Audemars Piguet Jewelry Returns With New Royal Oak Collection

Audemars Piguet is getting into the jewelry business again. The Swiss watchmaker unveiled Royal Oak Joaillerie, a collection of necklaces, cuffs, chokers, and earrings inspired by the famous Royal Oak bracelet. The new Audemars Piguet jewelry collection includes elaborate one-of-a-kind creations covered in precious stones, alongside simpler gold pieces that look remarkably familiar to anyone who knows the Royal Oak. And despite what some headlines might suggest, this isn’t AP’s first venture into jewelry. Far from it.

Audemars Piguet Has Made Jewelry Before

Although Audemars Piguet is best known for its watches, jewelry has been part of the company’s history for well over a century. Its early creations included gem-set pendant watches, brooch watches, and even rings with tiny movements hidden inside.

And until 2014, AP also made jewelry that didn’t tell the time. Its 1985 catalog included Royal Oak-inspired accessories such as cufflinks, pendants, and rings. In the 1990s, the company went further, developing more jewelry collections and acquiring a Geneva jewelry workshop in 1992.

By 2010, the Audemars Piguet jewelry line featured 265 items across four lines–Royal Oak, Charleston, Millenary and Carnegie. So, Audemars Piguet jewelry existed long before this latest launch.

AP’s renewed interest in jewelry puts it in an interesting position alongside the established names in our Top 20 Luxury Jewelry Brands, though watches will, of course, remain its main business.

Royal Oak Jewelry Without the Watch

The idea behind the new Royal Oak jewelry collection is fairly straightforward. Take the bracelet from one of the world’s most famous luxury watches and turn it into jewelry.

Designed by Gérald Genta and introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak is famous for its integrated bracelet, with tapering links, alternating brushed and polished surfaces, and distinctive connecting studs. Those details now appear in pieces that have no dial, hands, or movement.

Co-developed by Audemars Piguet’s head gemmologist Nathalie Barzilay, the collection is divided into three lines: Risoud Eclipse, Dream of Joux, and Frosted Gold. Each takes inspiration from the Vallée de Joux, the Swiss region where AP has been based since 1875.

Risoud Eclipse

The Risoud Eclipse line is probably the most dramatic of the three. Inspired by the Risoud Forest and a darkened sky during an eclipse, it consists of a necklace and matching cuff made from black PVD-coated titanium and 18-karat white gold.

Both pieces feature large green sugarloaf emeralds surrounded by diamonds. The necklace has five emeralds totaling approximately 16.5 carats, while the cuff has three totaling approximately 12 carats. Against the black metal, the emeralds certainly get your attention.

Dream of Joux

The Dream of Joux collection is where AP really goes to town with gemstones. Inspired by the landscape of the Vallée de Joux, it includes colorful gold cuffs, necklaces, and earrings featuring diamonds, sapphires, tourmalines, tsavorites, topazes, and other stones.

One of the most elaborate pieces is a tie-style necklace made from blue titanium and white gold, featuring 1,670 blue sapphires and 44 pear-shaped diamonds. The collection also includes cuffs with names such as Blue Moon, Frozen Lake, Sunburst, and Tree of Life, each using gemstones to depict a different scene or natural motif.

The Dream of Joux high jewelry creations are one-of-a-kind and produced on demand.

Frosted Gold

For anyone who prefers their jewelry without a mountain of gemstones, there’s the Frosted Gold series. These Royal Oak cuffs and chokers come in 18-karat yellow, white, or pink gold, with the familiar bracelet links and studs taking center stage.

The finish will be familiar to AP fans. Developed with jewelry designer Carolina Bucci in 2016, Frosted Gold uses a diamond-tipped tool to hammer the gold surface, producing a fine, sparkling texture. Polished edges and studs provide contrast.

Of the three lines, Frosted Gold arguably makes the most direct connection to the Royal Oak watch. Remove the case and dial, and the bracelet is already a pretty convincing piece of jewelry.

Admittedly, these cuffs are pretty substantial, and I can’t imagine stacking one alongside a watch. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Audemars Piguet eventually introduced slimmer Royal Oak bracelets, which would be perfect for a head-turning watch and bracelet stack. Scratches be damned.

What’s Next for Audemars Piguet Jewelry?

With Royal Oak Joaillerie, Audemars Piguet is revisiting a part of its history that hasn’t received nearly as much attention as its watches. The Royal Oak bracelet is certainly distinctive enough to work as jewelry on its own, and AP has the metalworking and gem-setting experience to back up the idea.

The question now is how far the brand intends to take it. Will Royal Oak jewelry become a regular part of the AP catalog, or remain a small collection aimed at a tiny segment of its clients? Either way, it’s worth remembering that Audemars Piguet was making jewelry decades before this latest announcement.