“Is that the 50th Anniversary Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph?” That is the most common question I get whenever someone asks me about my Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320ST. Not that I blame them, the similarities are plenty and the differences not noticeable unless you know what you are looking for. PS: Tell tale sign…look for the AP logo… you are welcome. As much as this seems like a testement to the 26320’s timeless design that AP got right all those years back, I feel it takes away some of the limelight from this magnificent Royal Oak Chronograph model.

Some watch geek fact about my experience with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320ST. I have always been a fan of AP and what they have done with the Royal Oak line and when I had the opportunity to own my 26320st in blue dial, I literally jumped at the opportunity and have never looked back since. To me it was the perfect Royal Oak for my wrist size and with a chronograph complication, it just completes the look of the watch, filling up the emptiness of the dial which I found annoying on the 15500/15510 series.

It was the last version of the Royal Oak Chronograph line to have actual screw down pushers which I found so much more satisfying than the current pusher designs. Yet it still comes equipped with the robust Audemars Piguet caliber AP 2385 (the last of the Frédéric Piguet 1185 base movement before AP went in house) and modern designed case and bracelet similar to the 26331 series.

One could say it was the 26331 but designed right! No off centered date window, balanced colour matching sub-dial size and actual screw down pushers. Pretty sure that was why when AP refreshed the Royal Oak Chronograph line up from the 26331 to the 26240 they went back to the colour and size matching sub-dial layout. Hence the common confusion between the 26240 and 26320. It truly was the hidden gem of the Frédéric Piguet movement era of Royal Oak Chronographs.

However the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320ST still suffers from the same issues plaguing the series, terrible scratch magnet with its multiple polished facets which made me be extra aware of my surroundings when wearing this piece. So much so I feel that this was more of a dress watch rather than a sports piece. It’s 41mm size makes it near impossible for anyone with wrist sizes less than 6.5 inches (thats pushing it already) to not be overwhelmed by its case dimensions when it sits flat on the wrist. The closed case back blocks visibility of the movement but I did not really mind that if it shaved off a few millimeters from its thickness. At 10.8mm thick, it truly gave most watches in its price range and complication a run for their money and makes the wearing experience so much more manageable despite its relatively wide wrist presence.

All in all, this hidden gem within the Royal Oak line up has been a joy to wear and experience. The occasional mistaken compliment for owning the latest “50th anniversary” Royal Oak was just some playful icing on the cake.