Short on time? The 26331ST came out in 2017, 20 years after the first Royal Oak Chronograph. It's 41mm steel, about 11mm thick, on the integrated bracelet, with a black Grande Tapisserie dial and the calibre 2385 automatic chronograph. In 2022 AP replaced it with the 26240 and a new in-house movement. Ours is a 2023 full set.
Backstory
The Royal Oak arrived in 1972. Gérald Genta designed a steel sports watch with an octagonal bezel, exposed screws and an integrated bracelet, and priced it like a gold watch. People thought AP had lost its mind. It ended up defining a whole category.
The chronograph version followed in 1997, and the 26331ST marked its 20th anniversary in 2017. AP took the 41mm case and gave it cleaner proportions and a sharper dial layout. It stayed in the collection until 2022, when the 26240 took over for the Royal Oak's 50th birthday.
Key Details
The case is 41mm steel, around 11mm thick, with the eight-sided bezel and its eight hexagonal screws. The finishing is what AP is known for: brushed surfaces with sharp polished bevels, all the way down the bracelet. Water resistance is 50 metres.
Ours has the black Grande Tapisserie dial, a larger version of the waffle pattern the Royal Oak has worn since 1972, with silver counters and the date between 4 and 5 o'clock. The contrast makes the chronograph easy to read.
The Movement
The calibre 2385 is an automatic column-wheel chronograph based on a Frédéric Piguet movement, with about 40 hours of power reserve. That's the main thing to be aware of. The newer 26240 has AP's in-house calibre 4401 with a flyback function and a longer reserve. The 2385 is a proven, reliable movement, but it's not the newest one.
On the Wrist
The bracelet tapers sharply and sits very flat, so the 41mm case wears comfortably. The chronograph pushers add a bit of visual weight compared with the three-hand Royal Oak, and some people prefer that. It looks sporty and polished at the same time, which is the Royal Oak in a nutshell.
Final Thoughts
The 26331ST is a great way into the Royal Oak Chronograph. You get the design, the finishing and the bracelet, with a movement that's simpler than the newest one but has a long track record.
Ours is a 2023 Royal Oak Chronograph 26331ST with the black dial, full set, in very good condition.
