Kensington Watches
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26331ST.OO.1220ST.03

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Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26331ST.OO.1220ST.03

Ref. 26331ST.OO.1220ST.03

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
Collection
Royal Oak Chronograph
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.

All Audemars Piguet watches

Also in 6 collections

This watch appears in Back in Stock (5,242), Stainless Steel Watches (3,391), Automatic Watches (1,792), Chronograph Watches (1,336), Silver Dial Watches (757) and Watch Price Drops (382).

Temporarily out of stock

Mappin & Webb is not currently taking orders for this reference. Last listed as available on 22 September 2026. Stock is checked nightly and this page updates when it returns.

Out of stock

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
Best forTiming thingsEveryday wear
Less suited toSwimming

Price history

This watch is currently at its lowest recorded price. It reached £45,950 on 3 September. Prices are checked every day, and we record any changes.

£45,950£32,1653 September

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 26331ST.OO.1220ST.03 alternatives

Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.

Royal Oak 26331ST.OO.1220ST.03 compared with 2 alternatives from other brands
SpecificationThis watchRoyal Oak 26331ST.OO.1220ST.0326331ST.OO.1220ST.03Vacheron ConstantinJubilee 1755 40mm Platinum85250/000PRolexDay-Date II218238
Price£32,165£30,995£33,950
Case size41mm40mm41mm
Water resistance50m30m100m
MovementAutomaticAutomaticAutomatic
StrapStainless steel braceletLeather strapStainless steel bracelet
Power reserve40 hours43 hours48 hours
This watch
  • Rated shallower
  • Rated deeper

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 explained

Will the glass scratch?

Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.

Sapphire, mineral and acrylic compared

Does 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 compared

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.

How to size a watch to your wrist

Is it a men's or women's watch?

Listed as men's.

Has the price changed recently?

It's currently at its lowest recorded price since we began tracking it. It's ranged between £32,165 and £45,950, today it's £32,165.

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