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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding 41mm Stainless Steel
Ref. 15400ST.OO.1220ST.01
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Stepping up in Audemars Piguet's range
Gérald Genta drew the original Royal Oak in 1972 as a provocation — a luxury sports watch in steel, with an exposed octagonal bezel bolted down by eight visible screws, priced at a level the industry found absurd for the material. The 15400ST arrived in 2012 as the watch's current proportional statement, stretching the case from 39mm to 41mm while keeping everything else that made the design coherent: the Grande Tapisserie dial stamped in its waffle relief, the white gold applied batons, the integrated bracelet that flows from the case without a visual break. That integration is what shapes how it wears. The rigid first links flare outward from the lugs in a way that adds apparent size, so on the wrist it reads closer to a 43 or 44mm round case — wide enough that the 51.5mm lug-to-lug span asks for a wrist of around 15cm or more. Against that, 9.8mm of case height is genuinely slim and the watch disappears under a cuff with no resistance. The Calibre 3120 is built entirely in-house, running at 3Hz with a full balance bridge and a free-sprung balance for shock resistance. Its 22-carat gold rotor carries the Audemars and Piguet family crests, which is visible through the caseback and typical of the care AP puts into what most owners will rarely see. Bracelet sizing is done by removing or adding screwed links, with half-links available to close the gap that the clasp itself cannot — there is no micro-adjustment, so fitting it well is worth the extra step.
- Reference
- 15400ST.OO.1220ST.01
- Brand
- Audemars Piguet
- Collection
- Royal Oak
- Case size
- 41mm
- Case thickness
- 9.8mm
- Lug width
- 26mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Bidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 3120
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 51.5mm
- Power reserve
- 60 hours
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 5 collections
This watch appears in the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak range (11), Back in Stock (4,868), Stainless Steel Watches (3,133), Automatic Watches (1,750) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (369).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Audemars Piguet's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Also seen with this model (3)
Other versions of this model, not necessarily this exact watch.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 15400ST.OO.1220ST.01 | 218238 | 5235G-001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £34,000 | £34,950 | £36,950 |
| Case size | 41mm | 41mm | 40.5mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 100m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 60 hours | 48 hours | 48 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
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 comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 60 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
26mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 51.5mm, which suits wrists from roughly 17.5cm (7 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 men's.
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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