The Best Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Alternatives

Most people are familiar with the legend of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the world’s first stainless steel luxury sports watch developed by noted watchmaker Gerald Genta in the early 1970s. With its integrated bracelet, octagonal bezel adorned with screws, and Tapisserie dial, the Royal Oak was unlike anything else people had seen at the time. In fact, it led to the creation of a brand-new genre of integrated bracelet luxury sports watches, one that has been experiencing a resurgence over the past several years, and even Rolex has jumped on the trend. However, with prices still in the unobtainable range for the average collector, many are turning to more approachable alternatives, both in price and availability. It isn’t as simple as just copying the Royal Oak, either. This list features worthy AP Royal Oak alternatives from seven brands, each with its own distinctive identity.

The Latest AP Royal Oak Alternative: Rolex Land-Dweller 40

We’ll start our list off strong with one of the most talked-about watches of 2025, the Rolex Land-Dweller. When it comes to a worthy AP Royal Oak alternative, it checks all the right boxes: an integrated bracelet, the option for stainless steel, and an interesting dial pattern. Of course, the watch is still uniquely Rolex.

Like most models, it features an Oyster case and Rolex’s emblematic fluted bezel, as well as a Jubilee-style bracelet. The real story here is the brand-new caliber 7135, which introduced us to some new technology from the brand, the Dynapulse escapement.

Rolex has released a few iterations, and the most popular so far appears to be the White Rolesor 40mm ref. 127334, which retails for $15,350. That price is still quite steep for a steel Rolex sports watch, but it is competitive with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

Rolex Land-Dweller 40 Specs

Model	Land-Dweller
Ref.	127334
Case Size	40mm
Movement	7135 (Automatic, 10 beats per second, dual indirect impulse escapement)
Power Reserve	66 hours
Bracelet	Integrated flat Jubilee bracelet with concealed Crownclasp
Dial	Intense white honeycomb motif
2025 MSRP	$15,350

Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42

Our next watch was released in 1975, not long after the Royal Oak. It’s arguably more like an AP than the Rolex Land-Dweller, with its octagonal bezel and hobnail motif dial.

However, while the Royal Oak was born as a mechanical watch, the Laureato initially relied on quartz technology. Today, you can find watches with either quartz or mechanical movements on the secondary market, depending on when they were made.

The current production ref. 81010-11-431-11A is a top contender for our list, boasting a 42mm stainless steel case, a matching integrated bracelet, a sharp blue dial, and the caliber GP01800 self-winding mechanical movement. While the $14,300 retail price is still steep, it’s possible to find other variations for well under $10,000 pre-owned.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42 Specs

Model	Laureato
Ref.	81010-11-431-11A (blue dial) 81010-11-* (various other dials)
Case Size	42mm
Movement	GP01800 automatic
Power Reserve	54 hours
Dial	Clous de Paris (hobnail) or spiderweb-like guilloche pattern
2025 MSRP	$14,300

AP Royal Oak Alternative From Another Holy Trinity Brand: Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222

2025 marked Vacheron Constantin’s 270^th anniversary, a milestone the brand celebrated by introducing a stainless steel model to its Historiques 222 collection, which was previously available only in gold. The collection is a revival of the 222, which itself was released during the brand’s 222^nd anniversary in 1977, around the same era as the Royal Oak. It is a faithful reissue of the original, right down to the integrated bracelet and unique notched bezel.

Furthermore, at 37mm in diameter and 7.95mm thick, it is somewhat comparable to other Royal Oak models, while paying homage to the original Vacheron Constantin 222 “Jumbo” model. The watch might be a bit more controversial at $33,300 as of the time of writing this article. Still, it will appeal to collectors with an appreciation for reissues from the same era as the comparable Royal Oak.

Stainless Steel Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 Specs

Model	Historiques 222
Ref.	4200H/222A-B934
Case Size	37mm
Movement	2455/2 automatic
Power Reserve	40 hours
Bracelet	Stainless steel/ Triple folding clasp
Dial	Blue with green Super-LumiNova
2025 MSRP	$33,300

Bulgari Octo Finissimo

A slightly different approach to the integrated watch trend is the Bulgari Octo Finissimo. It’s a curiously shaped watch originally released in 2014, and now several variants are among the world’s thinnest watches.

Most recently, the brand released the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC. At just 1.7mm thick, it is the world’s thinnest production mechanical watch. While that watch had a limited production run of just 20, other watches in the lineup deliver a similar aesthetic, complete with an integrated bracelet and multi-faceted case. Our pick is the current production 40mm stainless steel model, which retails for approximately $13,500 and is available for purchase on their website. No waitlist required.

Stainless Steel Bulgari Octo Finissimo Specs

Model	Octo Finissimo
Ref.	103297 (black dial), 103431 (blue dial), 103856 (salmon dial), 103464 (silvered brushed dial)
Case Size	40mm x 6.40 mm thick
Movement	BVL138 automatic
Power Reserve	60 hours
Bracelet	Stainless steel
Dial	Black, blue, salmon, silvered brushed
2025 MSRP	$13,500

Best AP Royal Oak Alternative for $5,000: Zenith Defy Skyline Ref. 03.9300.3620

Zenith might have released the Defy Skyline in 2022, but its roots can be traced back to the late 1960s and the original Defy reference 3642, which also had an octagonal case and a faceted bezel: 14 sides on the 1969 model and 12 sides on the newer Skyline. The latter is inspired by and named after the night sky, complete with a “starry sky” dial motif (that looks somewhat like Audemars Piguet’s famous Tapisserie dial). Add a sleek, integrated bracelet, and the result is a proper alternative to the Royal Oak, deeply rooted in Zenith tradition. Good pre-owned examples typically go for about $5,000-$6,000.

Zenith Defy Skyline 03.9300.3620 Specs

Model	Defy Skyline
Ref.	03.9300.3620/51.I001 (blue dial) 03.9300.3620/16.I001 (ice blue dial) 03.9300.3620/01.1001 (silver dial) 03.9301.3620/18.I001 (pink dial) 03.9300.3620/78.I001 (black dial)
Case Size	41mm
Movement	El Primero 3620 automatic
Power Reserve	60 hours
Bracelet	Stainless steel
Dial	Starry sky motif (various colors)
2025 MSRP	$9,600

Underrated AP Royal Oak Alternative: Chopard Alpine Eagle 41

The Alpine Eagle, Chopard’s AP Royal Oak alternative, first appeared in 2019, in 36mm and 41mm, featuring a sunray texture dial meant to mimic the iris of an eagle. Immediately, it was compared to Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe with its integrated bracelet and luxurious alternating brushed and polished surfaces.

At the same time, the Alpine Eagle has a unique identity–and a much more affordable price point, with good pre-owned examples readily available under $9,000. For the sake of this article, we’ve chosen the Alpine Eagle 41 Ref. 298600 in stainless steel for its approachable price point and contemporary case size. I should note that choosing one of the rarer dial colors (like pink, turquoise, or the China-only burgundy option) can push prices above $20,000.

Stainless Steel Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 Specs

Model	Alpine Eagle
Ref.	298600-3002 (grey) 298600-3001 (blue) 298600-3014 (pine green) 298600-3016 (turquoise) 298600-3022 (pink) 298600-3023 (burgundy, China-only)
Case Size	41mm
Movement	01.01-C automatic
Power Reserve	60 hours
Bracelet	Lucent steel: 70% recycled steel/30% mined steel
Dial	Galvanized sunburst pattern
2025 MSRP	$15,500
2025 Market Value	$8,500-$23,000 (depending on dial color)

IWC’s Alternative to the AP Royal Oak: Ingenieur Automatic 40

Gerald Genta had a hand in our next pick: the Ingenieur. The watch was originally released in 1955 and, at the time, was the brand’s first commercially available anti-magnetic watch.

Genta helped redesign the collection in the 1970s with the Ingenieur SL, giving it a new identity that is more in line with the stainless steel luxury sports watch as we know it today. Released in 2024, the IW328907 introduced the Ingenieur Automatic 40 to a new dial color – blue. The watch is very Genta-esque, featuring an integrated bracelet, a bezel dotted with five functional polygonal screws, and a grid-pattern dial.

IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 Specs

Model	Ingenieur Automatic 40
Ref.	IW3289
Case Size	40mm
Movement	32111 automatic
Power Reserve	120 hours
Bracelet	Stainless steel
Dial	Blue
2025 MSRP	$12,300

Sporty luxury watches with integrated bracelets have a very 1970s nostalgic feel to them, perhaps fueled by the era in which the Royal Oak was released. Still, they remain very much on-trend among modern collectors today. Will the trend stay as strong as ever? Or will it tire out now that there are so many options on the market? Only time will tell.