Royal Oak Perpetual vs Oyster Perpetual: Key Differences

If you are thinking about purchasing a Branded watch? This means it is now down to Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Rolex Oyster models both of which fall under the perpetual type. Well, they are both quite cool and unique in their own way and you can’t really compare one to the other such as apple and orange. Here is information about these two watches and then sit back and determine which one is right for you to wear on your wrist.

What Are These Watches All About?

Let me first clear one thing before I proceed with the arguments regarding these watches:

The Royal Oak Perpetual

This is a Hulk watch with Audemars Piguet. It has a built-in perpetual calendar that shows the date, day, month and even 12-year cycle of leap year without adjustment up to the year 2100.

The Oyster Perpetual

It just says that the Rolex Oyster Perpetual is derived out of a less complicated design, which makes it easy to maintain and clean as well. All it can do is display time but it does that to perfection.

Royal Oak Perpetual vs Oyster Perpetual: Comparison

Here’s a quick look at how these watches stack up:

How They Look

Royal Oak Perpetual

• It’s got an eight-sided bezel
• The bracelet is part of the case
• The dial has a cool “Grande Tapisserie” pattern
• It’s got little dials for all the calendar stuff

This watch is like that cousin who always shows up to family parties in flashy clothes. It’s unique and people notice it.

Oyster Perpetual

• It’s got a round case
• The bezel is smooth
• The dial is clean and simple
• It has an Oyster bracelet

This one’s more like your friend who always looks good without trying. You could wear it anywhere and it’d fit right in.

What They Can Do

This is where these watches really start to show their differences.

Royal Oak Perpetual

This watch is like a tiny computer on your wrist. It shows:

• The day, date, and month
• When the next leap year is
• The phase of the moon
• What week of the year it is

It’s cool, but all this stuff makes the watch thicker and more complicated.

Oyster Perpetual

This one keeps it simple:

• It tells the time

That’s it. No extras. This makes it thinner and maybe more versatile.

What’s Inside: The Movements

Royal Oak Perpetual

What is housed in this watch is something known as the Caliber 5134. It’s made by Audemars Piguet and it’s pretty impressive

• It’s got 374 parts
• 38 jewels
• It has a 40-hour battery life: that is when it is not even on your wrist!
• The balance wheel (that is- the part that operates the time) oscillates 19,800 cycles an hour

It’s like a tiny city working together inside your watch.

Oyster Perpetual

This one uses Rolex’s Caliber 3230. It’s simpler but still really good:

• It’s got something called a Chronergy escapement (that’s the part that keeps the watch ticking)
• The hairspring (another important part) is made of a special material that’s not affected by magnets
• It can run for 70 hours off your wrist
• The balance wheel swings 28,800 times an hour

This movement is nonetheless about getting it right and being right. It is like a train that is always going to be punctual regardless of the situation that may be encountered.

What They’re Made Of

Royal Oak Perpetual

• The case and bracelet can be steel or fancy metals like gold or platinum
• The crystal (that’s the clear part over the dial) is sapphire
• You can see the movement through the back

Oyster Perpetual

• The case and bracelet are made of Oystersteel (that’s Rolex’s special steel)
• The crystal is sapphire too
• The back is solid steel, so you can’t see inside

Both watches use really good materials, but the Royal Oak lets you peek at its insides.

How Much They Cost

Here is the place where one discerns some fairly radical changes.

The former known as Royal Oak Perpetual is way more expensive as compared to the Oyster Perpetual. In this case, we are dealing with Tukey’s finding of tens of thousands of dollars difference. The costs of watches like the Royal Oak Perpetual can go way above $60,000 while the Oyster Perpetual goes for about $5,000 to $6,000.

Why then a difference of several sizes larger? That is so because the Royal Oak Perpetual is a far more complicated creation in comparison to the chronograph caliber. And also Audemars Piguet does not produce the amount of watches that Rolex does, so each piece is more substantial.

Some Cool Stuff You Might Not Know

About the Royal Oak Perpetual

1. The design was inspired by old diving helmets
2. It can tell the correct date until March 1, 2100
3. The leap year indicator is hidden at 12 o’clock
4. It’s so thin for a perpetual calendar watch that it set a world record when it came out

About the Oyster Perpetual

1. The “Perpetual” in its name refers to the self-winding movement, not a calendar
2. It was the first waterproof wristwatch in the world
3. The crystal is slightly domed, which is a nod to older Rolex models
4. The dial colors change every few years, making some versions more collectible

A Real Person’s Take

I talked to a guy named Mike (not his real name) who’s owned both these watches. Here’s what he said:

“The Royal Oak Perpetual is like having a piece of art on my wrist. It’s beautiful and I love showing it off. But for everyday stuff, I usually grab my Oyster Perpetual. It’s comfy, goes with everything, and I don’t worry too much if I bang it around a bit.”

Which One Should You Get?

Well, there we have one of the biggest questions, would they ever be able to put this into practice? Here are some things to think about:

1. Money: Are you in the position to lay your hands on a watch, costing over $60,000 or do you prefer the mid-range of $5000-$6000?
2. Your Life: Are you searching for a watch you can use practically in your work, sport or when traveling during a trip, or do you want a watch for formal occasions, a dinner party, or a ball?
3. What It Does: Are you passionate about a watch that is programmed to have the date etched in it or all you want is the time?
4. Brand: Which brand do you prefer more: Audemars Piguet or Rolex?
5. Can You Get One?: I also note that the Royal Oak Perpetual is less common than the Oyster Perpetual.

The Bottom Line

Both these watches are great, but they’re for different people.

You might like the Royal Oak Perpetual if you:

• Love complicated watches
• Want something that makes people say “Wow”
• Don’t mind spending a lot of money
• Like a watch that stands out

You might prefer the Oyster Perpetual if you:

• Like things simple and reliable
• Want a watch you can wear every day
• Don’t want to spend a fortune
• Like a classic look

And in the end, it’s what you like, you life you live, and how much you have.” As for these two watches, both are good products and are bound to be long-lasting.

Still, a watch is much more than that small thing that every man and woman have on their wrists for telling the time. If you want other people to know what kind of person that you are then flashing is one sure way of achieving that. Or if you are wearing the Royal Oak Perpetual, or the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, you are wearing a piece of horological history on your wrist.

Therefore, which one will it be? Is it the one of glitter or the traditional one? Which one of the two is rather complicated, and which one is easier? Well, that’s entirely up to you, which means that there is no bad decision. Happy watch shopping!

FAQs

It’s possible but not recommended. The integrated bracelet is a key design feature. Changing it may affect the watch’s value and aesthetics.

Rolex recommends servicing the Oyster Perpetual every 10 years, but it may need attention sooner depending on use.

While water-resistant, it’s not designed for swimming. The Oyster Perpetual is better suited for water activities.

Yes, you can manually wind the Oyster Perpetual by unscrewing the crown and turning it clockwise.

Yes, it features luminescent coating on the hands and hour markers for visibility in low light conditions.