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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 36MM Stainless Steel 14700ST
Ref. 14700ST
The 14700ST occupied a gap in the Royal Oak line for roughly a year around 1990 to 1991, bridging the reference 4100 and the far more common 14790, and in that window perhaps 500 were made in steel. That brevity is what makes it matter to collectors now. What separates it from every other mid-sized Royal Oak is the bezel geometry. AP drew it narrower than standard, which hands the visual real estate back to the Petite Tapisserie dial — and that dial ends up only 1mm smaller than the one on the 39mm Jumbo. The watch reads larger than 36mm because the dial effectively fills what you see, and at 7.8mm thick it disappears under a cuff in a way that a diver-rated case almost never can. The blue sunburst against the hobnail texture shifts register completely under different light: flat overhead light flattens it, raking light catches every pyramid. The bracelet is the period detail worth knowing about. Vintage examples were fitted by Gay Frères, the workshop that supplied AP before bracelet production moved in-house, and the tapering integrated links carry a depth of finishing that shows its age in the best possible way. The tritium on the hands has long since stopped performing as lume and settled into a warm cream patina — which, on a piece this rare, most owners will find they prefer.
- Reference
- 14700ST
- Brand
- Audemars Piguet
- Collection
- Royal Oak
- Case size
- 36mm
- Case thickness
- 8mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 2125
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 46mm
- Origin
- Swiss made
Learn more about Audemars Piguet
Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet, both from the Vallée de Joux, formalised their partnership in 1875. The valley was then the centre of complicated movement work, and the pair spent their early decades supplying calibres to other houses — Tiffany among them — rather than selling under their own name.
The firm remains privately held by descendants of the founding families, an unusual survival in an industry consolidated into three or four groups.
Its defining moment came in 1972, in the depths of the quartz crisis, when Audemars Piguet released the Royal Oak: a steel watch priced above gold ones, with an octagonal bezel, exposed screws, and an integrated bracelet, drawn by Gérald Genta reportedly overnight. It was widely mocked at launch. It created the luxury sports watch category and now underpins the entire company.
The Royal Oak Offshore of 1993 pushed the same design larger and louder, and drew similar early scepticism before becoming a pillar in its own right. The Code 11.59 collection, introduced in 2019, was the house's attempt to prove it could sell something else — a mixed reception commercially, though the movements inside are serious.
Underneath the modern noise, the complication pedigree is intact: minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, and some of the thinnest tourbillon movements built anywhere.
- 1875
- Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet begin working together.
- 1881
- The firm is registered as Audemars Piguet & Cie.
- 1972
- The Royal Oak launches, inventing the luxury steel sports watch.
- 1993
- The Royal Oak Offshore extends the line.
- 2019
- Code 11.59 debuts as a new collection.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak range (9), Back in Stock (4,405), Stainless Steel Watches (2,927), Automatic Watches (1,634), Watches Under 37mm (1,553), Blue Dial Watches (834) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (326).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 36mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 14700ST | 118395BR | 7118/1A-001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £65,000 | £60,000 | £67,500 |
| Case size | 36mm | 36mm | 35.2mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | — | 48 hours | 45 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWill it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 46mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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