Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15500ST, 2022
- Maker / attribution
- Audemars Piguet (maker)
- Date
- 2022
- Historical period
- Contemporary Horology (2010 – Present)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- Stainless Steel
- Dimensions
- Diameter 41 mm
- Stock no.
- CUR1
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Watches of Knightsbridge (CUR1)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15500ST (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Watches of Knightsbridge (dealer), London (stock number CUR1), this is a wristwatch by Audemars Piguet, made in Switzerland, dated 2022. The Atlas places it in the Contemporary Horology period (2010 – Present) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: Stainless Steel. Recorded dimensions: Diameter 41 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Watches of Knightsbridge
The Royal Oak is perhaps one of the most distinctive watches around. With its masculine octagonal shape, exposed screws and integrated bracelet, it is easy to recognise from afar. But more importantly, the watch is a legend for pioneering the use of stainless steel in haute horlogerie, thanks to a watch designer, Gerald Genta, who was inspired by the porthole of a naval ship. Though back in 1971 when this inspiration led to the Royal Oak, Mr. Genta wasn’t yet the household name it is today. This 41mm example is a modern take on the original Royal Oak reference 5402 and replaced the ref. 15400, which took the fall for the upsized case of the iconic Genta design from 39mm to 41mm. This reference 15500ST is largely unchanged on the exterior from the 15400 though more of the change has taken place under the dial. This example features a grand tapisserie dial that’s finished in a silvery-white colour, with its sunburst finish, further adding to the dial overall clean appearance. Housed in a 41mm stainless steel octagonal case which is in excellent condition, featuring satin brushed and polished angles – a design aesthetic which stays true to Royal Oak DNA. The all-important automatic movement of this 15500ST was new for 2019, the in-house developed calibre 4302. This movement features a few key upgrades on the previous Royal Oak movement, including 70 hours of power reserve, and a skeletonised 18-carat gold oscillating rotor.
Specifications — Watches of Knightsbridge
Reference: 15500ST.OO.1220ST.04; Metal: Stainless Steel; Movement: Self-Winding Calibre 4302; Case diameter: 41mm; Bracelet/strap: Stainless Steel Audemars Piguet Integrated Bracelet
Historical context
Contemporary Horology (2010 – Present)
Silicon components, connected watches, optical-lattice research clocks and a thriving independent scene.
Smartwatches became the world's best-selling watches, while mechanical watchmaking focuses on craft, innovation (silicon components, new escapements) and independent makers.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Mechanical Renaissance
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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