Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding "50th Anniversary" 16202ST

The Origins

Launched in 1972 as the world’s first stainless steel luxury sports watch, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak has undergone an incredible transformation over the decades from zero to hero that has put it at the epicentre of the watchmaking boom that has gripped the last 6+ years. Designed by the enigmatic Gerald Genta, the Royal Oak’s origin story is born in the midst of the Quartz Crisis, when mechanical timepieces were experiencing a steep decline in demand due to the cheaper, more accurate and far-trendier Japanese quartz watches flooding the market. 

In response to this, Audemars Piguet decided to create a new category of watch. So their Managing Director at the time, Georges Golay, sought the assistance of Gerald Genta in 1970, one day before Baselworld, to create a sports watch “that had never been done before,” and Genta certainly delivered. With its unique design, exceptional craftsmanship, and incredibly high price point, the Royal Oak was aesthetically unlike other sports watches from the time, but more importantly, it was also far more expensive. 

As a result, the Royal Oak failed to have the immediate impact on the market that AP had intended. However, this began to change after the first 1000 examples were sold by the one-year mark, and by the mid-1970s, the Royal Oak had begun to sink its teeth into the cultural zeitgeist within watchmaking. This is perhaps most prevalent with the release of the Patek Philippe Nautilus in 1976, which signalled that the Royal Oak was truly ahead of the curve. 

In the decades following, the Royal Oak collection continued to expand and grow, and today it has come to symbolise the exceptional power in creating unique watches that break from convention. Arguably one of the most sought-after collections across the entire industry, not only AP’s catalogue, the Royal Oak boasts one of the longest waiting lists in all of watchmaking as collectors seek to add a piece of watchmaking heritage to their collections.

Case and Dial

A descendent of the Royal Oak’s original lineage, the ref. 16202ST boasts the same 39mm stainless steel construction as the ref. 15202ST that it replaced, and the original Royal Oak ref. 5402, or the “Jumbo” as it was originally known. As a result, the ref. 16202ST maintains the purest expression of Gerald Genta’s original idea for the Royal Oak, but with some contemporary updates that make it feel a bit more modern, such as its double-folding deployant buckle and exhibition caseback. 

Indeed, its dial also retains the Royal Oak’s original “Petite Tapisserie” engraved hobnail pattern, which is swapped for a larger “Grande Tapisserie” pattern in other modern Royal Oak variants, thus maintaining that link to the Royal Oak’s heritage that bit more. Furthermore, it also boasts a shade of blue called “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50”, which was specifically designed to emulate the blue seen on the ref. 5402’s dial, further entrenching itself as a modern reincarnation of the ref. 5402. 

The Movement

While its exterior is very much consistent with the ref. 15202ST and even the original Royal Oak, the ref. 5402, the same cannot be said for its movement, which was perhaps one of the most significant changes to the collection that the ref. 16202ST introduced. Powered by the automatic cal. 7121, the ref. 16202ST boasts an upgraded power reserve of 55 hours alongside an abundance of elaborate finishing techniques across its bridges, baseplate and 22kt gold rhodium-toned winding rotor. Additionally, for the first time in the 39mm Royal Oak’s lifespan, the ref. 16202ST boasts a quickset date and a much faster beat rate of 4Hz rather than the 2.75Hz movements previously seen in the ref. 15202ST and ref. 5402’s cal. 2121 movement. 

50th Anniversary Edition

Launched in 2022 as part of the Royal Oak’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, the ref. 16202ST ‘50th Anniversary’ features one subtle detail that is only present on examples sold in 2022, a commemorative winding rotor bearing the “50 Years” detailing. Marking these specific examples as members of the ‘50th Anniversary’ sub-reference, these commemorative winding rotors separate Royal Oak aficionados from more casual collectors. 

Celeb Love

Coined as “Hollywood’s favourite watch” by GQ Magazine, it is no surprise that the Royal Oak is met with as much fanfare from celebrities as it is watch enthusiasts. Front and centre of that fanfare is the purest distillation of the Royal Oak’s essence, of which the most modern is the ref. 16202ST. With famous faces such as Ed Sheeran donning its silky silhouette. 

Market Performance

Remaining as true to the original Royal Oak ref. 5402’s aesthetic as possible in a modern Royal Oak, the ref. 16202ST exists as one of the most sought-after Royal Oak variants on the market, and thus, it boasts one of the highest market values of any stainless steel Royal Oak. Coming in at a relatively affordable retail price of $38,850, its market value of $71,410 represents a premium of 84%. While that premium might be lower than other models with lower retail prices, it is important to note that the ref. 16202ST has recorded some significant auction results, with Phillips recording a $113k result in November 2022.

Check out the live performance of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selwinding “50th Anniversary” 16202ST on The Wristcheck Index