Who created the Royal Oak watch?

Gérald Genta created the Royal Oak watch. First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak wristwatch featured a now-legendary design that Genta borrowed from antique diving helmets. These helmets were crafted in brass and attached to a diving suit with large screws. Genta translated the motif from the rim of the diving helmet to Audemars Piguet’s newest timepiece, setting eight miniature screws into an octagonal bezel, which surrounded a textured “tapisserie,” or tapestry, dial. In addition to its unique bezel design, the Royal Oak — named for a group of vessels in Britain’s Royal Navy, according to legend — was also unorthodox for its material. Though stainless steel is a ubiquitous option in watches today, in the early 1970s, its use was visionary. The Royal Oak was the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from the durable material — a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches. Arguably the most prolific freelance watch designer in history, Genta designed timepieces for Omega, Patek Philippe, Cartier and Bulgari, to name a few, but the Royal Oak remains one of his most influential. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watches.