1972–?19 variants
The original Royal Oak: 39 mm monocoque case (case middle and back in one piece) about 7 mm thick, octagonal bezel held by eight hexagonal through-screws, oversized gasket, hexagonal crown, integrated bracelet 344 by Gay Frères and a Tapisserie dial by Stern. Steel only until 1977, then also yellow gold, white gold and two-tone. The steel caseback carries a “small number” with a series letter (A–D) that AP introduced so a series of 1,000 still felt rare.
Planned as 1,000 pieces; 6,050 sold between 1972 and 2002 (4,288 ST, 876 SA, 736 BA, 150 BC). Sales dates are not production dates and small numbers were not sold in order (A859 sold two years after A860).
Faded ends mark approximate or unknown dates. Years are as stated by the cited sources.
Specs shared by all variants. Variant pages show where a variant differs.
Officially introduced in 1977. The dial usually has 11 diamond markers on round or square white-gold settings; with a gem-set dial the baton hands carry no tritium. No. 88 (case B23005, sold in Germany in 1979) has a black Tapisserie dial with diamonds.