The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding reference 15500OR.OO.1220OR.01 is a luxury sports watch featuring a 41mm case crafted from 18-carat pink gold. It maintains the iconic octagonal bezel secured by eight hexagonal screws and is paired with an integrated pink gold bracelet featuring a folding AP clasp. The watch has a thickness of 10.4mm and is water-resistant to 50 meters, utilizing a screw-locked crown and a glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback. The black dial is decorated with the signature Grande Tapisserie pattern and features pink gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
This timepiece is powered by the in-house Calibre 4302, a self-winding movement that provides a 70-hour power reserve. The complications are focused on essential timekeeping, including hours, minutes, center seconds, and a date display located at the 3 o’clock position. The movement is significantly larger than its predecessor, measuring 32mm in diameter, which allows for a better fit within the 41mm case and a fuller view through the exhibition caseback. It operates at a frequency of 4 Hz and features a skeletonized 22-carat gold rotor.
General reviews of the 15500OR highlight the significant mechanical and aesthetic upgrades over the previous 15400 reference. The larger movement is praised for providing better visual balance on the caseback side and improved reliability. Critics and enthusiasts often note that the dial layout is cleaner due to the repositioned date window and the removal of the Automatic label. While the watch is slightly thicker than previous iterations, reviewers suggest the difference is negligible on the wrist, contributing to a sportier and more robust presence that differentiates it from the ultra-thin Jumbo models.