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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320ST.OO.1220ST.02
Ref. 406001066490
The Royal Oak arrived in 1972 as a deliberate provocation — a luxury sports watch in steel at a moment when steel was considered beneath serious watchmaking. The Chronograph came later, and the challenge it posed was more specific: how to fit a proper column-wheel chronograph movement into a case already defined by its flatness. The answer was the Frédéric Piguet 1185, the architecture behind the Calibre 2385 used here, whose vertical clutch and integrated construction allow the whole movement to sit at 10.8mm — thin enough that the watch disappears under a shirt cuff rather than catching on it, which is not something most chronograph cases manage at 41mm. On the wrist, the integrated bracelet does what Gérald Genta intended when he drew the original: it reads as a single object rather than a case with something attached to it. The Grande Tapisserie guilloché on the dial shifts between matte and sharp depending on the angle, and the sub-registers sit within it without flattening its texture. The chronograph pushers operate with a precision that reflects the vertical clutch beneath — no jump at the seconds hand when the top pusher goes in, just immediate, clean engagement.
- Reference
- 406001066490
- Brand
- Audemars Piguet
- Collection
- Royal Oak
- Case size
- 41mm
- Case thickness
- 10.8mm
- Lug width
- 26mm
- 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
- Butterfly clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 52mm
- 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 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), Chronograph Watches (1,132), Silver Dial Watches (653) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (326).
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
Price history
This watch is currently at its lowest recorded price. It reached £36,995 on 3 September. Prices are checked every day, and we record any changes.
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 | 406001066490 | Q1302520 | 50535 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £29,596 | £29,950 | £29,950 |
| Case size | 41mm | 39mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 40 hours | 38 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 40 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 52mm, 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.
Has the price changed recently?
It's currently at its lowest recorded price since we began tracking it. It's ranged between £29,596 and £36,995, today it's £29,596.
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