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The “inexplicable insanity” that underscores the story of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak The “inexplicable insanity” that underscores the story of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

The “inexplicable insanity” that underscores the story of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

Andrew McUtchen

It feels like decades since CNN came to our offices to shoot it, and by now I’d expect it to have run its course, but according to the fairly regular stream of photos of me on TV screens from friends, family, colleagues and strangers it’s still very much doing the rounds; a series of one-minute watch history vignettes called ‘Timeless’ on CNN.

Considering I’m still home-locked in Melbourne, this is the only travelling I’ve been doing in 2020. I’ve been sent shots of myself on a tv in a hotel room of a riverboat on the Nile by my brother’s mother and father-in law, on a screen inside a cupboard in Shanghai (I think it was your liquor cabinet, Austen Chu?) and even Rodger Corser’s living room in Sydney.

I do get around as a rule, it comes with the territory, but in 2020 I’ve excelled myself. With a recent Pandora’s Box of Audemars Piguet history opened – thanks to the delicate prising of Eric Ku and Michael Friedman – I thought I’d share something that’s quite the opposite of a one-hour excavation – and that’s a one-minute blast of the Royal Oak pointers.

It’s part of a 10-episode series, and it features Jack Forster of the ‘Dink and I talking about 10 iconic watches. This episode, starring far more Jack than me, is all about the Royal Oak, a watch that was sold at launch in 1972 for the princely sum of $3000USD. Considering this was akin to the price of a solid gold watch at the time, it was an act of “inexplicable insanity” as Jack puts it. Exhaustive and in-depth history this ain’t, obviously, but if you’re looking for a quick refresher on some key models, you’ve found it.

Other watches in the series include the Breitling Navitimer.

And the Rolex Submariner.