Saturday, January 15, 2011

Audemars Piguet: History of the Royal Oak

Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak line is one of those iconic watch lines that everyone knows about. Ever since the company was founded in 1875, it has been one of the top switch manufacturers in the world for both in house complications and beautiful design work. Most people wonder: Where did the name and design come from anyway?


If you look at the image above, it is a picture of a traditional royal oak. The bezel design was inspired by the port holes of ships, and if you really think about it, it looks exactly like you are looking through one into a ship. 

The royal oak was first introduced in 1972 and sold for 3200 swiss francs. Although this may not seem like a lot by today's standards, consider that a Rolex submariner was 280 swiss francs back then! Although the royal oak is still an icon, the shift has gone to the more sporty royal oak offshore deviation which many people are accustomed to today, seen below. It is one of the most popular watches on the market and has that "hollywood" type effect that everyone is accustomed to. It is basically the same watch but much larger, much thicker and carries a chronograph and is largely influenced by formula one and special edition one off pieces.

AP ROO Safari
AP ROO Rubens Barrichello



Posted by at

22 comments:

  1. -ITW-January 15, 2011 at 5:17 PM

    After reading this entry, I feel 10% more sophisticated. Thanks.

    I used to have a watch.. I left it in my pocket and it went through the washer and the glass broke, haven't had one since :(

    ReplyDelete
  2. CalamariJanuary 15, 2011 at 5:19 PM

    An interesting history on an iconic watch make. Nice stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 15, 2011 at 5:25 PM

    I love how pretty much every F1 pilot has appeared in at least one watch ad.

    sideofthecore.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. forkfantasyJanuary 15, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    I think you overestimate the general population's watch knowledge. I sure have never heard of that, but thanks for telling me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. PikamitsuJanuary 15, 2011 at 6:18 PM

    Those are some very interesting watches. Probably wouldn't be able to afford any of them, though.

    ReplyDelete
  6. devondoleJanuary 15, 2011 at 6:40 PM

    Nice watches. Thanks for following my blog

    devondole.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Christian JamesJanuary 15, 2011 at 6:43 PM

    great post, some better watches there than mine thats for sure.

    Thanks for visiting theMovie411 earlier too, I have now subbed you back :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownJanuary 15, 2011 at 6:53 PM

    Great post. I'm one of those guys who can't tell a good watch from a Wal-Mart special so this is a good education for me.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Schla.mp3January 15, 2011 at 7:35 PM

    i am about to buy a new watch
    any tips?

    ReplyDelete
  10. BrutJanuary 15, 2011 at 7:37 PM

    I love the AP ROO, looks classy.

    ReplyDelete
  11. BobbyJanuary 15, 2011 at 8:08 PM

    Not a huge fan of this line, but sweet watches nonetheless.

    Don't forget to check and support often your local information hot-spot lifeformation.blogspot.com!

    ReplyDelete
  12. watchmanJanuary 15, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    @schla: send me an email if you are interested with your price range and what type of look you want.

    ReplyDelete
  13. DooJanuary 15, 2011 at 8:20 PM

    I like the last two! Great post :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousJanuary 15, 2011 at 8:32 PM

    I haven't worn a watch in almost a decade, I like using my cell phone too much, haha.

    http://cmipigeon.blogspot.com Check it out! Shameless bumping, lol.

    ReplyDelete
  15. AllanJanuary 15, 2011 at 8:50 PM

    Awesome watches those. Always felt I should wear one, but I hate things coming in contact with my wrists. Just one of those unreasonable dislikes, you know.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Aaron The BaronJanuary 15, 2011 at 8:58 PM

    they're so beautiful!! :'D


    here's my blog if anyone's interested, just random posts on things i find interesting:
    http://lifeofbaron.blogspot.com feedback's appreciated :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. ZakkJanuary 16, 2011 at 1:03 AM

    I love them!

    ReplyDelete
  18. BBJanuary 16, 2011 at 4:44 AM

    That first pic of the Royal Oak..that is a classy looking watch.

    ReplyDelete
  19. JohnHJanuary 16, 2011 at 4:31 PM

    glad barrichello still has a job. lol

    ReplyDelete
  20. thegoldenchildJanuary 17, 2011 at 7:37 PM

    the gold ROO looks so ballin. kinda reminds me of a gold hublot BB

    ReplyDelete
  21. phil230February 18, 2011 at 12:50 AM

    The importance of a quality watch shouldn't be taken advantage of. The watch market is certainly vast, and with so many options, it is easy to see that some are definitely better than others. Breitling Watch

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousMay 6, 2011 at 6:17 AM

    Panerai Watches
    Many people consider watches from its collection to be a symbol of luxury and prosperity.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)