Eikþyrnir
453
My first Royal Oak, ref 15510.
Once again, my better half and I found ourselves in London, heading to the Audemars Piguet London boutique. I had notified them well in advance that we'd be dropping by during the Halloween weekend, and they promised to make our visit special.
A call from the boutique last Monday filled me with excitement - they had a black dialed 15510 available for me. And even though it wasn't the grey dial I initially sought and wanted, I accepted. I know that the boutique has an immense client list, its London after all, so I considered myself lucky to even be allocated this piece by the boutique
The following day, while en route to my French course, the boutique surprised me with yet another call. A client ahead of me had passed on a grey dial. The sales associate was as happy as I was by this strange stroke of luck. Safe to say I couldn’t wait and so our journey to London commenced on Thursday, and by Friday, our appointment had arrived.
Upon our arrival, it was evident that the boutique had undergone some changes since last year.
The two desks had been reduced to one, and the brass diving helmet that used to grace the room had disappeared, a victim of an unfortunate accident I was told. In its place they had made room for a more relaxed and lounge-like atmosphere with three comfy laid chairs. I was told the boutique manager had moved on; however I was glad to see the familiar bodyguard still remained; kind and chatty as always, and making fun of me being a victim of the horrible habit of using snus.
Finally, we met the sales associate who had been instrumental in securing allocations for me over the past two years. Impeccably dressed and courteous, we engaged in a lively conversation, recounting tales of my recent trip to Canada and the US, politics, life in general, and, of course, the infamous Las Vegas mishap which made me so confused and offended that I wrote an angry post on it on this forum.
After a good while he went to retrieve my eagerly anticipated grey dialed Royal Oak and surprised us by bringing out a black dialed one for me and some other timepieces for my fiancée to consider.
For her, the selections included the elegant 77451ST, a stainless steel beauty with a 34mm case, a light blue grand tapisserie dial, with diamonds encircling the bezel. There was also the absolutely captivating 77450SR, a stainless steel and rose gold marvel with a 34mm case and a white grand tapisserie dial. He even brought out the little brother 15550ST, the 37mm grey dialed Royal Oak for her to try on.
My fiancée, while not an ardent watch enthusiast, is slowly warming up to the idea of owning a mechanical masterpiece and icon like the Royal Oak. I still have some work to do, but I am sure I can convince her eventually !
As for me, I had the privilege of comparing and trying on both the black and grey dialed Royal Oak 15510. While I was beyond ecstatic to explore both options, I couldn't help but be enamored by the exquisite 77450SR; it is a timepiece of unparalleled beauty. I adore the combination of steel and rose gold. It gives this very authentic and vintage spirit which I love. If only they upscaled it to 39 or 41, changed the white dial to black or navy; how I wish!
After making the necessary adjustments and completing the transaction, the sales associate returned from the safe with the iconic 16202 for me to have a look at and try on. Just a year ago, the boutique manager had shown me this very piece, and it had seemed delicate and thin, but my perspective has shifted. I have been wearing a 40mm D1 Milano quartz watch for the past two months or so, and the 39mm felt just right, appropriate. While I have always appreciated the Jumbo for what is, I was a bit bummed out last year when trying it on. In hindsight it is a bit comical as it comes from a owner of two 42mm Offshores, but still, the 40mm has made an impression on me.
The sales associate said that we could work on making the 16202 my next acquisition, and I was beyond overjoyed. I love the character of the watch, the petite tapisserie dial, the entire idea of it. This a grail watch for me, and I just cannot wait. And while I am not in a hurry, I still am in some strange way. I find myself at this place where I do get a new piece and I just cannot wait for the next one. However, I do believe the 16202 will make me calm down a bit; it is the iconoclast after all.
Before our departure, the sales associate had one more surprise in store, an Audemars Piguet Offshore, the 26420CE. At 43mm, it pushing my personal preference but it did not feel too big for my wrist. Having never tried on or seen a ceramic piece from AP I must admit I was stunned. I can only imagine how marvelous the ceramic Royal Oaks are in real life.
I need to add that I do really think the chamfered pushers is the right expression for the Offshore. Both the 26238ST and TI I possess have rubber pushers and while I do not mind them, I do think the chamfered pushers is more streamlined to the design and overall expression of the Offshore line. Just my two cents here.
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My first Royal Oak, ref 15510.
Congrats!
Much appreciated!
it was your first time buying from the london boutique?
Much appreciated
Congratulations on your RO. Glad to hear and see that you found
Well done Sir, Congratulations!
Thank you Michael,
Boutique or AP House?
Thank you mate
Great story and write up 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Thank you so much mate
Interesting point about the ROO strap.
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful journey...
Thank you so much Peter
Thanks for sharing your experiences
Kiitos my friend!
Congratulations!