Over forty years ago Audemars Poguet introduced Royal Oak – a steel casual sports watch with the unique octagonal bezel. Royal Oak was the result of a design approach that emphasized robust aesthetic. It made stress on function by bringing the screws – parts that usually stay concealed – out into the open. Audemars Piguet rightfully claim that the collection was revolutionary: it inverted and subverted existing design conventions.

No longer a novelty, today the octagonal bezel and the screws appear a natural modelling choice – sports watches are aimed at function, and revealing mechanical parts that ensure function seems sensible. Yet from purely aesthetic point of view there is still something shocking in this design. And this is its real strength: it remains fresh even after all these years.

Initially offering basic hours and minutes variations, Royal Oak gradually evolved into one of Audemars Piguet's broadest and most versatile collections. Watches currently in production include such complications as power-reserve indicator, chronograph (split-seconds), dual time, perpetual calendar, tourbillon, minute repeater (Audemars Piguet specialty) – and a grand complication model that combines most of these into one timepiece.

However, regardless of the complication, the basic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak structure always remains the same. The power design (the bezel, the screws) is enhanced by two single-block massive lugs, followed by a bracelet that repeats the lugs' appearance, or by a leather strap. Eventually almost all Royal Oak models keeps the seductive industrial edgy-smooth looks.