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Welcome to the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra Thin

The king is dead … long live the king. Like the replacement of Rolex’s Submariner in 2020, the new Royal Oaks are more about an upgrade to a new generation of movement than tampering too much with a design classic.

The number 50 forged into the rotor of the new Royal Oak Jumbo signifies the number of years you would be on a waiting list for one, a comic on Instagram noted as Audemars Piguet revealed its golden jubilee edition of its flagship luxury steel sports watch.

That won’t dampen the frenzy AP is unleashing with a more refined, slimmer Royal Oak with a new movement and the 50th anniversary reminder on its 18ct gold commemorative oscillating weight.

AP confirmed in March last year that it was discontinuing the Royal Oak Jumbo Extra Thin ref. 15202ST, a steel sports watch with direct lineage back to the original Gérald Genta ref. 5402 design from 1972.

Speculation ahead of that announcement caused prices for the 15202ST to rise 50% from around $50,000 on the secondary market to $75,000 in early 2021.

They are now being offered for $125,000, almost five times the watch’s retail price.

Replacing the 15202ST with a new generation of 39mm Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin (ref. 16202) watches with Audemar Piguet’s a new automatic Calibre 7121 might take some of the heat out of the market, but quantities are going to be extremely limited this year.

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There are four references in the 16202 collection: steel on steel with a blue Petite Tapisserie dial; a pink gold version with a smoked grey dial; a yellow gold piece with a burned yellow to black graduated dial; and a platinum option with an ivy green sunburst dial.

Only 1,875 of the new Calibre 7121 will be available for all of the new Jumbos this year, Audemars Piguet’s CEO François-Henry Bennahmias revealed at the launch of the 50th anniversary editions.

That’s fewer than 2,000 watches out of a total production expected to be around 50,000 units this year.

Remarkably, this is only the second automatic three-hand movement with date that Audemars Piguet has used in the Royal Oak Jumbo since it was launched in 1972.

The Calibre 2121 was finally retired at the end of 2021 after half a century of service.

The new Calibre 7121 is extra thin, has an easier date corrector and will run for 60 hours thanks to great efficiency and a larger barrel.

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Plus, the 50th anniversary rotor makes it an instant collectors’ grail watch.

Aesthetically, the average Joe will be hard pressed to see the differences.

Like the replacement of Rolex’s Submariner in 2020, the new Royal Oaks are more about an upgrade to a new generation of movement than tampering too much with a design classic.

Prices are £27,900 for steel on steel ref. 16202ST.OO.1240ST.01; and £59,400 for the pink or yellow gold pieces (ref. 16202BA.OO.1240BA.01 and ref. 16202OR.OO.1240OR.01). The platinum Ref. PT.OO.1240PT.01 is price on request and only available through AP Houses.

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