What is this write up about?
I will be sharing my longer-term wearing experience of the Audemars Piguet 15510ST Royal Oak in 41mm. More specifically, the reference 15510ST.OO.1320ST.05. I’ve had this piece in my collection for over a year now, and this will be from a highly subjective perspective.
What will this write up not discuss?
There are lots of blogs and articles discussing the history and provenance of Audemars Piguet, and of this timepiece. While those elements are important to my own collecting philosophy, I will not be going into depth on those fronts.
Self-Interview Questions
What got you interested in the 15510ST? How did you discover this watch?
When I started collecting watches in 2018, I would have conversations with friends and colleagues who also had a passion for watches. One of the topics inevitably became, “what is your grail piece?”. Answers typically included a Swiss brand name watch in the 5-figure range. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo, was one that came up a few times, so that’s when I first learned about the watch. Naturally, I began reading up more about the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak as well as watching videos on YouTube. Additionally, I’m not going to lie, seeing the “veteran” watch collectors who share their photos of their Royal Oaks on TheRolexForums or Instagram had an influence on me. Aesthetically, the Royal Oak looked nice and suited my taste. While the 15510ST didn’t exist back then, I was liking the 15202, 15500, and 15400 back then.
How do you like the Gray colored dial?
I was actually open to either the gray, white, and blue dial colors. So when I got the call for the gray, I jumped right on it, and I’m glad that I did. The gray tapisserie patterned dial has many personalities depending on the lighting and how you are looking at the watch. Darker and lighter shades of gray is the obvious observation. But what surprised me was seeing how the “Audemars Piguet” logo sometimes disappear into the dial at certain angles — a very fun quirk which also maximizes the clean look of the dial. (A big thank you to my SA and friend for making this review possible. You know who you are!)
What types of outfits do you usually wear with your watch?
Given my office dress code is quite casual–and I frequently work from home–I’m often wearing a T-Shirt or hoodie, jeans, and sneakers with my Royal Oak. It’d be great to find an occasion to wear this with a cleanly pressed dress shirt, dress pants, and Aldens, but those opportunities don’t come along often.
Do you like the size of the 41mm case?
I originally thought that 41mm might be too large for my 6.75” wrist, since a lot of my other watches are in the 37mm-40mm range. But over time, I’ve realized that the right watch size really depends on how comfortable the watch is on my wrist and whether or not the proportions look “right”–don’t trust everything on paper. What’s special about the 15510ST case is how it simply drapes over my wrist. The watch certainly has a presence, but I really like how it wears.
What do you like most about the 15510ST gray?
Not to sound cliche, but for me it's the total package of this watch. From each iteration of the Royal Oak, the case, bracelet, dial, movement, have received slight improvements and changes. There are lots of other watches that I like where I say, “I like the dial.” or “I like the interchangeable strap system” or “I like the movement finishing”. With this watch, I think that they did a great job putting things together as a total package. In contrast, when I was wearing the Lange Odysseus white gold with the rubber strap for a period of time, I often noticed that while I really enjoyed the look of the case, dial, and movement, it fell short in terms of total package: the case and rubber strap simply didn’t match. It didn’t match aesthetically and in the wearing experience (the watch head would just never sit properly on my wrist).
What don’t you like about your wearing experience?
One thing that I’d like to see improved is the 15510ST’s wearability throughout the day as wrist swells and de-swells. Micro adjust clasp perhaps? My wrist can swell quite a bit from the morning through to the evening. When I first put on the 15510ST in the morning, the watch will wear quite loose. By the afternoon, once my day is a bit warmer and I’ve had some more hydration, the 15510ST will be the right fit.
Lastly, I wish I could feel more comfortable wearing my Royal Oak out and about. This is a function of our times with the increased recognizability of certain styles of watches. There are fewer and fewer places where I feel comfortable wearing my 15510ST due to the Royal Oak’s ease of spotting by criminals. AP has obviously recognized and launched the AP Coverage Service where they will cover instances of theft for the first 2 years. While this program is a nice touch, and this is also why we have watch insurance, I am still very conscious of when and where I wear my 15510ST.
What questions should I be asking for my next review? Please comment below!