Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm Steel White Dial 26331ST '2017'
View Similar Items
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm Steel White Dial 26331ST '2017'
About the Item
- Creator:
- Design:
- Case Material:
- Strap Material:Stainless Steel
- Case Shape:Round
- Movement:
- Case Dimensions:Diameter: 1.62 in (41 mm)
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2017
- Condition:Polished.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2639217803982
Royal Oak Watch
For vintage watch collectors everywhere, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak is a stylish, widely coveted status symbol. It features the incorporation of an unconventional material that would one day prove revolutionary to watchmaking, and for celebrated Swiss designer Gérald Genta (1931–2011), it is perhaps his best-known work. Incredibly, its story begins with a simple inspiration: the humble screw.
First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak wristwatch featured a now-legendary design that Genta borrowed from antique diving helmets. More hardware than garment, these helmets were crafted in brass and attached to a diving suit with large screws. Genta translated the motif from the rim of the diving helmet to Audemars Piguet’s newest timepiece, setting eight miniature screws into an octagonal bezel, which surrounded a textured “tapisserie,” or tapestry, dial. Following its launch at what would become the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair, Audemars Piguet aptly touted a “bezel locked dramatically to its face, tightly as a porthole.”
In addition to its unique bezel design, the Royal Oak — named for a group of vessels in Britain’s Royal Navy, according to legend — was also unorthodox for its material. Though stainless steel is a ubiquitous option on watches today, in the early 1970s its use was visionary. The Royal Oak was the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from the durable material — a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.
Stainless steel also allowed for a more integrated connection between case and band, paving the way for the seamless bracelet-style bands that have since been adopted by nearly every watchmaker. The knit-like design of the Royal Oak’s band is echoed by the original model's trademark tapisserie dial, a guilloché backdrop achieved by a precise engraving process. The textural element, paired with the Royal Oak’s sturdy steel and delicate yet industrial screws, gives the timepiece a unique combination of elegance and weight.
Arguably the most prolific freelance watch designer in history, Genta designed timepieces for Omega, Patek Philippe, Cartier and Bulgari, to name a few, but the Royal Oak remains one of his most influential. Since the debut of the original, Audemars Piguet has continued to issue new collections of the style, including men’s and women’s versions in yellow and pink gold, models encircled with diamonds and many more.
Audemars Piguet
The story of celebrated family-owned manufacturer Audemars Piguet and its universally acclaimed, widely coveted luxury watches begins deep in the Jura Mountains in western Switzerland.
The Vallée de Joux has been a haven of watchmaking since the late 18th century, when the residents of farming communities began creating timepieces during the winter months.
Jules Louis Audemars (1851–1918) and Edward Auguste Piguet (1853–1919), both natives of the region, were already deeply entrenched in the world of watchmaking when they joined forces to form a new house of horology near the end of the 19th century, an alliance that would be the start of a multigenerational family company. With complementary specialties within the field, Audemars and Piguet made the perfect pair in 1875: Audemars, the more technically minded of the two, oversaw production, while Piguet specialized in quality control and led the business and marketing parts of the outfit.
Audemars Piguet’s first major milestone came in 1892, when it created the world’s first minute-repeating movement for a wristwatch. (It was sold to Omega, whose origins date to 1848.) That was soon followed in 1899 with the Universelle pocket watch, a masterpiece of horology that boasted a perpetual calendar, minute repeater, alarm and chronograph with jumping seconds. It is still said to be the most complicated timepiece that Audemars Piguet has ever designed.
Between 1918 and 1919, both founders of Audemars Piguet had died and were replaced by their respective sons, incidentally both named Paul. Under the leadership of Paul Louis Audemars and Paul Edward Piguet, the watchmaker continued to innovate. It retained an ever-evolving technical focus and found new praise for its efforts, producing the world’s thinnest pocket-watch caliber in 1925, the first skeletonized pocket watch in 1934 and the world’s thinnest wristwatch in 1946.
When the quartz crisis of the 1970s left many watchmakers in the lurch, Audemars and Piguet found a creative solution, tapping the Geneva-born Gérald Genta to conceive the first-ever luxury watch in stainless steel. Launched at what would become the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair in 1972, the Royal Oak, with its octagonal face and integrated bracelet, would come to define the look of Audemars Piguet and revolutionize the luxury wristwatch industry, setting a standard that continues to this day.
Find a collection of vintage Audemars Piguet wristwatches and pocket watches on 1stDibs.
- Bvlgari Serpenti Tubogas Stainless Steel & Rose Gold 103288By BulgariLocated in New York, NYMade in Switzerland, this piece features the meticulous innovation of Italian creativity with a snake-like effect. The Bvlgari Serpenti Tubogas watch...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Wrist Watches
MaterialsRose Gold, Steel, Stainless Steel
- Bvlgari Serpenti Spiga Two-Tone Rose Gold Malachite Dial Diamond 103626By BulgariLocated in New York, NYCombining the audacity of Serpenti and the legend of “spiga” (the Italian word for spike), the Serpenti Spiga single-spiral watch in 18 kt rose gold emb...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Wrist Watches
MaterialsDiamond, Rose Gold
- Patek Philippe Ladies Nautilus Rose Gold Golden Brown Opaline Dial 7118/1RBy Patek PhilippeLocated in New York, NYThe Patek Philippe Ladies Nautilus features a satin-finished bezel and 35mm 18k rose gold case. In the center, lays a gold embossed dial with luminous ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Wrist Watches
MaterialsRose Gold
- Cartier Ballon Bleu de Cartier Rose Gold W69004Z2By CartierLocated in New York, NYThis elegant Ballon Bleu de Cartier ladies watch is crafted in a rose gold case measuring 36mm in diameter. The silver dial features roman numer...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Wrist Watches
MaterialsRose Gold
- Bvlgari Serpenti Tubogas Two-Tone Double Spiral Watch 102680By BulgariLocated in New York, NYMerging two of the most iconic symbols of Bulgari design, the Serpenti Tubogas watch coils the sinuosity of the snake with the contemporary soul of tubogas. This Serpenti Tubogas wat...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Wrist Watches
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Bvlgari Serpenti Tubogas Three-Tone Double Spiral Diamond Bezel Watch 102948By BulgariLocated in New York, NYMerging two of the most iconic symbols of Bulgari design, the Serpenti Tubogas watch coils the sinuosity of the snake with the contemporary soul of tubogas. This Serpenti Tubogas wat...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Wrist Watches
MaterialsDiamond, Rose Gold
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm 26331ST.OO.1220ST.02 Stainless SteelBy Audemars PiguetLocated in New York, NYAudemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 41mm 26331ST.OO.1220ST.02 Stainless Steel Custom Fully Iced Out Watch Black dial with “Grande Tapisserie” pattern, silver-toned counters, white...Category
2010s European Wrist Watches
MaterialsDiamond, Stainless Steel
$99,450 / itemFree Shipping - Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26331ST.OO.1220ST.03 Steel Watch "Panda"By Audemars PiguetLocated in New York, NYIntroducing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26331ST.OO.1220ST.03 Steel Watch – an unworn masterpiece that seamlessly merges precision engineering with timeless design. Craf...Category
2010s Swiss Modern Wrist Watches
MaterialsSteel
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Chocolate Dial Brown Leather 26331OR B/PBy Audemars PiguetLocated in New York, NY18kt rose gold case with a brown alligator leather strap. 8 screws fixed 18kt rose gold bezel. Brown grande tapisserie dial with rose gold-tone hands and index hour markers. Minute markers around the outer rim. Dial Type: Analog. Date display between 4 and 5 o'clock position. Chronograph - three sub-dials displaying: 60 second, 30 minute and 12 hours. Audemars Piguet Calibre 2385 Automatic movement, containing 37 Jewels, composed of 304 parts, bitting at 21600 vph, and has a power reserve of approximately 40 hours. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal. Screw down crown. Octagon case shape, case size: 41 mm, case thickness: 11 mm. Water resistant at 50 meters / 165 feet. Functions: chronograph, date, hour, minute, second. Luxury watch style. Watch label: Swiss Made. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Brown Dial...Category
2010s Swiss Modern Wrist Watches
MaterialsRose Gold
- Audemars Piguet Stainless Steel Royal Oak ChronographBy Audemars PiguetLocated in Scottsdale, AZMovement: automatic Function: hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, date Case: 39mm stainless steel case, smooth bezel, sapphire crystal, push pull crown Band: stainless steel Royal Oak bracelet, fold over clasp Dial: white/black “panda” chronograph...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Wrist Watches
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chrono 41mm 26320ST.OO.1220ST.02 Custom Green CeramicBy Audemars PiguetLocated in New York, NYAudemars Piguet Royal Oak Chrono 41mm 26320ST.OO.1220ST.02 Custom Green Ceramic. Green ceramic coating has been applied aftermarket. Very unique watch 1 out of 1. Sale comes with AP ...Category
2010s Swiss Modern Wrist Watches
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26331OR.OO.D315CR.01By Audemars PiguetLocated in London, GBA 41mm Royal Oak Chronograph in 18k rose gold by Audemars Piguet. Featuring a distinctive blue grande tapisserie dial with bigger rose gold chronograph counters that Audemars Piguet has changed up in this design and features a 60 second, 30 minute and 12 hour markers. Complimenting the dial is a fixed rose gold bezel with the iconic 8-screw design synonymous with Audemars Piguet. Fitted with a scratch resistant sapphire crystal and powered by a calbire 2385 self-winding automatic chronograph movement. The watch is equipped with an Audemars Piguet blue...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Wrist Watches
Materials18k Gold, Rose Gold