The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak vs Patek Philippe Nautilus discussion is one that has been raging for decades. Those that really want the finest of timepieces often compare these two brands head to head before making their high end purchase.
Yes, Rolex is a perennial brand, but people looking at acquiring an AP Royal Oak or Patek Philippe Nautilus want the finest luxury and something horological purists will admire. This is not to say that they don’t already own a Rolex… or even…more than one.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak vs Patek Philippe Nautilus
Let’s start where AP and Patek Philippe entered the luxury market. It was the 1970’s and major watch brands were getting pummeled by the new Quartz timepieces that flooded the marketplace. Low cost timepieces appeared to undermine all of the fine watchmaking and workmanship that drove prices up on these exclusive watches.
Quartz was more accurate. There wasn’t any need for winding. Upkeep was simpler, other than the occasional need for a replacement battery, and the timepieces were more cost effective because they didn’t require months of hand design.
What happened was a brilliant twist of fate and branding that pulled watchmaking from the brink of despair. The issue is that Rolex had always perceived themselves as a tool watch. Panerai and many others also considered themselves toolmakers. Patek Philippe and AP decided to launch a new line of timepieces that would target the luxury market directly. You weren’t buying a watch just because it was functional. You needed the watch for status.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Audemars Piguet released the Royal Oak in 1972, starting the new trend of luxury sport watches. The steel case had an octagonal design which was new for watch faces. It wasn’t merely circular. It had a “tapisserie” dial and a bracelet that integrates perfectly with the timepiece.
The AP Royal Oak exposed the 8 Bezel screws. The angular and octagonal design followed into the other elements such as with the screw down pushers and crown. The case design wasn’t just about adhering to practical tool requirements, it became an artform.
The Royal Oak stands out from the crowd of watches. It has a 3D effect and helps the face of the watch to pop out and appear to have texture. Another thing made it stand out. It was 10x the price of the Rolex. This put AP in a different category and people wanted to be part of this exclusive club that wanted luxury at any price.
Clearly a steel watch has less intrinsic value than a gold watch with precious stones encrusted around it. However, AP made the steel watch more valuable with its exclusivity and limited production rather than Ford-style production of low cost watches that was coming out of Asia.
The traditional AP Royal Oak reference 15500ST.OO.1220ST.04 is powered by the 4302 caliber, providing a 70 hour power reserve. It beats at 28,800 vph and contains 32 jewels. It is engraved with solid pink gold and contains a perlage finishing on the mainplate and Geneva stripes throughout. It too has large polished screws that are visible similar to the case front on the Royal Oak. The Royal Oak is built with 257 components to make this automatic movement. However, the chronograph, the tourbillon and the perpetual calendar each have different calibers.
The Royal Oak timepiece has a strong looking bracelet that integrates into the case with crafted care. The Royal Oak has a double folding clasp for ultimate security.
The Royal Oak has a 38mm, 41mm, 42mm or 44mm case and it may come with either 18k rose gold, titanium, ceramic, 18k white gold, platinum, or stainless steel. The Royal Oak price retail price starts at $23,000 but raises up past $268,000 for their most complex model – the perpetual calendar reference 26574TI.OO.1220TI.01. The Royal Oak has many designs including a chronograph, a Royal Oak openworked grande complication powered by a 2885 caliber, and several extra thin models including this Royal Oak Tourbillon.
Patek Philippe Nautilus
Patek Philippe released the Nautilus in 1976. The Patek Philippe Nautilus also challenged the market with a new shape – the ingenious porthole design of the case which emulated the portholes found in ships. Immediately it spoke to the inner yachtsman and had a name that exhibited luxury.
As if Patek Philippe was taking a page out of the AP playbook, it created a horizontally embossed dial. It adds a similar 3D effect and helps the dial pop out. Although many of the early units were simple steel timepieces, Patek Philippe has since released a tremendous amount of other Nautilus versions which include both highly complex mechanics and luxury metals such as gold.
The artistry in the Patek Philippe Nautilus timepiece is exceptional. The pushers or crown protectors are curved. They aren’t merely tool pushers, with simple square or rectangular designs. The bezel isn’t completely flat either. It has a curved edge which adds a layered effect which is visibly superior to a standard watch. This is not your old man’s pocketwatch converted into timepiece. If you recall, Rolex’s Oyster design is really modified from the pocketwatch.
Patek Philippe added new designs to the bracelets which have a more luxurious look and mechanics to it as well. It is like Patek Philippe and AP threw the book out from standard watchmaking and changed the game completely.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak vs Patek Philippe Nautilus decision is a personal one. If you feel tied to the ocean, the Patek Philippe Nautilus is certainly the timepiece you should consider. AP has tremendous following.
Even Lebron James can be seen wearing an AP of his own. It has a more industrial and post-modern feel to it when you wear an AP Royal Oak. In fact many Royal Oaks even expose the open workings of the timepiece – shedding the tapestry dial design.
Wearing an AP is like buying a New York style Loft. It is trendy. It can’t be confused with an efficiency. Yet the AP Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus are trends that have legs and are getting heated and more valuable as time goes on. Although both brands have similar quality, the Nautilus tends to have a bit better water resistance than the Royal Oak, and also tends to be a better overall investment over time.
Rubber B has designed a tremendous number of bands for both the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. These bands fit the timepiece precisely and are made of the finest vulcanized rubber material. The many color options also help you to expand your vision of what is possible with your timepiece.
For colors, styles, and features to make your luxury timepiece a personalized work of art, visit our main watchband page at Rubberb.com. For your AP Royal Oak click here and for your Patek Philippe Nautilus go here.
