Replica Buyers Guide Hands-On with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin Limited Edition in Yellow Gold

This is a watch that’s so known to many of youpersonally, perhaps it doesn’t need much of an investigation — but this is HODINKEE and you’ll be able to believe you are gonna get one. The Royal Oak Chronograph is a wristwatch which has tens of thousands of fans all over the world, and a couple of detractors, too. The Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore families frequently appeal to quite different individuals, but I will get to that soon. In this review, I handle a mainstay in the AP lineup, and an interesting piece of haute horology, though one without its own in-house motion. I’ll have a look at just how this 41mm column-wheel, vertical clutch chronograph wears, and if the issue of where the movement came out of is even something worth noting in any way. This is the HODINKEE Week About The Wrist with all the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph, and it’s one worth spending a while with.AP is a truly distinctive watch manufacture. It is one of the very few worldwide haute horology brands which remains in the control of its founding family, with different members of the Audemars family still sitting on its board. However, the ownership of AP is not necessarily the most interesting side of this 175 year old fabrication — the question that matters is that buys AP’s watches?

Most of the gold watches sold are 18k rose, pink or red gold. A quick once-over of a catalogue proves that. Yellow gold is slightly out of fashion. Audemars Piguet is the first amongst established, high-end watchmakers to emphasise the metal, with a full range of yellow gold Royal Oaks presented at SIHH 2016, including a chunky chronograph.

Last year, however, Audemars Piguet announced arguably the most interesting yellow gold Royal Oak of all, a limited edition made for Singapore retailer The Hour Glass. It’s Royal Oak Extra-Thin ref. 15202 – the model that’s closest to the original 1972 Royal Oak “Jumbo” – in bright yellow gold, with a dark green dial.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin The Hour Glass Yellow Gold 7

In the regular collection, the only precious metal the Royal Oak Extra-Thin is offered in is rose gold, giving it an ostentatious, contemporary look. The yellow gold limited edition instead harks back to the original Royal Oak “Jumbo”, which was available only in yellow gold, the de rigueur colour of gold back then.

Typical of a Royal Oak, the surfaces and edges of the case are gorgeously finished. The mirror-polishing is lustrous while the brushed surfaces are fine and precise. No doubt the finish is a scratch magnet, but fresh off the production line there are few watch case as tangibly sexy as a Royal Oak.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin The Hour Glass Yellow Gold 3

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin The Hour Glass Yellow Gold 4

The bezel and case are covered in clear protective stickers, hence the grainy surface

It’s still loud and flashy, but the colour of gold makes it that much more different from the numerous, run of the mill rose gold watches. The feel is slightly retro, accented by the green dial, another unusual colour. Green pairs with yellow gold very well, but it’s not often found in modern watches. The shade brings to mind British racing green, and is slightly glossy; a marginally less glossy finish may have been more suited to the shiny case. The dial motif is the chequerboard tapisserie that’s a trademark on the Royal Oak.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin The Hour Glass Yellow Gold 2

The movement inside is identical to the ordinary version of this watch, the slim, automatic calibre 2121 that is still regarded as one of the most sophisticated automatic movements despite being just shy of 50 years old. Today the movement is exclusive to Audemars Piguet (which makes it in-house, having bought the rights) and Vacheron Constantin; though decades ago Patek Philippe also used the same calibre in the original Nautilus ref. 3700 “Jumbo”.

Originally developed as the Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 920 in 1968, the movement is very thin, just 3.05mm high, but with a full rotor, instead of the micro-rotor common in slim automatics. That called for some clever engineering, most obvious being the metal ring on ruby rollers that supports the rotor. In The Hour Glass edition the 18k gold rotor – which ironically seems to be rose gold – features an open-worked hour glass and hand-engraved limited edition lettering. While appropriate for the edition, the logo looks somewhat uninteresting relative to the rest of the watch.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin The Hour Glass Yellow Gold 6

Pricing and availability 

Available only at The Hour Glass, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin The Hour Glass Edition (ref. 15205BA.OO.1240BA.01) is priced at S$79,600 including seven percent local tax. That’s equivalent to US$58,800, and about five percent more than the regular production rose gold model. While the premium over the ordinary model is modest, it’s still stiff for a time-only wristwatch.