The New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Platinum and Smoked Green Dial

Before going further with this article, I want to apologize… I’m sorry because this watch will certainly create strong emotions on some of you. I’m not the one to blame here, it’s all Audemars Piguet’s fault. Yes, this new edition of the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin is simply stunning. Yes, it is the first time that the 15202 is available with a case entirely made in platinum. Indeed, it features a superb smoked green dial. And yes, as you’d expect, it will be a very rare watch. Say hello to the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Platinum and Smoked Green Dial 15202PT. And we’ve been lucky enough to spend some hands-on time with it. 

Not the first Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin in full platinum

Born in 1972, the Royal Oak was a disruptive watch. A watch that defined a new genre, that of the luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet. That of the stainless steel watch merging sportiness with haute horlogerie. This watch is the reference, the watch that created this fame we know today. And if it was originally defined as a stainless steel piece, Audemars Piguet quickly introduced editions in steel-and-gold or in full gold. However, the original Royal Oak “Jumbo” 5402 has never been made in platinum.

To find a Royal Oak Jumbo in full platinum, we have to go back to the year 2000, with the reference 14802 PT. In the context of its 125th anniversary, Audemars Piguet created several prototypes for a very special watch, an extra-thin model with solid platinum case and bracelet, fitted with a dial made of a granular blue stone and supposed to have a special decoration of the movement. The initial intention was to produce 125 examples, however, retailers expressed hesitations regarding the very high final price. In the end, only 8 watches were made, with movements that had no specific decoration. It has to be noted that some of the examples were fitted with “petite tapisserie” salmon-coloured dials.

As for the modern version of the Royal Oak, the reference 15202 that was launched in 2012 for the 40th anniversary of the model, there have been numerous variations, including stainless steel (of course), rose gold, yellow gold, titanium and platinum or white gold. But never a 15202 has been executed in full platinum. The brand has recently created a full platinum Jumbo for Japanese retailer Yoshida, the 15206PT, however with a stone dial and diamond indexes. As for the Jumbo 15202, the watch you’re about to see is a first.

The new Royal Oak “Jumbo” with Smoked Green dial

In the same vein as the 15202IP in titanium/platinum with its smoked blue dial and the 15202BC in white gold with a salmon dial, we’ll be talking again here about a rare edition, produced in low quantities, which will again make some noise. But admittedly, this new platinum and smoked green edition of the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin is quite something. Having the chance to see it in the metal, it is a very special watch, rather different in look and feel from the classic stainless steel edition.

The basics of the Royal Oak Extra-Thin are still present, of course. Apart from being now made of 950 platinum, the case of this new edition retains all the codes of the Royal Oak. This means identical proportions, with 39mm in diameter and 8.1mm in height. Also, the finishing of the case and the bezel is the same, with vertically brushed flat surfaces and polished accents on the angles and sides of the bezel. The 6-sided screws are still made from white gold with a polished surface and the case is still water-resistant to 50 metres. All in all, material aside, there’s not many differences to report compared to a 15202ST.

What changes, however, is the weight of the watch, platinum being about 2.5 times heavier than stainless steel. As such, the new Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Platinum is a watch that you’ll feel on the wrist (over 250 grams) but thanks to its integrated bracelet, the weight is fairly well distributed around the wrist and the watch feels balanced. Another difference is about colour and shine, since platinum reflects the light in a different way and has a slightly lighter and colder tone than stainless steel.

What really matters though with this new Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin 15202PT is the dial. For a few years now, Audemars Piguet has been using so-called “smoked” gradient dials on its collections, mostly on Royal Oak and Code 11.59. The titanium version of the Royal Oak launched in 2018 already showed that a gradient colour was a great match with the sharpness of the case. And this new platinum edition brings the smoked concept back, but also adds something new… or at least removes something iconic; the “petite tapisserie” pattern so often associated with this watch – but not always, as there have been multiple editions with textured or brushed dials too.

To contrast with the cold and bright colour of the case, Audemars Piguet here opted for a smoked green colour – something new for this collection – which is paired with a sunray-brushed pattern that enhances the colour in the central part of the dial. The colour is quite fascinating in the metal, changing from a vivid green tone to almost black in certain conditions. This colour, combined with the new finishing of the dial, really sets this watch apart. For the rest, the classic elements of the dial have been retained, such as the white gold luminescent hands and indexes, as well as the logos. The date is printed on a disc matching the dial.

This new Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin 15202PT is worn on the iconic integrated bracelet, identical to other editions of this watch – except for the material. Under the sapphire caseback is the self-winding extra-thin Calibre 2121, an in-house movement of only 3.05mm in height. Again, nothing new here as this is the movement associated with this collection for many years. We thus find back the same specifications, knowing a 2.75Hz frequency, a 40h power reserve, a bidirectional 21K gold rotor with an annular ring running on four jewels and balance with variable inertia blocks. The decoration is, as always, very appealing.

Once again, Audemars Piguet has dropped a superb watch, a future collectable version that will certainly be extremely hard to acquire. The beauty of this edition lies in its relative discretion, thanks to the use of platinum, contrasting with its exclusivity and with its superb green dial…

Availability & Price

The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Platinum Smoked Green Dial (ref. 15202PT.OO.1240PT.01) won’t be a limited edition, at least not in numbers. It will however be produced in low quantities – expect 100 pieces only for this year. It will only be available from AP houses as of April 2021. It will be priced at CHF 90,150 (excl. taxes).

For more details, please visit www.audemarspiguet.com.