AP Royal Oak 14790ST

NT931 · Feb 9, 2014

I never thought of myself as a Royal Oak sort of chap as I thought they were all waaay too big for my scrawny 6.3" wrist. However, one recently came up for sale in a local forum. It's an older 36mm 14790ST.

Out of curiosity I decided to meet the seller and try it on. And surprisingly, the 36mm size worked quite well!

It looks legit, dates from 2005, but it doesn't come with B&P, and the seller is the 2nd owner.

Any red flags for the watch or any irregularities that I should be aware of? Thanks guys!

Darlinboy · Feb 9, 2014

Looks legit to me. Looks as though it has had a polish, the edges aren't OEM crisp, but not too bad. The dial with outlined date is correct I believe. The F serial was produced from around 2001-2005. AP makes a lot fewer watches than other manufactures. A service on these can be expensive, so make sure you allow for that in the pricing. AP posts pricing on their website for various services.

I haven't checked "market price" for these, not a lot of these come up for sale. There is a current version in 37mm, the 14550ST.

Good luck with it!.

ulackfocus · Feb 9, 2014

Is that the dark blue dial or is it the AR coating giving that tint to a black dial?

The older 36 mm models are decent. One of the West Coast Florida guys has the annual calendar and that size works well on sub-7" wrist.

NT931 · Feb 9, 2014

Yup, it's the dark blue dial. It comes off slightly bluish-grey in real life though, which I was attracted to. It's fairly subdued which I like.

Thanks for the info about servicing Darlinboy - I'm going to call AP tomorrow to check their prices. I thought the JLC servicing prices were high in Singapore (more expensive than Rolex) but apparently AP is worse.

Privateday7 · Feb 9, 2014

It's a very nice AP RO !!!! I am told blue dial is rarer than the black or white dial. Unfortunately unlike Rolex or Omega, not many independent watchmakers are capable in handling high end watches such as AP, PP or VC. Many of my friends who owned AP or PP flies to Singapore for their watches' maintenance.

Tony C. · Feb 9, 2014

As you are surely aware, the Royal Oak has been a remarkable success and cash cow for AP over many years. I am a fan of some vintage AP models, though was never drawn to the Royal Oak design. A watchmaker whom I hold in very high regard did not have flattering things to say about the movements that powered some of the earlier versions, but I haven't canvassed any others.

In any case, that looks like a nice example.

Archer · Feb 11, 2014

Privateday7
It's a very nice AP RO !!!! I am told blue dial is rarer than the black or white dial. Unfortunately unlike Rolex or Omega, not many independent watchmakers are capable in handling high end watches such as AP, PP or VC. Many of my friends who owned AP or PP flies to Singapore for their watches' maintenance.

Servicing brands like AP, PP, VC, etc. has nothing really to do with the "capabilities" of the independents. I'm sure there are watchmakers out there that you would not want working on these watches if you owned them, but you probably don't want those guys working on your Rolex or Omega either.

The issue is access to parts. Without parts, it's pretty difficult to perform a proper service. Even if the watch doesn't need any parts, there is always a chance that something will get lost (fly out of your tweezers - happens to the best of us) and then you are in a jam if you can't get parts.

Vintage is different, as the brands didn't always restrict parts the way they do now. So some proof for you that an independent is certainly "capable" servicing say a PP:

Cheers, Al

ulackfocus · Feb 11, 2014

Yep, Steve serviced my VC with one caveat - he couldn't get parts if necessary.

NT931 · Feb 11, 2014

Thanks folks! Looks like all the watch brands ending with P or C (AP, PP, JLC, VC) deliberately restrict parts access. Servicing must be a significant component of their earnings - damn.

The other interesting part (to me) was the conversation I had with the AP rep over the phone. When I openly expressed my (honest) noob surprise at their servicing costs, and said "Gosh, that's a lot more than what Swatch, Rolex or Richemont charge", the lady somewhat haughtily said "But sir, we are not Swatch, Rolex or Richemont. We do things differently". Ouch.

Privateday7 · Feb 11, 2014

Archer
Servicing brands like AP, PP, VC, etc. has nothing really to do with the "capabilities" of the independents. I'm sure there are watchmakers out there that you would not want working on these watches if you owned them, but you probably don't want those guys working on your Rolex or Omega either.

The issue is access to parts. Without parts, it's pretty difficult to perform a proper service. Even if the watch doesn't need any parts, there is always a chance that something will get lost (fly out of your tweezers - happens to the best of us) and then you are in a jam if you can't get parts.

Vintage is different, as the brands didn't always restrict parts the way they do now. So some proof for you that an independent is certainly "capable" servicing say a PP:

Cheers, Al

Al certainly you are few among independent watchmakers who could be trusted with those high end brands.

AuBuyer · Feb 11, 2014

The AP RO is one of the most comfortable watches to wear, I think Genta designed it that way.

Moeris · Feb 12, 2014

Hey! That's my watch.

One of the best timekeepers in my "collection." Thanks, Al!

Archer · Feb 13, 2014

You are welcome - it was a nice change from the stuff I normally service.

Cheers, Al

NT931 · Feb 14, 2014

So here's the happy end to the RO adventure. It turned out that there is a place locally that can service RO's (and has parts) at a reasonable price so I took the plunge and bought the watch.

I'm really liking it. The dial colors change with the lighting, much like my teak-grey AT8500, and the bracelet is just awesome to look at.

Size-wise, the 36mm is perfect for my wrist. Any larger and the overhang would just make me look odd. Plus I still can't get over the fact that it's actually <10mm thin, which surprised me when I first wore it.

Yippee! 🤩 Thanks folks for advice and enabling

dsio · Feb 14, 2014

I wish you'd bought it a week earlier, would have been awesome to see!

Privateday7 · Feb 14, 2014

Aweeeesommmeee 🥰

Darlinboy · Feb 15, 2014

Beautiful watch, and a classic Genta design... Wear it in good health!👍

Privateday7 · Jun 26, 2014

NT931
So here's the happy end to the RO adventure. It turned out that there is a place locally that can service RO's (and has parts) at a reasonable price so I took the plunge and bought the watch.

I'm really liking it. The dial colors change with the lighting, much like my teak-grey AT8500, and the bracelet is just awesome to look at.

Size-wise, the 36mm is perfect for my wrist. Any larger and the overhang would just make me look odd. Plus I still can't get over the fact that it's actually <10mm thin, which surprised me when I first wore it.

Yippee! 🤩 Thanks folks for advice and enabling

Hi Nigel, is your 'locally service place with reasonable price' JW watch?
I need to know if I ever need to service my TT 14790 as well. And yes 36mm size is perfect for my wrist,too.

NT931 · Jun 27, 2014

Yep, JW it is. Be prepared for a 3-5 mth wait though...

Long71 · Jun 27, 2014

From personal experience, the parts issue is partly surmountable, if you get a model which has been around for some time, since there are still occasional parts available on Ebay. Mechanical parts for a calibre 2121/1121 do come, albeit not all the time. The harder parts to find are the seals, which are unique to the Royal Oak case. Since these are perishable, they need to be replaced and I picked one up a few years ago and used it in a recent service. The rubber ring cost around 100 Euro, but that's still cheaper than an AP service. Crowns aren't cheap either. Bracelet parts and dials come up for sale more frequently, but you'd have to be very careful about sizing. Overall, by purchasing spares, you can provide for future servicing at an independent watchmaker, but I suspect that I'll eventually have to bite the bullet and send it to Le Brassus for the arm and leg treatment. Just need to pay off the mortgage first.

Conor