I later became a fan of the big Depeche mode, but the most annoying song of the 1980s was “just getting enough.” The overly simple melody with an English electronic band bothered me when it was played on the radio and when it wasn’t turned on. That simple song was played in my head with its sharp synthesizer sound, square, stable disco beats, and a chorus that recited the title over and over again. Depeche mode created earworms. “AP” did the same thing. The Le Brassos brand has unveiled a lasting calendar of new Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks during an event celebrating the Maison’s 150th anniversary. I was there and ever since I was able to handle watches, I kept thinking about it. Guess: I can’t get enough.
Just before Watches and Wonders 2025, I had the opportunity to visit the AP House in Geneva. Ardmer’s Piguet continues to celebrate 150 years of watchmaking by releasing interesting new watches. Three Ceramic Royal Oak “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” model debuted with watches and amazing results. They’re lovely watches, but I went looking for two new Royal Oak perpetual calendar models. One is made of steel and features a historic and modern iconic blue dial, while the other is made of sand gold. “What is the appeal?” you ask. That’s the shape and percentage of the “RO” case, the finish, the movement, and how all of these things look together. I can’t get enough.
I just can’t get enough of the new Ardmars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
The 41mm case diameter and thickness of 9.5mm is almost perfect for complex watches. Enter your Royal Oak permanent calendar model in steel (26674st.oo.1320st.01/CHF 109,300) or 18K sand gold (26674SG.OO.1320SG.01/CHF 130,000). Certainly, the 41 x 10.5mm stainless steel Royal Oak automatic winding features a “Grande Tapisserie” dial in the same iconic “Blue Nui, Nuage 50” shade as the 1972 original. That proportion doesn’t suit my wrist, and the dial is too big for my taste. But the slightly slimmer case on the dial and more “activities” make it all perfectly harmonious.
It’s a bit strange that the permanent calendar inside the clock is not designed to have it. Me, and I’m sure you can certainly think of a lot of examples. However, Royal Oak can handle complex upgrades. You might accuse me of blasphemy, but I prefer the lasting calendar of new royal oaks in steel over the famous “jumbo”. Incidentally, during the AP anniversary party, the DJ didn’t play songs in Depeche mode, but I had the opportunity to compare them with metal and stand in my statement.
Beautiful inside and outside
I’ve already written two articles about the release of the first wave of AP’s 150th annual novelty, so I won’t go into all the details here. I’ve mentioned proportions, finishing, and how to wear out the “RO QP” already, so I won’t keep banging about it. If you want to know everything about the innovative caliber 7138 inside, I think it’s best to click here. You can find a detailed explanation and watch the bonus video. In short, the new Royal Oak perpetual calendar is just as beautiful inside as the outside.
But why am I not getting enough? Because it looks like the clock at my exit. The concept of “Exit Watch” has always been a bit alien to me. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never met a watch that showed me any views on the future that I hope for. However, I speculate that if I have a Ro QP on my wrist, I can live a life without desire. In a way, AP created a Buddhist clock. However, there are obstacles to overcome. A rather large price tag blocks the path that leads to perfect balance and peaceful enlightenment. I am very sorry as I know that I deserve a completely difficult, crown operation, 4.1mm thickness, 423 part caliber 7138.
Try it yourself
Even if you are familiar with all the iterations of Royal Oaks, we recommend finding and giving it a try at your local AP house to experience the fourth place crown. The way it works is spectacular. The patented system is extremely intuitive thanks to the complex mechanism driven by various calendar wheels in different positions and innovative levers and wandering wheel systems.
Let me quickly remind you of how the system works. Turn the crown clockwise in the first position and the clock will get caught. In the second position, the crown can adjust the moon and jump indicators by setting the date clockwise and turning them in the opposite direction. You can pull the crown out to the third position to manipulate the time in two directions. Push the crown back with just one click to reach the fourth and final positions. The crown is in position 2′ so to speak, and for the inventive gearbox system, you can set the day and week clockwise and the monthly phase counterclockwise.
Probably not the last word on the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
It’s safe to say that the lasting calendar of the Royal Oaks in Steel’s new Audemars Piguet is the Holy Grail that plagues me. And so I will probably write about the clock again in the (close) future. I will write about eight important steps you must follow along the path to reach clock awareness. If you are interested, some of the key elements to reaching the end of the pass and QP are to accurately understand the nature of the watch, the correct intentions, and the unharmful treatment of it. With the right amount of mindfulness, I am sure that sudden prices prove to be a minor obstacle to the path that leads to awareness. do you agree?
View specifications
Model
Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
reference
26674st.oo.1320st.01 (Stainless Steel) / 26674SG.oo.1320SG.01 (Sand Gold)
Dial
Grande Ta Pissary pattern, Tonshirton subdials and flanges, 18k white gold light time index, Royal Oak hands, blue or sand gold gold tone with realistic depictions of the moon based on NASA photos
Case Material
Octagonal bezel with polished stainless steel or 18k sand gold with white gold screws
Case dimensions
41mm (diameter) x 9.5mm (thickness)
crystal
Sapphire with AR coating on both sides
Case back
Stainless steel or sand gold with sapphire display, with 8 screws
Movement
Audemars Piguet 7138 (7121 Base): In-house caliber based on AP 7121, manual winding and hacking, 28,800VPH frequency, 55 hours power reserve, 41 gems, 423 components, 29.6 x 4.1mm, adjustable via all functions, in-house caliber based on AP 7121
water resistance
50 meters
strap
Stainless steel or 18K sand gold integrated bracelet with polished accents, push button butterfly clasp
function
Time (hours, minutes) and permanent calendar (days, dates, weeks, months, jump year cycles, astronomical moon stages)
price
CHF 109,300 (steel) / CHF 130,000 (sand gold)