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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26331ST.OO.1220ST.03
Ref. 26331ST.OO.1220ST.03
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Stepping up in Audemars Piguet's range
Introduced at SIHH 2017 to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Royal Oak Chronograph, the 26331ST is the generation that carried the line until 2022, when AP replaced it with the flyback-equipped 26240. What makes the choice of movement here significant is the architecture underneath: the Calibre 2385 is built on the Frédéric Piguet 1185, one of the most respected column-wheel chronograph platforms ever made, with a vertical clutch that means the seconds hand engages cleanly and without the jump that plagues lesser implementations. At 11mm thick for an automatic sport chronograph with integrated bracelet, it is a genuinely lean package. The dial reads as a panda — silvered Grande Tapisserie ground against black sub-dials — and the registers are not evenly distributed. The chronograph counters at three and nine are deliberately enlarged relative to the small seconds at six, a considered asymmetry that prioritises the information you reach for most. White gold hands and indices, the fixed octagonal bezel with its eight functional screws in white gold: everything is consistent in material, nothing is decorative for its own sake. The integrated bracelet tapers to a double-folding clasp with an AP logo plate, and sizing it means removing links rather than using a micro-adjustment, so it is worth getting the fit right from the start. The 51.6mm lug-to-lug span wears longer than a conventional 41mm round case, but the flatness works in its favour under a cuff.
- Reference
- 26331ST.OO.1220ST.03
- Brand
- Audemars Piguet
- Case size
- 41mm
- Case thickness
- 11mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- AP 2385
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 51.6mm
- Power reserve
- 40 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 Stainless Steel Watches (2,616), Automatic Watches (1,362), Chronograph Watches (1,031), Silver Dial Watches (587) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (235).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 40-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 26331ST.OO.1220ST.03 | 4500V/110R-B705 | O13150392002002 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £45,950 | £50,950 | £33,000 |
| Case size | 41mm | 41mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 150m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 40 hours | 60 hours | 55 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.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 40 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 51.6mm, which suits wrists from roughly 17.5cm (7 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb at £45,950, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £45,950 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.
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