No matter if you ask auction house experts, high-end watch collectors or even the casual enthusiast, all will agree that The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is an icon within the world of watchmaking. In celebration of this industry-altering legacy and instantly recognisable design, Audemars Piguet is marking the 50th anniversary of the famed octagonal timepiece with the release of the coffee table book Royal Oak: From Iconoclast To Icon.
Containing no less than 292 pages, the new book covers the half-century history of the Royal Oak, from its conception in the mind of the legendary watch designer Gerald Genta to its ongoing iterative advances in design and movement technology. The book also gives impressive insights into the development and release of the Royal Oak from the former Audemars Piguet CEO Georges Golay.
The book also delves deeply into Audemars Piguet’s pursuit of the finest ultra-thin watchmaking of its era, developing movements such as the Calibre 2120 and 2121 which were the thinnest automatic movements on the market at the time. While other brands have since competed hard for various records of watchmaking thinness, Audemars Piguet and its suppliers were decades ahead of the curve in the early 1970s when the Royal Oak was first launched.
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In addition to the written content from the award-winning journalist and author of Royal Oak: From Iconoclast To Icon Bill Prince, the authoritative tome contains a veritable archive of 400 images relating to the Royal Oak and its important history. From early technical drawings of the case design and vintage advertisements for the Royal Oak to detailed photographs of Royal Oak movements and profiles of famous Royal Oak owners, this coffee table book really has it all.
Set to hit shelves in September this year, Royal Oak: From Iconoclast To Icon is currently available for pre-order from Assouline books for US$250 (AU$370). So if you’re a fan of the Royal Oak yourself, or know someone who could read up a little more, don’t forget that Christmas is just around the corner.
