Even though the collection is over 50 years old, Audemars Piguet maintains exclusivity and interest in new Royal Oak models in three primary ways: By using interesting case materials; by putting complicated movements in Royal Oak watches; and by offering Royal Oak watches with skeletonized movements. This reference 16204 (16204BA.OO.1240BA.01) Royal Oak “Jumbo” represents this third approach. Not only does this timepiece feature a stunning 18k yellow-gold case, but it also has a highly skeletonized movement as part of this Extra-Thin Openworked package.

While the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Openworked is by no means inexpensive, it is among the more practical ultra-luxuries available in this range. This is primarily because the movement is simple (less maintenance or opportunities to break) and because much of the timepiece’s appeal is visual (gold case, open-worked dial and movement). That means you can easily wear this Royal Oak Jumbo reference 16204 daily and get plenty of looks, but not worry too much about fragility. Then again, 18k gold cases will show scratches and signs of wear if not babied a bit; however, nothing a very expensive repolishing can’t fix.

This Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Openworked can be mistaken for the similar and slightly larger 41mm wide Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked watch. Ironically, given that the 39mm Royal Oak Jumbo (also ironically smaller than the non-Jumbo titled Double Balance Wheel) watch is newer, it has a slightly higher price point even though it uses a bit less gold and has a simpler movement.

In 18k yellow gold, the 39mm wide Royal Oak case and matching bracelet are beautiful. This is the perfect size for my wrist, although larger wrists might prefer the 41mm wide version of the Royal Oak that Audemars Piguet also produces. “Extra-Thin” means a case thickness of 8.1mm, and the case is water resistant to 50 meters. While opinions on all-gold watches vary in the timepiece enthusiast space, two watches that are consistently approved of in 18k gold are the Rolex Day-Date “President,” and the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. What I also like about this particular reference is that the dial has a rare, matching 18k yellow tone. Most of the time you won’t see a case color-matching dial on a Royal Oak watch, and I think the look is handsome. You still have plenty of contrast in the hands and hour markers (which are in 18k white gold) which allows for legibility. Something about an all-gold case and skeletonized dial makes this version of the Royal Oak feel particularly stately. The hands and hour markers have luminant on them for dark viewing.

Inside the Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Openworked is the in-house Audemars Piguet Calibre 7124 automatic movement. This more modern mechanism operates at 4Hz with a power reserve of 57 hours. The movement has 211 parts and is just 2.7mm thick with an elaborately skeletonized automatic rotor. I believe that Audemars Piguet produces non-skeletonized versions of this same movement architecture, but it is impressive to see how much they were able to strip away for this open-worked visual experience that extends from the front side of the watch to the back. Note that for purposes of elegance and style, the dial of the watch does not have a running seconds hand and merely shows the time with hours and minutes. It would have been nice to have a subsidiary seconds dial somewhere.

While this yellow gold with matching dial reference 16204BA.OO.1240BA.01 is new for 2023, does Audemars Piguet currently make any other versions of the Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Openworked? They do, but only one model and it is in 18k pink gold with an anthracite-toned open-worked movement. I think it is also interesting to note that the price premium required for the Openworked version of the dial and movement in 39mm 18k gold Royal Oak Jumbo watches is about USD 25,000. Among them all, the 18k yellow gold on yellow gold is my favorite given the style and sheer ability to impress while also offering a comfortable wearing experience. The price for the reference 16204BA.OO.1240BA.01 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked watch is USD 103,000. Learn more at the Audemars Piguet website.