6 Affordable Integrated Sports Watches with Royal Oak Vibes

The entire modern genre of luxury integrated sports watches has its origins in a single groundbreaking timepiece introduced in 1972 by design luminary Gerald Genta.

Yes, you can thank the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak for pioneering the concept of a steel sports watch as a status symbol, and many decades later, its prestige is stronger than ever. With Royal Oak prices starting well into five figures, however, you wouldn’t be alone in wondering how to get a similar wearing experience for less money than a college education.

Where does the Royal Oak’s magic come from? It’s somewhere between its octagonal bezel, exposed screws, textured “tapisserie” dial, and a thin case architecture that’s integrated into its unique steel bracelet. It’s hard to replicate the Royal Oak’s mojo, but watches with comparable traits exist at every price level, from the G-Shock “CasiOak” to the Genta-designed Patek Philippe Nautilus.

Photo by Henry Phillips for Gear Patrol

In between, there are countless options in the luxury space, such as the Girard Perregaux Laureato, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, the Chopard Alpine Eagle, the Zenith Defy Skyline, the IWC Ingenieur, H. Moser & Cie Streamliner, arguably the entire Hublot brand … we could go on and on.

Offering similar features to the Royal Oak without plagiarizing or simply looking like a wannabe is a fine line to walk, but the six watches below all accomplish this feat at relatively affordable price points. Best of all, they all come in well below $5,000.

Tissot PRX

Tissot

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

Specs

Case Size	36, 40mm
Movement	Tissot Powermatic 80 automatic (ETA base)
Water Resistance	100m

• $725 at Macy's

While it wasn’t the first attempt at an affordable integrated sports watch during the recent boom, Tissot’s blockbuster watch definitely kicked the trend into overdrive. Often cited as one of the best watches available under $1,000, and with good reason, the PRX derives its retro looks from a 1970s Tissot Seastar quartz reference.

You can get a quartz PRX, too, for even less money, but the automatic version hews most closely to the Royal Oak. It has a similar waffle-textured dial, and while the Powermatic 80 movement within doesn’t come close to the haute horological wonders that power AP’s watches, it’s no slouch with an 80-hour power reserve and an anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring.

Alpina Alpiner Extreme

Alpina

Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic

Specs

Case Size	39, 41mm
Movement	Alpina Cal. AL-525 automatic (Sellita base)
Water Resistance	200m

• $2,195 at Reeds Jewelers

Recently revamped with a smaller 39mm case size (thank goodness, because this watch wears large), the Alpiner Extreme is loaded to the max with sharp angles and contrasting finishes. It’s quite the stunner in the metal, and we admit to once having been fooled into thinking one was a Royal Oak when we spotted it on someone’s wrist across the room.

The six exposed screws on the vertically brushed dial read very AP, but the screws subtly feature Alpina’s Matterhorn logo at their center — a nod to the brand’s adventurous ethos. That sense of adventure comes through in the specs, too, as the Alpiner Extreme lives up to its name with 200m of water resistance and aggressive styling.

Maurice Lacroix Aikon

Maurice Lacroix

Maurice Lacroix Aikon

Specs

Case Size	39, 42mm
Movement	Maurice LaCroix Cal. ML115 automatic (Sellita base)
Water Resistance	200m

• $2,300 at mauricelacroix.com

If you want to get as close to looking like you’ve got a Royal Oak on your wrist as possible without actually buying a Royal Oak, then the Aikon is the way to go. Easily Maurice Lacroix’s best-known model, the Aikon wears its influence on its sleeve with its bracelet, dial, hands and indices all looking very much like what you’ll find on an AP.

Where the Aikon sets itself apart from the icon, though, is in its case and bezel. Rather than being an exercise in angularity like the Royal Oak, the Aikon is all smooth, with a round case and a round vertically brushed bezel. In place of exposed screws, the bezel is held in place by mirror-polished claws — similar to what you’ll find on an Omega Constellation — that give the watch a seriously dynamic appearance.

Nivada Grenchen F77

Nivada Grenchen

Nivada Grenchen F77

Specs

Case Size	37mm
Movement	Soprod Cal. P024 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $1,260 at Nivada Grenchen

Virtually every watch produced by modern-day Nivada Grenchen is a reissue of a watch released by the brand back in its mid-century heyday, and the F77 is no exception. The original version debuted in 1977 as a very obvious homage to the Royal Oak — it’s pretty clear to see where Nivada got its inspiration for an eight-sided bezel held in place by six exposed hexagonal screws.

The new version faithfully recreates the original, and its heightened vintage vibes now allow it to stand on its own rather than coming across as a Royal Oak clone. Notable differences are the period-correct case size of just 37mm, the generously domed sapphire crystal (an update to the original’s plexiglass) and the integrated bracelet that bears more of a resemblance to a Rolex Oyster bracelet than the flat-link style typically found on this genre of sports watch.

Christopher Ward The Twelve

Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward The Twelve

Specs

Case Size	36, 40mm
Movement	Sellita SW 200-1 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $1,225.00 at christopherward.com

The Twelve turned a whole lot of heads when it debuted last year (including ours), arguably becoming enthusiast-favorite Christopher Ward’s new flagship watch in quick order. And it’s easy to see why. With a level of finishing better than anything at its price — and perhaps superior to anything twice its price — the Twelve offers a whole lot of value for money.

With its thin twelve-sided bezel, its cleverly textured dial featuring a repeating 3D pattern of the brand’s twin flags logo, and its sporty vibes, the CW’s take on an integrated sports watch really isn’t all that similar to the Royal Oak. It’s a lot more contemporary in its design, without much in the way of retro influence. But make no mistake: If it weren’t for Genta and the Royal Oak, the Twelve would not exist, as evidenced by the six hexagonal screws holding down its caseback in a subtle tribute to the icon.

Baume et Mercier Riviera

Baume et Mercier

Baume et Mercier Riviera

Specs

Case Size	39, 42mm
Movement	Baume et Mercier Baumatic automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $4,100 at Baume et Mercier

At around four grand, the Riviera is by far the priciest watch on this list. However, there are some damn good reasons for that, and it remains a tremendous value. First off, B&M is a legit luxury brand with some serious history behind it. The original Riviera was released by the brand way back in 1973, just one year after the Royal Oak, making it one of the very first integrated luxury sports watches.

The reboot, which debuted in 2021, modernizes the style with some Royal Oak-inspired flourishes, notably the four exposed screws on the 12-sided bezel, a feature that was absent on the original Riviera. But it’s what’s inside the Riviera that’s most impressive. The watch is powered by B&M’s Baumatic movement, an impressive manufacture calibre boasting a whopping 120-hour power reserve. The movement is made by fellow Richemont-owned brand ValFleurier and is effectively the same engine used in the far pricier Ingenieur from IWC, another Richemont maison.

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