Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15500ST Discontinued

About This Watch

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15500ST was the direct successor to the legendary 15400ST and brought the new caliber 4302 with a 70-hour power reserve to the 41mm Royal Oak. Designed by Gerald Genta in 1972, the Royal Oak was the world's first luxury stainless steel sports watch, featuring the now-iconic octagonal bezel with eight exposed hexagonal screws, an integrated bracelet, and the "Grande Tapisserie" waffle-pattern dial. The 15500ST introduced a redesigned dial with the AP logo repositioned from 6 o'clock to its original position at the top, a date aperture shifted to 3 o'clock, and a larger "Grande Tapisserie" pattern. The caliber 4302, developed in-house, features a modern architecture with a longer mainspring for the extended power reserve. The blue dial with the tapisserie pattern creates a mesmerizing visual effect as light plays across the geometric grid at different angles. Despite being discontinued in favor of the 16202ST, the 15500ST remains one of the most sought-after Royal Oak references, trading at significant premiums above retail. It represents the mature, evolved Royal Oak before AP shifted to the thinner Jumbo format.