At Audemars Piguet the Royal Oak gives shape to a new high jewellery collection

One of the many legends that surround the launch of the Royal Oak – Audemars Piguet’s pioneering foray into the luxury sports watch market – is that the initial sell-through in 1972 was sluggish.

One reason was a lack of availability: its designer, Gérald Genta, had ensured that one of its groundbreaking features would be an elegantly supple, fully integrated bracelet that required each of its 154 different elements be individually fashioned and finished before assembly.

Befitting a designer who trained as a jeweller before switching to watches, Genta expected a similar exactitude in its execution. However, by substituting more malleable gold with the Royal Oak’s landmark use of satin-brushed and polished steel, the bracelet’s elaborate yet distinctive construction put considerable pressure on those charged with creating that first run.