All of the 42 new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 50th anniversary releases of 2022
Zach BlassEditor’s Note: Audemars Piguet did not hold back this week, starting off 2022 with a revamped Royal Oak Collection in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak. So we’re offering a quick overview of all the new novelties we are allowed to share from the AP Social Club event – touching on each new reference or collection and their headlining points. Stay tuned for deeper coverage, some of which will include live pics and our hands-on perspective. But for now let’s run through each of the new watches – here are all of the 42 new Audemars Piguet 2022 Royal Oak 50th anniversary releases.
All of the below references, with the exception of the Royal Oak Chronograph 38mm models and Offshore 43 models, have a case-tone matching 22k gold 50th anniversary commemorative winding rotor on their movements. The rotor will only be produced through the year 2022, after which they will revert back to the standard rotor.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin 16202 Collection
Audemars Piguet has finally ushered in the next generation: the Royal Oak “Jumbo Extra-Thin ref. 16202. As the most direct tribute to the original Jumbo from 1972, it is fitting that AP has refined the dial to evoke the original shade of blue – this “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50″ is darker in appearance than what you would find on the previous 15202ST. The headlining innovation, however, lies within: the new in-house calibre 7121. This marks the first time in 50 years the JLC ebauche, calibre 2121, has been removed from the collection. The result is a bunch of performance improvements, such as a full balance bridge for added shock resistance, a higher 28,800 vph beat rate, and an increased power reserve of 55 hours (previously 40 hours). For more on the collection, you can head to our hands-on review with live pics here.
| Case Materials | Steel, Yellow Gold, Rose Gold, Platinum |
| Diameter | 39mm |
| Thickness | 8.1mm |
| Water-Resistance | 50m |
| Dials | Bleu Nuit Nuage 50 (steel), Smoked yellow-gold-tone (yellow gold), Smoked grey dial (rose gold), Smoked green with sunburst base (platinum) |
| Bracelet | Hand-finished integrated braclet |
| Movement | In-house calibre 7121 |
| Power Reserve | 55 hours |
| Complications | Hours, Minutes, Date |
| Price | Stainless Steel – $33,200 USD, Yellow Gold – $70,500 USD, Rose Gold – $70,500 USD, Platinum – Price on request |
| Availblity | Available for inquiries |
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked
As a special year for the Royal Oak, AP has also brought forth open-worked configurations of the new Jumbo. It also make use of the new calibre 7121, or in its open-worked form the 7124, displaying a greater view of the new calibre internals and an even higher degree of finishing. Stay tuned for a full introduction on this powerhouse duo that collectors will definitely be chasing.
| Case Materials | Steel or Rose Gold |
| Diameter | 39mm |
| Thickness | 8.1mm |
| Water-Resistance | 50m |
| Dials | Open-worked |
| Bracelet | Hand-finished integrated braclets |
| Movement | In-house calibre 7124 |
| Power Reserve | 55 hours |
| Complications | Hours, Minutes |
| Price | Stainless Steel – $90,400 USD, Rose Gold – Price on request |
| Availblity | Available for inquiries |
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding 37mm evolution
AP uses the term “evolution” to refer to minor tweaks to the Royal Oak’s design. Ever the perfectionists, Audemars Piguet has enacted subtle changes on the case and bracelet in the name of ergonomics, akin to the tweaks performed on the Offshore last year. The bevels on the case have been enlarged to “enhance the play of light between the satin-finished and polished surfaces”. It is, however, not just an aesthetic tweak – it also provides the watch with a more slender profile. The caseback has also been subtly tweaked, now slightly more integrated into the case middle to allow the watch to sit more comfortably on the wrist. Inside these 37mm Royal Oak watches is a new thinner calibre 5900, replacing the previous 3120, and upping the beat rate to 28,800 vph.
Its bracelet has also been refined, the integrated bracelet’s first four links are now trapezoidal in shape and no longer parallel. This results in a decrease in thickness, as well as further highlighting the bracelet’s taper for more visual appeal. This also means that the links are now thinner and lighter, upping the level of comfort and the ergonomics of the design. These refinements were actually first introduced on Royal Oak models in gold a few years back, but this is the first time this evolved aesthetic has appeared on non-precious references. Another quirk we noticed while handling some of these new 37mm models in the metal, the crown is no longer screw-down – instead a push/pull.
As you saw above, there are seven steel references, one two-tone steel/rose gold, and three rose gold references to explore, plus a variety of dials including light blue, “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50″, grey, white, and khaki green. Each of these also feature a new applied Audemars Piguet branding at 12′. The khaki green really speaks to those still invested in the colour of 2021, but it is a shame, at least for now, that the shade is not offered in a stainless-steel or diamond-free configuration. Fingers crossed though.
| Case Materials | Steel, Steel/Rose Gold, Rose Gold |
| Diameter | 37mm |
| Thickness | 8.9mm |
| Water-Resistance | 50m |
| Dials | Bleu Nuit Nuage 50, light blue, grey, white, khaki green |
| Bracelet | Hand-finished integrated braclet |
| Movement | Calibre 5900 |
| Power Reserve | 60 hours |
| Complications | Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date |
| Price | 15550SR.OO.1356SR.01 – $29,600 USD, 15550ST.OO.1356ST.01 / 02 / 03/ 04 – $24,100 USD, 15551ST.ZZ.1356ST.01 / 02/ 03 – $33,200 USD, 15551OR.ZZ.1356OR.01 / 02/ 03 – $60,300 USD |
| Availblity | Available for inquiries |
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 38mm/41mm evolution
The second segment of Royal Oak evolution are the chronograph pieces, also subtly refined, that feature the same case, bracelet and dial tweaks that aim to make the Royal Oak Chronograph more enjoyable than ever to sport on the wrist. The cases, in both 38mm and 41mm, are presented in both stainless steel and rose gold – with “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50″, light blue, grey, white, black, khaki green (fortunately in both metals and with and without diamonds), and gem-set configurations to explore. One crucial note to mention is that only the larger 41mm models utilise the in-house calibre 4401 first introduced during the launch of Code 11:59 and commemorative rotor. The 38mm, which do not have an exhibition caseback, still utilise the calibre 2385 beneath their solid casebacks.
| Case Materials | Stainless Steel or Rose Gold |
| Diameter | 38mm or 41mm |
| Thickness | 11mm (38mm), 12.4mm (41mm) |
| Water-Resistance | 50m |
| Dials | “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50”, Black, Silver-toned, Khaki green, Light blue “Grande Tapisserie” dials and Diamond-set dial |
| Bracelet/Strap | Hand-finished integrated bracelet or integrated leather strap. |
| Movement | Calibre 2385 (38mm), in-house calibre 4401 (41mm) |
| Power Reserve | 40 hours (38mm), 70 hours (41mm) |
| Complications | Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Chronograph, Date |
| Price | 41mm-Bracelet: 26240OR.OO.1320OR.01/ 02/ 03/ 04 – $72,300 USD, 26240ST.OO.1320ST.01/ 02/ 03/ 04 – $33,800 USD, 26242OR.ZZ.1322OR.01 – Price upon request. 41mm-Strap: 26240OR.OO.D404CR.01 – $50,100 USD, 26240OR.OO.D002CR.01 – $50,100 USD, 26240OR.OO.D315CR.01 – $50,100 USD. 38mm: 26715ST.OO.1356ST.01 – $32,600 USD, 26715ST.OO.1356ST.02 – $32,600 USD, 26715ST.ZZ.1356ST.01 – $41,100 USD, 26715OR.OO.1356OR.01 – $64,500 USD, 26715OR.ZZ.1356OR.01 – $71,700 USD. |
| Availblity | Available for inquiries |
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding 34mm in black ceramic
You may be doing a double-take, thinking you are looking at an old novelty. To be fair, it is very similar to last year’s model. This refined 34 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Black Ceramic still has a black guilloché “Grande Tapisserie” dial contrasted with scintillating rose-gold accents, but the subtlest of tweaks have been made to up the aesthetics and practicality of the watch. The logo has the previously mentioned applied Audemars Piguet branding crafted in 24K rose gold and “achieved through galvanic growth – a chemical process akin to 3D printing”. Audemars Piguet explains: “Each letter is connected with links approximately the size of a hair and placed by hand on the dial with tiny legs almost invisible to the eye.” Also, the size and length of the faceted hour-markers and hands have been updated to better align with the rest of the anniversary Royal Oak Selfwinding and Selfwinding Chronograph models across the collection for optimum visibility. Lastly, the black ceramic bracelet has been slightly revised. The pins connecting the links to the studs are no longer visible on the bracelet’s sides, but fitted directly into the studs.
| Case Materials | Black Ceramic, Titanium Caseback |
| Diameter | 34mm |
| Thickness | 8.8mm |
| Water-Resistance | 50m |
| Dial | Black dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern |
| Bracelet | Hand-finished black ceramic integrated braclet |
| Movement | Calibre 5800 |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours |
| Complications | Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date |
| Price | $48,900 USD |
| Availblity | Available for inquiries |
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Openworked 41mm
For the first time, Audemars Piguet has introduced a Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon in a 41mm diameter in honour of the 50th anniversary celebrations. This Royal Oak is the epitome of AP’s world-class finishing skills and mastery of open-working their calibre designs. The calibre has been openworked on both vertical and horizontal axis, providing a visual feast that gearheads will absolutely revel in. This 41mm model also shares the aforementioned refined ergonomics previously mentioned in the Royal Oak 37mm and Royal Oak Chronographs, so this haute-horology beaut will sit on the wrist better than ever before. Its new in-house calibre, the 2972 is an evolution of the previously introduced calibre 2950 originally launched as part of the Code 11:59 collection. Considering it is in stainless steel, it’s a safe bet that collectors will be chasing after this timepiece.
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Diameter | 41mm |
| Thickness | 10.6mm |
| Water-Resistance | 50m |
| Dial | Rhodium-toned openworked movement, white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating, slate grey inner bezel |
| Bracelet | Hand-finished stainless steel integrated braclet |
| Movement | In-house calibre 2972 |
| Power Reserve | 65 hours |
| Complications | Hours, Minutes, Flying Tourbillon |
| Price | Price upon request |
| Availblity | Available for inquiries |
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self-winding Flying Tourbillon
There are three new variations of the 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon. Available in stainless steel, titanium and 18k rose gold, these new models further expand the collection beyond the first three configurations introduced in 2020. Where they differ, in perhaps a less obvious manner, is through their usage of the new ergonomic refinements that have been a recurring theme throughout this overview. All three new variants have blue dials. The rose-gold and stainless-steel entries of this new trio both utilise a smoked blue dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern. The titanium model, however, takes a more youthful and sporty approach with a sand-blasted blue dial.
| Case Materials | Stainless Steel, Titanium, Rose Gold |
| Diameter | 41mm |
| Thickness | 10.6mm |
| Water-Resistance | 50m |
| Dials | Smoked blue dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern, white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating (stainless steel and rose gold). Sandblasted blue dial, white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating (titanium). |
| Bracelet | Hand-finished integrated bracelet |
| Movement | In-house calibre 2950 |
| Power Reserve | 65 hours |
| Complications | Hours, Minutes, Flying Tourbillon |
| Price | Price upon request |
| Availblity | Available for inquiries |
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 43mm
We’ve previously covered, at length, the enhanced design of the Offshore 43mm introduced last year. So I won’t go to in-depth here, for more detail I encourage you to revisit our previous coverage here. What I will point out, however, is we now have four more configurations to delve into: two with black “Méga Tapisserie” dials and another two with 18K white-gold dials set with diamonds. All four white-gold cases remain 43mm in diameter and 14.4mm thick, but the gem-set dial configurations have a 20m depth rating versus the 100m rating of the other two.
| Case Materials | White Gold OR White Gold and Gemset |
| Diameter | 43mm |
| Thickness | 14.4mm |
| Water-Resistance | 100m, 20m (gemset dial configurations) |
| Dials | Black dial with “Méga Tapisserie” pattern, silver-toned counters, white gold applied hour-markers and hands with luminescent coating, black inner bezel OR 18-carat white gold dial set with brilliant-cut diamonds, black counters, white gold applied hour-markers and hands with luminescent coating, black inner bezel. |
| Straps | Hand-finished gemset integrated braclet, Black rubber interchangeable strap with 18-carat white gold AP folding clasp, Additional black alligator interchangeable strap. |
| Movement | Calibre 4401 |
| Power Reserve | 70 hours |
| Complications | Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Chronograph, Date |
| Price | Price upon request |
| Availblity | Available for inquiries |