Audemars Piguet
Andre Frois
January 15, 2026
8
Minutes Read
You’ve read the legend of Gérald Genta sketching its design on a restaurant napkin, witnessed how it upended the very idea of a luxury sports watch, and perhaps even felt a twinge of envy watching how balletically it wraps itself around the wrists of seasoned collectors.
However, is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak a good investment watch? And which Royal Oak should you buy?
There is much that Royal Oak collectors and sellers rarely spell out, so if you’re starting to feel that now is the time to nab your own Royal Oak, consider this a clear-eyed, easy-reading guide to what actually matters.
First things first: don’t be surprised that the Royal Oak, designed by Genta in 1972, commands significantly higher prices than most other Audemars Piguet timepieces. Its impact on watchmaking history alone all but guarantees it.
Two decades later, Audemars Piguet sought to broaden the appeal of the Royal Oak DNA. Designed by Emmanuel Gueit in 1993, the Royal Oak Offshore was conceived as a more muscular, contemporary evolution of the original. Larger, thicker, and often equipped with crown guards and bolder aesthetics, the Offshore speaks to a very different buyer.
While the Offshore has its loyal following, it generally trails the core Royal Oak line in collectability and secondary-market demand. For buyers who prioritise liquidity, heritage, and long-term desirability, the classic Royal Oak—particularly in time-only or restrained complication form—remains the safer and more coveted choice.
Although the Royal Oak was revolutionary for elevating stainless steel to luxury status, the collection today spans a wide range of materials:
Allocation-driven, steel Royal Oaks remain the most liquid and universally desired. Ceramic and precious metal references are rarer and often more expensive, but they are also more polarising—appealing strongly to some collectors while leaving others cold.
(On a personal note, we’d like to add that Audemars Piguet creates and hand-finishes some of the most beautiful ceramic timepieces in the market.)
Yes, steel Royal Oaks are quiet symbols of IYKYK luxury, but are a tad easier to find than steel Patek Philippes.
One of the most misunderstood distinctions among Royal Oaks is case size, particularly when it comes to the term Jumbo. The Royal Oak has been rendered in many case sizes, but its 39mm and 41mm iterations are the most well known.
Understanding how a Royal Oak wears, rather than how it measures, is crucial. And while the elegance of a Royal Oak might make us forget that it is ultimately a tool watch, it’s worth noting that the Jumbo models usually have 50m water resistance, while thicker non-Jumbo models are often submersible to 100m.
The Royal Oak’s tapisserie dial is iconic, but not all tapisserie is created equal.
Dial colour also plays a significant role in desirability. Classic shades—blue, grey, and black—tend to outperform brighter or more experimental colours over time, though limited editions can be notable exceptions.
Skeletonised dials, while visually arresting, appeal to a narrower audience and are best purchased for passion rather than predictability.
Vintage Royal Oaks are especially nuanced.
While A and B series models often command premiums, condition, originality, and service history ultimately matter more than the letter alone.
Beneath the tapisserie dial lies one of the Royal Oak’s most consequential differentiators: its movement.
Audemars Piguet has created numerous complications for the Royal Oak collection, especially since the Royal Oak has been the canvas for some of watchmaking’s most incredible high complications.
Few watch bracelets are as instantly recognisable as that of the Royal Oak. What began as a radical design has since become canonical.
As integrated bracelets returned to fashion over the past decade, so too did the Royal Oak’s cultural and market relevance—cementing its status not merely as a watch, but as a benchmark. These are the Royal Oak's two principle bracelet styles:
Buyers should scrutinise bracelet stretch, polishing quality, and clasp integrity. Over‑polished Royal Oaks lose the crisp contrast between brushed and polished surfaces that defines the design—and significantly undermines value.
Finally, pay close attention to:
A well‑preserved, lightly serviced Royal Oak will often outperform a poorly handled “rarer” reference.
The variables we’ve discussed go a long way in determining why one Royal Oak may hold its value—or even appreciate—better than another. Still, we always emphasise that enjoyment should come first; the return on investment is best treated as a welcome by-product, not the primary objective. Fortunately, demand for the Royal Oak remains strong, and most examples continue to hold their value well.
As you might have come to realise, the Royal Oak is deceptively simple in appearance, yet deeply complex in execution. Understanding its nuances—movement, size, era, and finish—can mean the difference between owning a Royal Oak and owning the right Royal Oak.
If you’d like to enlist the help of our Royal Oak specialists, drop us a message here.
Andre Frois is a distinguished authority in haute horlogerie, renowned for his tenure as the former Editor-in-Chief of Revolution Asia, a leading global publication. His expert analysis on luxury timepieces, from their intricate craftsmanship to their investment value, has also been featured in prestigious magazines like Robb Report.
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