The Steel Chronographs of the Royal Oak Collection: A Study on Reference 25860ST

The Steel Chronographs of the Royal Oak Collection: A Study on Reference 25860ST

Audemars Piguet and the Royal Oak collection are a cornerstone of the entire watchmaking industry.


The watch, designed by Gerald Genta, has been widely discussed since its presentation in 1972 and has formally created the segment of sporty yet luxurious watches. This combination, seemingly contradictory, would prove to be the key to the enormous success of the Royal Oak, which still today retains the same dynamic lines of the case and bracelet, suitably modernized and mixed with the premium finishes present both externally and internally in the watch.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak reference 5402ST, the first Royal Oak marketed starting from 1972 (Andrea Piccinini Archive).

Among all the complications of classic watchmaking, the chronograph is the one that most enhances the sporty nature of a watch and would naturally be used for a watch with these characteristics. However, it would take over two decades from its presentation before a Royal Oak chronograph was seen. Only on the occasion of the 25th  anniversary of the collection in 1997 a Royal Oak chronograph was introduced through reference 25860ST, which would start a dedicated development line with various updates over the years.

For the record, in 1993 the Royal Oak Offshore collection was presented, whose first watch was indeed a chronograph, but it is was a totally different product line, designed to further emphasize the sporty nature of the Royal Oak and was not considered in this analysis.

The first Royal Oak Offshore reference 25721ST. Presented in Basel in 1993, it was designed by Emmanuel Gueit (courtesy Phillips).

This analysis will present all the main features of the Royal Oak chronograph reference 25860 in steel, describing its main details. Versions with leather straps, those with cases in precious materials, and the series produced for special occasions or specific customers will be excluded.

Another very important Royal Oak reference presented simultaneously with the 25860ST chronograph. The ref. 25831ST with Tourbillon complication was produced in only 25 pieces for the 25th anniversary of the Royal Oak model. This piece is number 1 of 25 (Andrea Piccinini Archive).

Presented in 1997, the first chronograph reference 25860ST carries on the tradition inaugurated 25 years earlier, maintaining the main features that led to the success of the Royal Oak, starting with the steel case. Reference 25860ST retains the 39mm and keeps the thickness at 11mm despite housing a complicated caliber.

A Royal Oak chronograph ref. 25860ST (Andrea Piccinini Archive)

To ensure the declared waterproofness (50m), the crown and chronograph pushers are screw-down with hexagonal heads, whose design echoes the shape of the bezel screws to remain consistent with the style of the watch.

Detail of the pushers and crown of a Royal Oak chronograph ref. 25860ST (Andrea Piccinini Archive).

The case-back, on the other hand, is closed with only the engraving of the “Royal Oak” logo, the serial number, and the consecutive number of the watch.

The back of an Audemars Piguet chronograph ref. 25860ST (Andrea Piccinini Archive).

Mechanically speaking, the caliber selected to power the watch is the 2385, derived from the Frédéric Piguet 1185, which Audemars Piguet appropriately modified with a dedicated rotor and finishes.
It is an automatic movement with a 40-hour power reserve, oscillation at 3Hz, 37 jewels, date, chronograph complication with column wheel, vertical clutch, and high-end decorations. This allowed to minimize the case size remaining faithful to the spirit of the Royal Oak and distancing itself from the Offshore collection. This movement was used for decades by many watchmaking houses and was considered very advanced at the time.

The 2385 caliber (Courtesy watchcollectinglifestyle.com).

The Audemars Piguet 25860ST was evolved and updated several times with some small stylistic variations.
Over its production history five different dial colors, two different types of dial patterns, and two different bracelet clasp were introduced.
From 1997 to about 2003 and until the first E serials, the dials featured a Micro Tapisserie pattern with a bronze finish around the chronograph counters.
After about 2003, the dials were modified with a Grande Tapisserie pattern, the bronze finish around the counters was removed, and the AP logo on the dial was changed.

A Micro Tapisserie dial (left) and a Grande Tapisserie dial (right). Note: the difference in the color of the edges of the chronograph counters, the different size of the squares that make up the background pattern of the dial, the AP logo that on the Grande Tapisserie dial has a dedicated background and is no longer printed directly on the geometric pattern of the dial.

It is useful to know that in the 25860ST chronographs, as in many other Royal Oak models, the last two digits of the reference indicate the color of the dial with which each 25860ST was originally equipped.


Let’s take look at them:

  • 25860ST.OO.1110ST.01: Anthracite/Dark Blue;
  • 25860ST.OO.1110ST.02: Electric Blue also known as “Klein”;
  • 25860ST.OO.1110ST.03: Dark Blue;
  • 25860ST.OO.1110ST.04: Bright Blue also known as “Cosmos”;
  • 25860ST.OO.1110ST.05: White.
A summary illustrating the 5 types of dials and related codes of the 25860 steel chronographs.

Some of these dials tended to shift and change color over the years.
Some rare examples of Anthracite (01) turned brown, while the White (05) turned cream.

An Anthracite dial turned Brown (left) and a white one turned Cream (right) (courtesy Phillips and Antiquorum).

As for the bracelet closure, the first 25860STs featured a single rectangular deployant clasp with the Gay Frères logo, but it was later replaced with one in the shape of the AP logo.
Both versions have a clasp with a spring-release system with the AP logo.

The first series bracelet closure with the Gay-Frères Logo.
The second series bracelet closure in the AP shape.
The outer clasp of the bracelet.

Lastly, I would like to mention a curiosity about this iconic Royal Oak model that not everyone knows. Among many collectors, the 25860ST, and in particular those specimens with an Anthracite dial (code 01), are nicknamed “Kasparov” because a 25860ST was often worn by the famous Russian chess player during his matches.

The famous Russian chess player Kasparov with a 25860ST with an anthracite dial on his wrist. Kasparov almost always wore his 25860ST during games, and that is why the 25860ST with an anthracite dial was often nicknamed “Kasparov” by collectors.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak reference 25860ST was discontinued in 2008 and was replaced by the 26300ST.
We will not cover the 26300ST reference here, which will soon be analyzed in detail in another post on my Blog.

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