AP Royal Oak Extra-Thin ‘Salmon Jumbo’ 15202BC

Audemars Piguet has never shied away from limited releases. There are boutique Royal Oaks, commemorative Royal Oaks, and custom-order Royal Oaks from early in the model’s history. Modern limited releases usually vary in dial hue or material. Today’s feature changes both. The white gold and salmon 15202BC was released in 2019 as a bit of a throwback to previous Royal Oaks. First, the 1980s 5402, a few of which were produced in white gold. Secondly, the 1990s 14802, a few which featured a deep salmon dial. One of those is currently for sale, by the way. This 15202BC combines both for an ultra-modern, historic, and range-topping Royal Oak package. AP has limited production at just 75 examples per year, making the market extremely competitive.

What this amounts to is a warm-toned metal 39mm case that is ultra-stealth to the uninitiated (or until you pick it up and realize the heft). Inside beats AP’s cal 2121 auto, which offers a 40 hour reserve at 19900 vph. The extra-thin architecture AP has become famed for could be considered a complication in itself, amounting to just a razor’s 8mm thickness. If you’re nitpicking, some say this dial has a little too much bronze in its tone to be considered a true salmon, but the ‘Salmon Jumbo’ moniker has survived nonetheless. The 15202BC in its full gold construction and limited production is modern AP to the core.

Only available to VVIP clients initially, examples are coming to the market more and more in recent years. There are probably ~240 examples currently in boutiques, safes, and wrists in total (3 years of 75 unit production plus a smidge). One can expect to spend the equivalent of a small country house for the priviledge of investment. You will never receive one from an AD if you’re not already expecting it.

This example sports a strong case with only very slight surface scratches, centered around the clasp. Its polished contrast bezel shows no hits. The dial, indices, and hands are all perfect. It comes with an original oversized box but not papers from an established retailer in London.

Find this Salmon Jumbo here from Watches London for 138000 GBP.