Which Swiss luxury watch brand introduced the iconic Royal Oak in 1972?

Audemars Piguet introduced the iconic Royal Oak in 1972. The Swiss manufacture’s bold steel sports watch challenged traditional ideas about what a luxury timepiece should be.

The Royal Oak was designed by Gérald Genta after Audemars Piguet sought an unprecedented steel watch that could be both sporty and elegant. Genta produced the first sketch overnight in 1970, and the design was officially launched at the Basel Fair on April 15, 1972.

Its original 39-millimetre case combined an octagonal bezel, exposed screws, an integrated steel bracelet, and the textured “Tapisserie” dial. At a time when precious metals were closely associated with high-end watchmaking, the Royal Oak treated hand-finished stainless steel as a luxury material.

The watch is sometimes confused with the Patek Philippe Nautilus because both were designed by Genta. The Nautilus arrived in 1976, four years after the Royal Oak. Audemars Piguet later expanded the family with the Royal Oak Offshore, introduced in 1993, but that is a separate, larger and more rugged model.