editions with a chronograph function cost between 30,000 and 58,000 USD. Audemars Piguet also produces the Offshore with other complications with market values ranging from 180,000 to 855,000 USD.

The Royal Oak Concept and Code 11.59 are the newest members of the AP family. The former stands out with its futuristic designs and modern materials. Watches from the Concept series sell for between 195,000 and 300,000 USD. The most affordable Code 11.59 timepiece demands roughly 24,500 USD. However, prices for top models with a tourbillon or minute repeater often exceed 250,000 USD.

The Royal Oak: Breaking With Convention

The Royal Oak is the most famous watch from Audemars Piguet. The Swiss manufacturer first introduced this revolutionary model in 1972. With the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet ushered in a new era in luxury watches. Before then, stainless steel sports watches were not en vogue among the top luxury manufacturers, who many still most closely associate with gold timepieces. Beyond its case material, the Royal Oak's design was also groundbreaking. Thanks to its octagonal bezel, the Royal Oak resembles a ship's porthole. Another defining feature of the Royal Oak is the set of eight hexagonal screws that attach the bezel to the case. The slots in the screws are perfectly aligned, creating a harmonious circle. This is made possible by tightening the screws from below. In between the bezel and the case is a rubber seal. Finally, the stainless steel bracelet is integrated into the case, and the links taper off the closer they get to the clasp.

The Royal Oak is a product of legendary watch designer Gérald Genta – the same man behind the Patek Philippe Nautilus and IWC Ingenieur. Genta received the commission for the timepiece from then-general director of AP, Georges Golay. Golay requested a wristwatch that you could wear while driving a sports car, during a weekend on a boat, at a fancy dinner, and celebrating at the country club. The result was the world's first luxury sports watch.

Despite its impressive origins, the Royal Oak was not an immediate success. However, today it is among the most highly coveted timepieces on the market. Watch fans are particularly fond of the Royal Oak "Jumbo" Extra-Thin ref. 15202ST. You can call this 39-mm model your own for about 114,000 USD. At roughly 35,500 USD, the ref. 15300ST is a much more affordable alternative. This watch also measures 39 mm in diameter and has a second hand in addition to its hour and minute hands. Those who prefer larger timepieces should consider the Royal Oak Automatic 15400ST and its successor, the ref. 15500ST. Both models have three central hands, 41-mm cases, and cost between 36,500 and 43,000 USD.

Audemars Piguet also offers the Royal Oak in gold, platinum, titanium, or ceramic, as well as with various complications. Prices for these watches range from 45,000 USD for a stainless steel chronograph to well over 240,000 USD for a ceramic watch with an annual calendar.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Features

• A famous stainless steel luxury sports watch
• Designed by Gérald Genta
• Octagonal bezel with screws in a porthole look

Royal Oak Offshore: An Icon Reimagined

Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak Offshore in 1993. Its octagonal bezel clearly identifies this watch as part of the extended Royal Oak family; however, the Offshore is a much weightier timepiece. Recent models range from 37 to 45 mm in diameter, and some earlier editions measure a massive 48 mm across. With the exception of the Offshore Diver, all current Offshore watches also come with a chronograph function, further underscoring their sporty nature. While the Diver lacks a stopwatch, it boasts an internal diving bezel and water resistance to 300 m (30 bar, 984 ft). Standard Offshore Chronographs are only water-resistant to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft).

The Royal Oak Offshore has since evolved into an impressive collection that contains everything from diamond-studded women's watches to skeletonized models and chronographs with tourbillons. Most editions come with a stainless steel case, though AP also produces the Offshore in titanium, platinum, gold, and ceramic.

Prices for a Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph vary by model and range from 30,000 to 60,000 USD. Older versions of the Offshore Chronograph Tourbillon demand around 183,000 USD. If you'd prefer the more futuristic variant from 2018, you should be prepared to spend over 400,000 USD. The Offshore Grand Complication sits at the top end of the price range and requires an investment of more than 850,000 USD. Back on the lower end of the spectrum, you'll find the Offshore Diver selling for between 25,500 and 49,000 USD.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Features

• Even sportier than the Royal Oak
• Men's and women's watches between 37 and 48 mm in diameter
• Diving watches water resistant to 300 m (30 bar, 984 ft)
• Grande Complication with a perpetual calendar, chronograph, and minute repeater

Where Worlds Collide: The Royal Oak Concept

The watches of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept collection combine state-of-the-art technology with traditional haute horlogerie. Its design is futuristic yet remains true to the Royal Oak's characteristic porthole aesthetic.

One thing all Concept watches share is a tourbillon. Here, Audemars Piguet offers versions with your choice of a traditional tourbillon with a front-facing bridge or a flying tourbillon with no bridge. The manufacturer also outfits these watches with additional complications, such as a second time zone or chronograph. The collection's top model is the 2021 Royal Oak Concept "Black Panther" Tourbillion. As its name implies, this timepiece is dedicated to the beloved Marvel superhero Black Panther. Audemars Piguet celebrated this model's launch by auctioning off a special, one-off edition. This unique timepiece ended up selling for 5.2 million USD, making it the most expensive AP watch of all time. The proceeds from the auction were donated to charity.

However, not every Royal Oak Concept demands a seven-figure sum. For example, the Concept Flying Tourbillon costs roughly 220,000 USD and is available as a fully diamond-encrusted "iced-out" edition or with what the manufacturer calls a "frosted" finish. Models with additional complications generally cost between 225,000 and 300,000 USD.

Code 11.59: New Yet Familiar

In 2019, Audemars Piguet released the Code 11.59, an entirely new collection that they had developed from the ground up. The announcement sent shockwaves through the rather conservative Swiss watch industry, as brand new collections are far and few between. AP's designers turned to classic watches from the manufacturer's history when creating the Code 11.59. This is why the bezel and case back resemble timepieces from the 1930s and 40s. At the same time, the case's main body takes its octagonal shape from the famous Royal Oak. There are also some decidedly modern details, such as numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock; a raised dial edge; and narrow bar indices. Other unique touches include the skeletonized lugs, which only attach to the case's upper side and simply rest against the case back.

The Code 11.59 collection is home to simple three-hand timepieces and chronographs, as well as models with flying tourbillons, minute repeaters, or skeletonization. The chronographs are especially popular among fans, as they feature the brand's first integrated chronograph caliber, the 4401. This means that the stopwatch function is built into the movement itself, while previous movements come with chronograph modules.

Each Code 11.59 watch is 41 mm in diameter, and most come in white or rose gold. AP also offers select editions that combine gold with black ceramic. You can purchase a three-hand Code 11.59 for roughly 25,500 USD, while a chronograph will set you back around 68,500 USD. More complicated timepieces like the Code 11.59 with a perpetual calendar, skeletonized tourbillon movement, or flyback chronograph with a flying tourbillon cost between 86,500 and 270,000 USD. The collection's top model is the Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie. Like many grandfather clocks, this timepiece's chimes can automatically relay every quarter, half, and full hour. The manufacturer has limited this watch to a run of five pieces, each of which is custom-designed by Swiss artist Anita Porchet and demands about 855,000 USD.

Jules Audemars: Complicated Dress Watches

Replaced by the Code 11.59, the Jules Audemars was part of the Audemars Piguet catalog until 2019. The Jules Audemars collection was named for one of the company's founders and contained elegant three-hand models with small or central seconds. However, you'll also find more intricate models with a chime, perpetual calendar, tourbillon, or minute repeater. The Grande Complication model is a true highlight in this collection. It features a perpetual calendar with a moon phase display, a chronograph function, and a minute repeater.

There are also elegant, Extra-Thin models with two hands for the hours and minutes in the Jules Audemars collection. With a thickness of only 6.7 mm, these watches fit under every shirt cuff. The timepieces of the Edward Piguet line, named for the other founder, are equally classic and elegant. The series, which has also been discontinued, contains many rectangular watches.

Prices for a Jules Audemars range from about 18,500 USD for a two-hand Extra-Thin edition and 35,500 USD for a chronograph to more than 975,000 USD for the Grand Complication. A three-hand Edward Piguet requires an investment of roughly 9,200 USD. Models with a chronograph or perpetual calendar cost around 22,500 USD. Prices for tourbillon watches depend on the exact edition and fall between 52,000 and 132,000 USD.

Millenary: Pieces of Watchmaking Art

The watches of Audemars Piguet's Millenary collection have distinctive oval cases, and more recent models boast equally unique decentralized dials that offer a view of the caliber. Audemars Piguet decorates their movements very intricately, making them a feast for the eyes. The company first introduced the Millenary series in 1995.

There are many versions of the Millenary available. Models from recent years are 39.5 mm in diameter, while older versions measure up to 45 or even 47 mm across. Some watches feature diamonds on the bezel, case, dial, and movement bridges. The collection's top models boast complications like a tourbillon, minute repeater, or quadrennial calendar. Quadrennial calendars only require manual correction once every four years, as they cannot account for February 29th in a leap year.

You can find simple three-hand Millenary watches on Chrono24 for as little as 13,500 USD. Models with intricate skeletonization or diamonds can cost up to 36,500 USD. Finally, high-end editions like the Millenary Tourbillon Maserati sell for a solid 289,000 USD.

Audemars Piguet Millenary Features

• Oval cases and decentralized dials
• Beautifully decorated movements
• Available with a minute repeater or tourbillon

The History of a Unique Manufacturer

Audemars Piguet has a history stretching back over 140 years. Jules-Louis Audemars founded the company in Le Brassus, Switzerland in 1875, shortly after completing his education as a "repasseur." A "repasseur" conducts the final inspection of a watch before it leaves the manufacturer. This position includes two further duties: correcting mistakes and completing the timepiece's finishes. Le Brassus is located in the Vallée de Joux, a Swiss valley home to many world-renowned watch manufacturers, such as {man-blancpain,Blancpain}, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Breguet.

While building up the company, Jules-Louis Audemars received support from childhood friend Edward-Auguste Piguet, a fellow "repasseur." In 1881, they founded the company Audemars Piguet & Cie. From the beginning, they produced complicated pocket watches. They began presenting watches with perpetual calendars, minute repeaters, and chronograph functions only a few months after founding the company. Their "Grande Complication" pocket watch won a medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Their next sensation came in 1891 when they released the smallest movement with a minute repeater to date. The caliber measured only 18 mm in diameter.

Audemars Piguet has a long history of breaking with convention, introducing their first wristwatches towards the end of the 19th century when pocket watches were still the norm.