The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is a watch that has largely been synonymous with stainless steel. For more than 50 years now, it’s been regarded as the watch that elevated the utilitarian metal into a higher plane of horological existence. Of course, with over five decades of production history, the Royal Oak has seen countless iterations in all sorts of alloys and metals, but tried-and-true 316L still remains at the heart of the collection’s identity.

One area of experimentation that’s emerged at Audemars Piguet, and that collectors have responded exceedingly well to, is the use of precious white metals for the Royal Oak’s case, offering largely the same aesthetic as a stainless-steel Royal Oak with the exclusivity and weight of a precious metal. A bit of stealth wealth never hurt anyone, right?

The single-tone, two-metal series of Royal Oaks is one well-known example that we’ve documented on these pages previously, as is the realm of Royal Oaks rendered in 18k-white gold.

An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Jumbo' Extra-Thin Ref. 15202BC, available now via Phillips Perpetual. Price: CHF 114,173

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One of our favorite instances of the latter was released just a few years back in 2019. The Royal Oak "Jumbo" Extra-Thin Ref. 15202BC offered up the beloved original “Jumbo” form factor with the hearty addition of an 18k-white gold case and bracelet and a petite tapisserie-tessellated dial executed in a lovely shade of salmon. Even the three o’clock date window is washed over in the pinkish hue.

Adding a salmon-tone dial to a Royal Oak is something that was done sparingly before the 15202BC, most notably with the release of the Royal Oak Jubilee Ref. 14802 in 1992, which celebrated the 20-year anniversary of the Royal Oak with a 1,000-piece series featuring salmon dials and cases made of either stainless steel, 18k-yellow gold, or platinum. Never in white gold.

A few salmon dial Royal Oaks that followed in the 2000s included the Royal Oak Chronograph Ref. 25960BC (yes, in white gold!) and the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ref. 25820PT (in platinum). That means only one Royal Oak release prior to the Ref. 15202BC featured the white gold case/salmon dial configuration, and no previous “Jumbo” variations existed in the combination.

An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Jumbo' Extra-Thin Ref. 15202BC, available now via Phillips Perpetual. Price: CHF 114,173

If you compare the dial of the Royal Oak Chronograph Ref. 25960BC with the above Ref. 15202BC, you’ll find that the salmon shade used on the latter has more of a gilt tint than the pure pinkness of the former. It still fits the description of a “salmon” dial, but it’s an interesting patina-adjacent tone that is worth making note of and isn’t seen often.

Indeed, the cool white gold luster of the brushed-and-polished precious-metal case offers an attractive contrast to the subtle warmth of the dial, in the process seamlessly complementing the hands and hour markers made of 18k white gold.

Former Audemars Piguet Head of Complications Michael Friedman has been quoted as saying the Ref. 15202BC was produced in no more than 75 examples per year during its lifespan (2019-2021), which indicates only 225 total examples were created before the entire Royal Oak Ref. 15202 family was discontinued. There wasn’t a single Royal Oak cased in 18k white gold to be found when the new-gen “Jumbo” 16202 series was revealed the following year, in January 2022.

An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Jumbo' Extra-Thin Ref. 15202BC, available now via Phillips Perpetual. Price: CHF 114,173

The Ref. 15202BC was released as a boutique exclusive with an original MSRP of USD $55,400.

The present Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Jumbo' Extra-Thin Ref. 15202BC comes complete with its polished wooden AP presentation box, warranty card, and booklets. It's available now via Phillips Perpetual in London for CHF 114,173

  • About Logan Baker

    Logan has spent the past decade reporting on every aspect of the watch business. He joined Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo at the start of 2023 as the department's Senior Editorial Manager. He's based in Geneva.