JEWELLERY 69 hand-finished stainless steel, its octagonal bezel secured with hexagonal screws, its integrated steel bracelet and its extra-thin selfwinding mechanism, this wristwatch marked the beginning of a new era in tune with evolving lifestyles. In 1976, Jacqueline Dimier, Audemars Piguet’ s first in-house designer, reinterpreted the Royal Oak for women, refining its proportions to further reveal the intricacies of its multifaceted surfaces. Her work established the Royal Oak as a design language able to evolve across materials, sizes, generations and genders. In the 1990s, Emmanuel Gueit, Dimier’ s tandem, expanded the aesthetic possibilities of the Royal Oak once more with the introduction of the muscular Royal Oak Offshore and a line of Royal Oak jewellery.
Combining sportiness with ancestral know-how, the Royal Oak was imbued from the outset with a sensibility usually associated with jewellery. The satin brushing and polished chamfers adorning its case and bracelet not only elevated steel to the same status as gold but also generated a distinctive interplay of light reminiscent of a diamond’ s facets. This meticulous alternation of hand finishes has since become synonymous with the Manufacture’ s exacting craftsmanship. In addition, the bracelet’ s pattern of tapering links and studs, all decorated and assembled by hand, brought together the seemingly incompatible worlds of jewellery and sports watches.
By playing with these aesthetic codes, the Royal Oak Joaillerie collection unveils new versatile and expressive designs, crafted to accompany the stories and moments of today’ s generations.
“ A gateway to the past and the future, the Royal Oak Joaillerie collection embodies Audemars Piguet’ s free spirit. Jewellery has always played an important role in the company’ s history. Drawing on our long-standing expertise, we continue to explore this creative realm alongside our core watchmaking activity to fuel our imagination, revisit our codes and enhance our approach to creation and expression.” Ilaria Resta, Chief Executive Officer, Audemars Piguet
ISSUE 79 2026 THE ART OF LUXURY