Replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo 15202, more commonly known as the “Jumbo”, reverting back to almost its original form as penned by Gerald Genta in 1972. The Jumbo is virtually identical to the original. Several notable changes have been made, however, one being the dark blue date wheel that matches the dial colour instead of the original white.
The most important change is the clasp. For the first time in its 40 year history the Jumbo has a double fold clasp, which means it sits much better on smaller wrists. I used to own a 1980s Royal Oak Jumbo – a beautiful timepiece – but the clasp would not centre on my wrist. The double fold clasp is an enormous and landmark achievement.
Everything else remains the same classic Royal Oak – the beautifully finished 39 mm case, the petit tapisserie dial and of course the movement. The ultra-thin cal. 2121 automatic movement, a wonderfully conceived movement that was a big deal when it was first unveiled. The finishing here seems better than on AP watches of the past, even compared to cal. 2121 of earlier years. For instance the anglage was mirror polished and rounded, while in the past I recall Royal Oak anglage looked stamped. Also new is the styling of the rotor, which now reflects the Royal Oak shape as well as the dial guilloche motif. The old style “AP” rotor is still attractive though it hadn’t changed in years and looked very eighties so this is not a bad thing.
