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Audemars Piguet · 15500ST
"The watch that made steel cost more than gold."
Editorial
Gérald Genta designed the Royal Oak in a single night for the 1972 Basel Fair. Octagonal bezel, eight hexagonal screws, tapisserie dial. AP priced it at 3,300 CHF — more than most gold dress watches of the period. It is now the brand's defining product.
Why it matters
The Royal Oak is the moment luxury sport watches became a category.
Adjacent references