From SwissWatchExpo… Spotlight on: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak,
and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. Unique watches with a shared history.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus, have a shared history and similar
qualities, BUT they are also clearly different watches.
Borne out of the quartz crisis in the 1970s, both were designed by Gerald Genta, whose
designs helped catapult the watch from being a tool, to the luxury giant that it is today.
Faced with competition from more accurate and mass-produced quartz watches, Audemars
Piguet asked renowned watch designer Gerald Genta to create a unique and unprecedented
timepiece.
The Royal Oak was launched in the Basel fair of 1972.
Its use of finished stainless steel, uniquely-shaped octagonal bezel, and integrated bracelet made
waves in the watch industry.
It also introduced an entirely new genre: the luxury sports watch.
Following the success of the Royal Oak, Patek Philippe asked Genta to create a counterpart
to his own design.
Knowing that the Stern family, owners of Patek Philippe, were sailing enthusiasts, Genta
took inspiration from a passenger ship’s porthole – and the Nautilus was born in
1976.
With this shared history and provenance, the watches look like distant cousins — they
have similarities at a glance, but it’s also quite easy to tell them apart.
Let’s take a closer look!
First up: the case and bezel.
The Royal Oak was inspired by the classic driver’s helmet. The tough-looking case has
very defined edges on its octagonal bezel.
What gives the bezel an even stronger look are the eight hexagonal bolts, an aesthetic
detail which has since been copied by other watches. Its crown is also angular and unprotected.
The Nautilus meanwhile, has a softer and more circular case. While it is thinner than the
Royal Oak, it wears slightly bigger on the wrist because it is flanked by “ears”
on its side, which also protects the crown.
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Now let’s look at their dials.
The Royal Oak has a very distinct and labor-intensive tapisserie dial.
The weaved pattern forms a square and lozenge motif or what one can simply call a “waffle”
pattern. These were made to echo the geometric case and bezel of the Royal Oak.
Meanwhile, the Nautilus has embossed horizontal bars on its dial. With each change of angle,
each bevel of the bars are highlighted beautifully, especially with the gradient or combined shade
of the dial.
Both watches have simple baton hour markers that complement their dial designs beautifully.
While Genta was adventurous with the case shape and dial, he exercised more restraint
in the finer details.
And finally, we have their bracelets.
The Royal Oak and Nautilus were the first to introduce the integrated bracelet, where
the case and bracelet are attached seamlessly, instead of using lugs.
The Royal Oak has a thicker, hardier, bracelet than the Nautilus. The heavy construction
is made of three plot links, whose brushed texture is quite pronounced.
Meanwhile, the Nautilus’ refined look continues down to its strap.
Its chain bracelet is noticeably thinner than the Royal Oak’s, and are formed by two large
chain links. It is as brightly polished as its case, which adds even more sophistication
to the Nautilus’ design.
Both the Royal Oak and the Nautilus turn half-a-century old in this decade; and they remain in high
demand.
The decades have seen spin-offs, added complications, and modern upgrades to both watches, but they
have remained true to their classic design — and perhaps that is why they stay.
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