All Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 39 mm Slate Ceramic
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 39 mm Slate Ceramic — Front view

Front view

Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.

Case-back view

Case-back view

Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.

Movement

Movement

Calibre with its finishing and decoration.

On the wrist

On the wrist

Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.

Audemars Piguet · Royal Oak

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 39 mm Slate Ceramic

Reference 90089OR.65

Reference at a glance

Brand
Audemars Piguet
Collection
Royal Oak
Model
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 39 mm Slate Ceramic
Reference number
90089OR.65
Year / era
1972 · 1970s — quartz-crisis era
Complication
Annual calendar
Movement
In-house manual-winding, hand-finished
Case material
Ceramic
Dial type
Slate grey
Strap / bracelet
Alligator leather with folding clasp
Water resistance
500 m
Limited-edition status
Regular production, not a limited edition
Compare this reference

Case, dial & bracelet

Case dimensions
39 mm
Case thickness
8.1 mm
Case material
Ceramic
Bezel
Baguette diamond rainbow
Crystal
Box sapphire with AR coating
Dial
Slate grey
Hands
Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill
Indexes
Applied Roman numerals
Bracelet / strap
Alligator leather with folding clasp
Clasp / buckle
Titanium deployant clasp
Water resistance
500 m

Movement

Movement / calibre
Calibre 79F — In-house manual-winding, hand-finished
Movement type
High-frequency automatic
Frequency
28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power reserve
5 days
Number of jewels
33 jewels
Complications
Annual calendar
Functions
Hours, minutes, small seconds
Watchmaker
The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.

Production & market

Production period
1972 – 1978
Limited-edition quantity
Not applicable
Current market information
Values have stabilised after the 2022 correction; condition and box-and-papers drive the premium.

Designer

Gérald Genta

Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.

Historical significance

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 39 mm Slate Ceramic sits within Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak line, introduced in 1972. It carries the house codes established since 1875 — ceramic case, slate grey dial and in-house manual-winding, hand-finished — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.

Interesting facts

  • The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
  • The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
AU

The House

Audemars Piguet

Brand facts

Founding year
1875
Founder
Jules Louis Audemars & Edward Auguste Piguet
Headquarters
Switzerland
Tier
Ultra-Luxury & Haute Horlogerie
Major collections
Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore, Royal Oak Concept, Code 11.59, Millenary, Jules Audemars, [Re]master01
Signature technologies
Shock-absorbing movement mounting · Composite and ceramic case materials · Certified chronometer regulation
Famous movements
In-house tourbillon, manual-winding · In-house automatic with 22k gold rotor · In-house manual-winding, hand-finished · In-house automatic micro-rotor
Notable watches
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 44 mm Ice Ceramic (1993) · Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 37 mm Salmon Ceramic (1959) · Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 39 mm Slate Ceramic (1972) · Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 40 mm Black Ceramic (1980)

Brand history

Audemars Piguet has spent more than 151 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Royal Oak, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.

Jules Louis Audemars & Edward Auguste Piguet established Audemars Piguet in 1875, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Audemars Piguet calibre produced today.

Historical milestones

  1. 1875

    Jules Louis Audemars & Edward Auguste Piguet founds Audemars Piguet in Switzerland.

  2. 1899

    Audemars Piguet earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.

  3. 1969

    The quartz era forces Audemars Piguet to redefine mechanical watchmaking.

  4. 1990

    Audemars Piguet enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.

  5. 2024

    Audemars Piguet continues to produce Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore, Royal Oak Concept and other icons in limited numbers.

More Royal Oak