BY JOVAN K
Audemars Piguet is clearly in a Royal Oak mood right now and this latest batch of releases makes that obvious within seconds. This time AP revisits core Royal Oak themes, with a few smart twists along the way. This is a fresh salvo of Royal Oaks amid the massive wave of new watches they just put out, and it looks like they decided to spend some time in the gemstone aisle before heading to the lab. It is a bit of a mix. We have got some old-school stone dials making a comeback and some high-tech metallurgy that feels very 2026. If you follow the brand, you know they love a good theme and right now, that theme is gold and greenery.
The 37mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Malachite Ref. 15553BA.OO.1356BA.04
First up is the 37mm Selfwinding. This one is for the people who think a standard dial is a bit too plain. AP has used stone dials before, think back to those vintage pieces from the 1970s and this feels like a direct nod to that era. The dial is solid malachite, which means those green lines and swirls are totally natural.
No two look the same. It is wrapped in a yellow gold case measuring 37mm x 9.3mm. It comes on a matching gold bracelet and costs CHF 59,800. It is a bold look, but at 37mm, it does not take up too much real estate on the wrist.
The 41mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Malachite Ref. 15513BA.OO.1320BA.01
If you like the green but want more of it, there is the 41mm version. It uses the same yellow gold and malachite combo but stretches the dimensions to 41mm x 10.5mm. Aside from the size, the main difference here is what is running the show.
This larger version has a bit more juice in the tank with a 70-hour power reserve compared to the 60 hours in the smaller one. It also sits on a yellow gold bracelet and is priced at CHF 64,700. It is a lot of gold, but the green stone breaks it up enough to keep it from looking like a plain gold brick.
Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked Ref. 16204XT.OO.1240XT.01
Then we have the “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked. This is where things get nerdy. It is 39mm x 8.1mm and made mostly of titanium. However, the bezel and some bracelet links are Bulk Metallic Glass. This material is basically a liquid metal that gets frozen in place, making it very hard and scratch-resistant.
It looks like a standard grey watch from a distance, but the open dial shows off all the mechanical parts inside. It is on a titanium and BMG bracelet. Price is on request, which usually means if you have to ask, you are probably not on the list yet.
Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked 15467BA.OO.1256BA.01
Finally, there is the 37mm Double Balance Wheel Openworked. This one is all about physics. It has two balance wheels stacked on top of each other to help the watch keep better time. We saw this tech a few years ago in the larger models, but seeing it in a 37mm x 10mm yellow gold case is interesting.
The whole thing is open, so you can see the gold gears and the silver balance wheels doing their job. It retails for CHF 81,300 on a gold bracelet. It is a tech-heavy piece that does not hide anything from the person wearing it.
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