Launched in 1972, the Royal Oak was the world's first luxury sports watch housed in an imposing stainless steel case that cost more than a gold model. Touted as having "a body of steel and a heart of gold", the stainless steel armour of the Royal Oak, wit

Launched in 1972, the Royal Oak was the world's first luxury sports watch housed in an imposing stainless steel case that cost more than a gold model. Touted as having "a body of steel and a heart of gold", the stainless steel armour of the Royal Oak, with its eight-sided bezel and exposed screws, had an industrial edge to it, while the "heart" in the equation referred to Audemars Piguet's Calibre 2121, an ultra-thin 3.05mm automatic movement with a gold oscillating weight.

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