The Royal Oak Just Put an Unexpected Spin on One of Its Iconic Features

The legendary sports watch goes back to its roots in a way no one saw coming.

a closeup of an audemars piguet royal oak watch

By Johnny Brayson

Published April 10, 2025

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Updated April 29, 2025

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Audemars Piguet has released three new Royal Oak watches in ceramic
The ceramic’s color is the same shade found on the dial of the very first Royal Oak
The watches are part of Audemars Piguet’s 150th anniversary celebrations

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is arguably the most iconic sports watch ever made. But no one detail makes the watch an icon. Rather, it’s the merging of several unique details — the hexagonal bezel, the integrated bracelet, the exposed screws, the tapisserie dial — that make the Royal Oak so memorable.

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AP’s flagship watch has come a long way since the original Gérald Genta-designed version hit the market in 1972, with countless variations on the original now existing in various sizes, shapes, colors, materials and complications.

Now, in honor of the brand’s 150th anniversary this year, AP has rolled out a trio of new Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore models that utilize one of the original model’s most notable features in a unique new way.

an audemars piguet royal oak watch — The ceramic color on Audemars Piguet’s latest Royal Oak watches is both new and familiar.

Workin’ on Our Night Blues

AP’s latest watches debut a new shade of ceramic for AP. Dubbed “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50,” the color should look familiar to any hardcore Royal Oak fans, as it’s the exact same hue used for the dial of the very first Royal Oak watch, reference 5402.

The original inspiration for the color was the night sky above the Vallée de Joux, the birthplace of Swiss watchmaking and the home of Audemars Piguet. “Bleu Nuit” directly translates to “Night Blue” but is more commonly understood to mean “Midnight Blue.” It took AP several years to perfectly match the ceramic’s shade to the iconic dial color.

While Royal Oaks are available in myriad dial colors, the model will always be associated with the “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” shade. Now, that association is dialed up to 11 thanks to these new ceramic cases, bezels and bracelets.

Whether due to its complexity or the enthusiasm surrounding the first Royal Oak model, the ‘Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50’ hue has since become as iconic as the timepiece itself.
Audemars Piguet statement

Rhapsody in Bleu

The three watches featuring the “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” ceramic consist of two Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronographs and one Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked.

The “entry-level” Royal Oak Offshore, reference 26420SO.OO.A029VE.01, is a 42mm automatic chronograph in stainless steel featuring a bezel, crown and pushers in the new midnight blue ceramic. It’s powered by the Cal. 4401 movement and features a méga tapisserie dial in the same classic shade as the ceramic components. The watch comes with interchangeable leather and rubber straps, also color-matched to the ceramic and dial. It’s priced at $42,900.

Next is the slightly larger 43mm Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph. It is powered by the vertically aligned Cal. 4404, which features a column wheel and flyback functionality. This model, too, features a méga tapisserie dial in “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50,” but here, the dial is paired with a full ceramic case and bracelet in the same color, providing maximum “Bleu Nuit” coverage. All that ceramic comes at a cost, however, as the reference 26238CD.OO.1300CD.01 clocks in at more than double the price of the previous reference: $86,900.

Last is the only true Royal Oak of the three: the reference 15416CD.OO.1225CD.01 Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked. Naturally, it’s the most premium of them all.

Also boasting a case and full bracelet made of ceramic in “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50,” this 41mm Royal Oak features an openworked dial with pink gold hands and indices. The skeletonized dial shows off the automatic Cal. 3132 and its innovative double balance wheel setup. Given the complexity of the movement, the intricacy of the dial and the abundance of ceramic involved, this model tops out the new collection at $101,100.

By translating the iconic “Bleu Nuit, Nuage 50” colorway to ceramic cases and bracelets, Audemars Piguet has added yet another chapter to the ongoing story of the Royal Oak. Here’s hoping the material eventually makes its way to the “Jumbo” Extra-Thin with a matching tapisserie dial.