Complete Dial Guide to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

Today, we will share the history of the evolution of the AP Royal Oak dials. Many people agree that the Royal Oak is one of the greatest blank canvases in watchmaking. Since 2012, AP has been making their dials in-house with a Guilloche copying machine. The different dials on a Royal Oak are just as versatile as the models themselves.

The Royal Oak models are as follows: We have the standard, the Jumbo, the Offshore, and the Concept. As you can imagine, these models all have different dials, and today, we'll be breaking down those different dials.

1. Petite Tapisserie

The first style we'll discuss is the Petite Tapisserie. This pattern was used on the Jumbos and most of the Royal Oaks in the eighties and nineties. It has the smallest perimeter squares in the lineup and a very tight pattern on the dial. Most people don't know that the Royal Oak was released in 1972 using the Petite Tapisserie pattern, and then they started to make larger variations as the brand expanded. 

2. Grand Tapisserie

Next, we have the most common dial from AP, the Grand Tapisserie pattern. These were found on models introduced in the early 2000s and onwards. Compared to the Petite Tapisserie, these squares are 50% larger. The dial also has a flat background behind the AP logo, which means you can see the AP logo very beautifully and makes it more pronounced.

2b. Grand Tapisserie (Left) Compared to Petite Tapisserie (Right)

3. Mega Tapisserie

Next up, we have the Mega Tapisserie, most commonly known as the "waffle dial". This Tapisserie pattern is at least double in size compared to the Grand Tapisserie, and you can see this on most Offshore models. Big watch calls for a big Tapisserie pattern it seems! 

4. What is the difference between the Mega Tapisserie and the other Tapisserie dials in manufacturing? 

The difference between the Mega Tapisserie and the other Tapisserie dials is that they are stamped on and the others are Guilloche'd. This is just one of the reasons why the offshore models tend to be cheaper than the standard Royal Oak - it's cheaper to stamp the dial than Guilloche, which is a very intricate process.

5. Smooth dial AP Royal Oaks and Royal Oaks without Tapisserie dials

It's very uncommon to see an AP without a Tapisserie style dial, but there is a super smooth dial version we saw when AP collaborated with other brands like 1017 Alyx and Mad Paris. This dial is very unlike what we're used to seeing from AP. It looks more like a Hublot than a Royal Oak, which might make someone feel some type of way. Furthermore, there are concept and openwork dials which we're going to cover now. 

6. Royal Oak Concept Dials

Next up, we have the Royal Oak concept. These dials are made out of these abstract structures that give the watch a very futuristic and almost open work style dial.

AP has also collaborated with Marvel on the concept watch and they've created the Black Panther and the Spiderman watch, which we know is now super controversial and probably AP's most controversial release of all time. We talk more about the Ap Royal Oak Spiderman, in our 2023 Best and Most Controversial Watches list!

7. Openwork / Skeleton Dial

Lastly, we have the newly discontinued openwork dial, also known as a skeleton dial. Many people don't consider the openwork style a dial, but more of the watch's movement being exposed. Considering the fact that AP has made so many variations of the openwork dial, we do consider the openwork style a dial.

This just goes to show how popular they are and now, in light of the fact that they're discontinued, they will definitely skyrocket in price, and will be highly sought out for.

II. How are Tapisserie Dials made? 

III. Conclusion

Today's breakdown of the different dials made by AP shows you how meticulous and intricate they are when creating them. Thank you guys for watching today's video. Comment down below which dial from AP is your favorite. My personal favorite is the Petit Tapisserie. Let me know which is yours down in the comments down below. And if you're interested in any of these watches, give us a call or contact us through social media @Watchesoff5th. Bye!