Brand
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Ref. 15300ST Blue Dial
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is the definitive luxury sport watch. We won't bore you with all the details surrounding its genesis at the hands of Gérald Genta in 1972, but if there's one thing to take away from its origin, it's this: Often imitated, never duplicated, there's nothing quite like a Royal Oak on the wrist. It's even fair to say that the popularity of the Royal Oak – distributed equally among enthusiast circles and the Jet Set – kickstarted the integrated stainless steel sport watch trend that's taken over 21st century watch design.
The Royal Oak we have here is a classic example in stainless steel with a blue dial executed in the classic "Grande Tapisserie" pattern for which the Royal Oak has long been recognized. This is a ref. 15300, a model that was added to Audemats Piguet's catalog in 2005 as a retooling and upgrade of the Royal Oak design language. At 39mm and with a central seconds hand, the ref. 15500 provides a complementary option to Audemars Piguet's flagship two-hander, the 39mm Royal Oak "Jumbo" ref. 15202. The case size of 39mm is the same as the original Royal Oak 5402ST and current-generation 15202ST. The most relevant characteristic of the design is the large AP logo placed at the 12 o'clock position; the dial itself was available in three colors: white, black, and blue.
Remember – due to the Royal Oak's integrated bracelet, all examples will wear slightly bigger than the dimensions appear, and the ref. 15300 is no different. It wears like a 41mm watch on the wrist, which helps it hit sweet spot sizing in terms of wearability. The smaller case dimensions also provide optimal visibility for the self-winding caliber 3120, with its engraved 22k gold rotor inside. The caliber 3120 is an excellent movement that offers a 60-hour power reserve, hacking seconds, and a quick-set date.
This is a Royal Oak through and through, so you have the classic multi-finish, articulating Royal Oak stainless-steel bracelet (a work of art in itself) that's matched with an Audemars Piguet-branded folding clasp. Glare proof sapphire crystals are placed on the front- and back-facing elements of the watch. Finally, a date window is placed at three o'clock. In the hand and on the wrist, it's easy to tell why the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is the grail of grails for so many watch enthusiasts. It's the quintessence of sporty-casual design, while also being an excellent example of high-end Swiss watchmaking.
This Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is in overall excellent pre-owned condition, which indicates that there are signs of very light wear, possibly some small scratches on the case or bracelet. During our quality control check, any necessary adjustments are made to ensure the watch is functioning as intended. The case and bracelet have been professionally refinished. The dial is in excellent condition. The caseback is marked with "No. 3510" and the serial number "F64XXX."
The dial, crown, movement, caseback, and bracelet are all signed by Audemars Piguet. The watch is delivered with the original Audemars Piguet box, papers dated May 24, 2008, and manuals.
Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet founded Audemars, Piguet et Cie, in 1875. To this day, members of the two families remain on the Audemars Piguet board of directors, making the brand one of the oldest family-run companies in the entire Swiss watch industry. Located in Le Brassus, Switzerland, since its inception, Audemars Piguet is considered one of Swiss watchmaking's Holy Trinity and is one of the most popular brands in all of contemporary watch collecting. The designer Gérald Genta created the Royal Oak for Audemars Piguet in 1972, and today, the classic sport watch with an integrated bracelet has become one of the most collectible watches from any brand.
