Audemars Piguet Just Discontinued These Royal Oak References
AP quietly retired a batch of Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore references. Some of these were expected. Others caught the entire market off guard. We deal in these pieces every day, so here is the full list and what stands out to us.
Table of Contents
- 1. Royal Oak "John Mayer" Perpetual Calendar (26574BC.OO.1220BC.02)
- 2. Perpetual Calendar Openworked Black Ceramic (26585CE.OO.1225CE.01)
- 3. Royal Oak Offshore Music Edition (77600CE.OO.A002CA.01)
- 4. Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication (26582CB.OO.A010CA.01)
- 5. Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT (26589IO.OO.D056CA.01)
- 6. Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin (26586BA.OO.1240BA.99)
- 7. Gem-Set Royal Oak Offshore Chronographs (37mm)
- 8. Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel 37mm (15467OR.OO.1256OR.02)
- 9. Royal Oak "Chandelier" (15469BC.ZZ.1260BC.01-A)
- What This Tells Us
1. Royal Oak "John Mayer" Perpetual Calendar (26574BC.OO.1220BC.02)
The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar with the dark blue "Crystal Sky" dial, commonly called the "John Mayer." It is white gold, and AP built it as a limited edition of 200, the last iteration of this Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. The discontinuation itself is no surprise. That Crystal Sky dial in white gold is a combination AP is unlikely to revisit anytime soon. If you wanted one, the window was narrow, and the secondary market price reflects that.
2. Perpetual Calendar Openworked Black Ceramic (26585CE.OO.1225CE.01)
This is the one that genuinely shocked us. The black ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked was a massive status piece during the peak of the watch market. At its height, it was trading in the upper six figures on the secondary market. AP retiring this reference signals they may be trimming the ceramic openworked lineup down, or preparing a successor. Either way, existing examples just became significantly more collectible.
3. Royal Oak Offshore Music Edition (77600CE.OO.A002CA.01)
The Music Edition was a polarizing piece. The VU-meter dial, the interchangeable color-matched straps, the 37mm ceramic case. We always respected that AP took a genuine creative swing with it. It stood out in a lineup that can sometimes feel conservative. Now that it is discontinued, interest from the people who passed on it the first time has picked up.
4. Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication (26582CB.OO.A010CA.01)
A minute repeater, perpetual calendar, and split-seconds chronograph in one white ceramic case. Mechanically, it is one of the most impressive things AP has ever produced. The problem was always the size. The Offshore Grande Complication case is large enough that wearing it comfortably is a challenge. It's a beautiful display of what AP can do.
Image: Audemars Piguet
5. Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT (26589IO.OO.D056CA.01)
The green Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT in sandblasted titanium, with a green ceramic bezel and crown, was a striking piece. But the Concept cases have always divided opinion because of their size, and retail ran north of $200,000. We think the Concept line has potential if AP brings it down to a 42mm case. The architecture of the movement deserves a size that more people can actually live with.
Image: Audemars Piguet
We have the Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT in the blue execution, the 26589IO.OO.D030CA.01, available now.
6. Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin (26586BA.OO.1240BA.99)
A 41mm perpetual calendar in yellow gold with a champagne dial and moon phase, powered by AP's ultra-thin selfwinding Calibre 5133. This is the kind of piece that earns attention quietly. The 26586BA.OO.1240BA.99 sits in a category AP does well: restrained complications in precious metal at a wearable size. It was a limited edition of 88.
Image: Audemars Piguet
7. Gem-Set Royal Oak Offshore Chronographs (37mm)
AP retired four gem-set 37mm Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph references: the 26236BA.YY.D346CA.01, the 26231OR.ZZ.A085CA.01, the 26231ST.ZZ.A178CA.01, and the 26236OR.YY.D002CA.01. Two are set with brilliant-cut diamonds, the other two with colored baguette stones. These are the compact gem-set chronographs, and we are curious what AP does to replace them.
8. Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel 37mm (15467OR.OO.1256OR.02)
This is the discontinuation that surprised us most from a market standpoint. AP retired the 15467OR.OO.1256OR.02, the 37mm rose gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked. 37mm is one of the most sought-after sizes right now, so pulling a reference at that size when the market is moving toward it feels counterintuitive. We have the .01 execution of this reference in stock, and the reactions we get showing it confirm what the market already knows: this size and this movement combination works.
9. Royal Oak "Chandelier" (15469BC.ZZ.1260BC.01-A)
The most unusual discontinuation on the list. The 15469BC.ZZ.1260BC.01-A "Chandelier," a fully diamond-set white gold Double Balance Wheel Openworked, was typically a made-to-order piece for specific clients rather than a production reference kept in regular inventory. Discontinuing something that was already produced in extremely limited quantities for a select clientele raises questions about AP's direction with bespoke and ultra-high-end Royal Oak variants.
Image: Audemars Piguet
For anyone interested in the openworked Royal Oak family, the Double Balance Wheel Openworked in steel remains one of the most compelling entries in the lineup.
What This Tells Us
AP discontinuing nine references at once is not routine. The brand is clearly making room for something. Whether that means updated versions of these references, entirely new models, or a shift in production focus, we will find out. What we do know is that every time AP retires a reference, the secondary market responds. The pieces that are already out there become the only ones that will ever exist.
We carry several of the references on this list and related models from the Royal Oak openworked family. If any of these caught your eye, reach out before the market adjusts.