Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320 Yellow Gold Hands On

Front of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320 Yellow Gold

Yellow gold was came back!  Audemars Piguet Royal Oak has been updated the watches at SIHH 2016. This new model- Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320 comes in a yellow gold case.

Back in 2012, as an update of the older chronograph . The update was rather important, not only visually but also in terms of proportions, feeling on the wrist and finishing. While the old reference 26300 measured 39mm, this actual version of the Royal Oak Chronograph has a 41mm diameter . The older reference was kind of thick and on this new one, the ratio diameter / thickness feels more natural, more in line with the shape of the Royal Oak, which deserves a bit of thinness. With a height of 10.80mm, it remains a rather slim watch and once strapped, it is more balanced, more pleasant and more elegant. Strange enough to be noticed, but real.Front of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320 Yellow Gold
The second update concerned the dial, which first get rid of the triangular index at 12 and now features a smaller “hobnail” pattern. All of that, combined with the larger diameter  gives a cleaner, more spaced feel, resulting in a watch less toolish and more elegant. As you can see in the close-up photo, the details of the dial are still sumptuous and, as usual at Audemars Piguet, obtained from a complex hand-made guilloché process. One thing to note here is the layout of this dial – a classical tri-compax setup that indicates what ticks inside. On the contrary of the Chronographs of the Offshore collection, this Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320 still relies on an integrated automatic movement and not on the modular construction. This movement, operated by a column-wheel, remains hidden under a plain caseback.Side of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320 Yellow Gold
Now, let’s be honest and give you our opinion on the use of yellow gold on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320. Before going into the reasons, yes, it works. It certainly better works than rose gold to me. Why? First of all, it is certain that yellow gold shines more, it is more vivid and more visible than rose gold, which usually is softer and warmer. However, the Royal Oak has an almost complete brushed finish, which prevents the watch to be too shiny or too blingy. It is a matte watch, enlightened by polished details . Those details apart, the Royal Oak remains rather sporty in its aspect. Thus, we’re not in front of a gold nugget that pops on your wrist .

Then, it has to be kept in mind that the Royal Oak Chronograph is a kind of vintage-inspired watch, with a design using elements from the 1970s watches – and at that time most gold watches were made in yellow gold. Bringing an outdated material like yellow gold on a watch, which in some ways, is also looking at the past is a pretty interesting idea. It has some consistency. Let’s admit that the use of yellow gold, without considering tastes, remains coherent with the overall concept of the watch.Front of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320 Yellow Gold 02
It’s quite interesting to see Audemars Piguet going back to the bases of the Royal Oak, by using yellow gold again, just like the very first gold editions of the Royal Oak launched in 1977 – and also with a two-tone edition of the ref. 15400 Automatic in 2015, also a specific style used in the early editions. We won’t tell you that yellow gold is THE new trend in terms of watches or that it makes a real come-back. However, we can tell you that its use on the Royal Oak is understandable, coherent and very pleasant.