Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo is thrilled to welcome you to The New York Sessions, Fall 2025, Online Auction, running from 12:00 PM ET, Thursday, 2 October, to 12:00 PM ET, Friday, 10 October. The sale features more than 70 high-end luxury wristwatches, covering a range of brands, including A. Lange & Söhne, Richard Mille, Rolex, and Patek Philippe, as well as the five different Audemars Piguet Royal Oak variants, highlighted below.
– By Logan Baker
For much of the past decade, Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak has been one of the most visible watches in the world.
From its origins in 1972 as Gérald Genta’s radical take on a luxury sports watch to its position today as a cornerstone of contemporary collecting, the Royal Oak has carried a weight of expectation few watches can match. It is a design that defined its category, influenced its peers, and became a shorthand for modern horological taste.
In recent years, however, the pace of interest has shifted. After a period of near-constant headlines, waitlists, and sky-high premiums, enthusiasm has cooled to something closer to equilibrium. Freed from the frenzy, the Royal Oak now more closely resembles what it has always been at heart: a thoughtful design object, crafted to the highest standard, and capable of outlasting trends.
The case for the Royal Oak begins, as it always has, with design. The octagonal bezel, the exposed screws, and the integrated bracelet remain as striking today as they did in the early 1970s. Few watches manage to look simultaneously avant-garde and timeless. Even the original “Jumbo,” the vintage ref. 5402ST, which launched the collection, carries a freshness that newer interpretations still echo.
Across the decades, Audemars Piguet has refined the formula without softening its edges. The mid-size 37mm Ref. 15450, the 38mm chronograph Ref. 26315, and the larger 41mm automatic chronographs all channel the same essential DNA, each scaled or complicated to suit different wrists and tastes. The details – the tapisserie dials, the bracelet articulation, the razor-sharp bevels on every link – reward close study in a way that explains why so many collectors continue to circle back to the Royal Oak even after exploring other paths.
Today, the Royal Oak enjoys some breathing room. Collectors who once associated the model only with scarcity and speculation now encounter it more openly. Rather than chasing unattainable allocations or watching values climb out of reach, it is possible to evaluate the watches on their own merits.
You can even take a detour to reconsider the Royal Oak Offshore. Introduced in 1993, the Offshore collection extends the Royal Oak story in a slightly different register. Where the original Royal Oak is sleek and architectural, the Offshore is bold and muscular. Its larger cases, rubber straps, and ceramic bezels reinterpreted Genta’s design for a new generation. While opinions on the Offshore can be divided, there is no denying its impact. For some collectors, it represents the natural evolution of the Royal Oak idea.
Behind both the Royal Oak and the Offshore lies Audemars Piguet’s consistency as a watchmaker. Still family-owned, still producing watches in Le Brassus, the brand maintains a relatively small annual output compared to many of its competitors. This ensures that every Royal Oak, no matter the size or configuration, carries a distinct character.
The Royal Oak’s enduring relevance has never depended on headlines or resale figures. What has kept it vital is its ability to speak across generations of collectors. Now, with the market noise lower, the design feels more accessible, less burdened by chatter and hype. The Offshore reminds us that even icons can evolve, and the original Royal Oak reminds us that great design rarely goes out of style.
Together, they continue to represent one of the most important through-lines in modern watchmaking history.
You can view the complete Phillips New York Sessions, Fall 2025, Online Auction catalogue here.