The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph reference 26240ST.OO.1320ST.07 is a contemporary 41mm luxury sports watch featuring a stainless steel case and an integrated bracelet. It is distinguished by a silver-toned dial adorned with the signature Grande Tapisserie pattern, white gold applied hour-markers, and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating. The watch has a thickness of 12.4mm and is water-resistant up to 50 meters, featuring a screw-locked crown and a glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback. It is powered by the in-house Calibre 4401, a self-winding movement that provides a 70-hour power reserve and operates at a frequency of 4 Hz.
The complications of this timepiece include a flyback chronograph, which allows the wearer to restart the chronograph without having to stop and reset it first. The dial layout includes a 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock, a 12-hour counter at 3 o’clock, and small seconds at 6 o’clock, with a date display positioned between 4 and 5 o’clock. The Calibre 4401 movement utilizes a column wheel and a vertical clutch system, ensuring a smooth start for the chronograph seconds hand without any initial jump.
General reviews of the 26240ST highlight its exceptional external finishing and high versatility, noting that it is suitable for both formal and casual settings. While collectors praise the beauty of the movement—particularly the hand-finished 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight—some users have reported reliability issues with the Calibre 4401, such as timekeeping inconsistencies or a drifting chronograph minute hand. Additionally, while the watch is celebrated for its iconic design and light-catching angles, it is often described as a scratch magnet that lacks the low-key profile of other luxury timepieces.