The AP Royal Oak 15407 has a prominent skeletonized dial, which is a rare sight for a Royal Oak timepiece. It provides a glimpse into the soul of the watch, with the Caliber 3132 movement and its groundbreaking dual balance escapement in full display. It’s a mesmerizing sight, one that contributes to the popularity of this timepiece with collectors and in fashion circles.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15407 History
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15407 was launched in 2016. AP announced the release of this timepiece at the SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) event in 2016. The announcement of this timepiece blew minds instantly, particularly due to its bold openworked design and the watchmaker's incorporation of a double balance wheel escapement.
Although these were innovative features, they were deep-rooted in AP’s history. The watchmaker created its first Royal Oak model with an open-worked design decades ago, starting with the Royal Oak Ref 15305. However, with the Royal Oak 15407, the watchmaker took things a bit further with the incorporation of the world’s double balance wheel on a Shared Axis. This is another unique feature that builds on past innovations.
The Audemars Piguet Millenary Quadriennium and Millenary Minute Repeaters both featured double balance springs aimed at reducing internal friction due to the contraction of the balance spring. In the Royal Oak 15407, Audemars Piguet took things a bit further by doubling the entire escapement assembly instead. This resulted in one of the most innovative Royal Oak models ever created, with a mesmerizing appearance and high-precision operation that made it instantly famous with collectors and horological enthusiasts.
Features of the Audemars Piguet 15407
The Audemars Piguet 15407 is both a mechanical and visual masterpiece with several innovative features that set it apart from other AP watches. This watch is presented in a typical Royal Oak casing, with dimensions similar to older models. However, it has unique features like its open-worked movement and superimposed balance wheels, adding to its aesthetic and technical brilliance. Some of the distinctive features of this timepiece are highlighted in greater detail below:
Classic Royal Oak Casing
The Royal Oak 15407 comes in a distinctive 41mm octagonal-shaped case crafted in stainless steel or luxurious gold materials (white gold or yellow gold), depending on the specific variant. The watch also comes with an integrated bracelet with highly secure AP folding clasps. The case is 9.9mm thick. The watch dimensions are consistent with modern Royal Oak watches and wear effortlessly on the wrist. It gives the watch a bold appearance, with substantial wrist presence without being too overwhelming. More than just a showpiece, the Royal Oak 15407 is built to be worn with a robust case and impressive water-resistance of up to 50 meters.
Openworked Dial
The Openworked dial is the first thing that stands out right away when you see the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15407. This unique visual language sets it apart from many of the other AP Royal Oak timepieces. The dial and movement plates have an exposed open-worked finish, meaning the dial is absent in the traditional sense, skillfully cut away to reveal the underlying movement in all its glory.
The openworked dial design showcases the delicate architecture of the movement components. The dial is finished in a wide range of colors from warm rose gold to deep gunmetal gray or slate gray, depending on the variant. Other dial fixtures, like the baton hour markers and Royal Oak hands, are crafted in a variety of materials that add warm, colorful accents to the otherwise industrial feel of the openworked dial.
Double Balance Wheel
The AP Ref. 15407 is the first Royal Oak to feature two balance wheels mounted on a single axis. Although there have been other timepieces from Royal Oak and other watchmakers with more than one oscillator, this specific model is different and more efficient because each balance wheel comes with its hairspring and is mounted on the same axis.
The unique system developed in-house by Audemars Piguet has the balance wheels working in tandem to even out the tiniest inconsistencies or disturbances that may occur due to shock, gravity, and wrist movement.
Not only does this enhance precision, but Audemars Piguet has been able to achieve this impressive feat with a unique design that does not add to the bulk of the movement and does not sacrifice power reserve.
Advance Movement
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15407 is powered by the Caliber 3132 automatic winding mechanical movement. This impressive work of art is one of AP’s most advanced movements, featuring 245 unique components and 38 jewels. The watch runs on a power reserve of up to 45 hours and has a 3 Hz frequency.
Impressively, this movement is only 5.57mm thick. It’s a remarkable feat for a watch movement with so much complexity. An impressive showpiece, the movement isn’t just visible on the dial side; it also has an exhibition caseback that gives you a glimpse into the intricate finishing and technical sophistication of the Caliber 3132 movement.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15407 Variants
Audemars Piguet has produced multiple variants of this double balance wheel Royal Oak. Each reference embodies the same sense of disruptive engineering with an unmistakable Royal Oak DNA. The most popular variants of this watch are highlighted below:
- Stainless steel Audemars Piguet 15407ST: This variant of the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel timepiece has a stainless-steel casing. The openworked dial is available in either slate grey color or pink gold tone, with gold hour markers and hands.
- Yellow Gold Royal Oak 15407 (Ref 15407BA): This variant of the Double Balance Royal Oak comes with an 18-carat yellow gold case with a matching integrated bracelet. The case frames a blackened openworked piece with yellow gold accents to create a powerful contrast.
- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Rose Gold 15407OR: This is a variant of the AP Royal Oak with a luxurious rose gold casing and matching integrated bracelet. The dial is a slate gray color with rose gold accents.
- White Gold Royal Oak 15407 (Ref 15407BC): This version of the Royal Oak 15407 comes in an 18-carat frosted white gold casing matched with a slate grey openworked dial with pink gold applied hour-markers to enhance and create contrast and enhance the impressive artistry of the openworked dial.
- Ceramic Royal Oak 15407 (Ref. 15407CE): This is a limited-edition variant of this watch with only 150 pieces in circulation. It has a unique case and integrated bracelet, crafted out of black ceramic material. This frames a pink-gold-toned openworked dial and movement with a matching inner bezel and blackened rhodium applied hour-markers for contrast.
Audemars Piguet 15407 Price
The AP 15407 is one of the best-selling Royal Oak watches on the market. This is a highly sought-after timepiece, which means it doesn’t sit very long on listings thanks to its innovative design, limited production numbers, and incredibly high demand.
Since its release a little less than a decade ago, the price of this watch in the secondary market has risen steadily, driven by high demand, especially from next-gen collectors who value the futuristic design and technical ingenuity of this watch.
The stainless steel variant of this watch is the least expensive, with a secondary market price that ranges between $130,000 and $180,000. The more luxurious yellow gold and white gold variants are pricier, starting at about $190,000 and above.
This model also includes some extremely rare limited edition options made out of exotic materials like ceramic or decorated with gemstones for a more sophisticated appearance. These models are the most expensive as they’re typically priced at $200,000 or more in the secondary market.
The Royal Oak 15407 is a flagship AP timepiece and a horological masterpiece. This watch introduced a one-of-a-kind double balance wheel mechanism designed to resolve age-old challenges of timekeeping precision. More importantly, it is an impressively fashionable watch with a stunning open-worked design that’s sure to capture anyone’s attention at first sight. With a sleek design and elegant Royal Oak aesthetic, this watch pairs well with everything, from casual attire to a fully-tailored suit. Its high demand in the secondary market makes it an investment-worthy piece for the seasoned collector, with multiple variants to suit buyers with different tastes and preferences.
