Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26331ST.OO.1220ST.02 Black Dial on Steel Bracelet 2018

The Ref. 26331ST is the 41mm steel chronograph that Audemars Piguet positioned as the definitive daily-wear expression of the Royal Oak's sporting ambition. Introduced as an evolution of the 26320 line, it houses Caliber 2385 — a column-wheel automatic chronograph movement integrated into the Royal Oak's architecture with the same discipline that Gerald Genta applied to the original 1972 case. The column-wheel construction, which governs chronograph engagement through a rotating toothed wheel rather than a simpler cam, gives the pushers a precise, tactile resistance that distinguishes this movement from lesser chronograph executions. At 41mm, the case occupies the sweet spot between the original 39mm and the larger 41mm references that followed, wearing with authority without overwhelming the wrist.

The black dial is the configuration to seek in this reference. Against the "Grande Tapisserie" pattern — the fine hobnail guilloché that AP has applied to the Royal Oak since its first generation — black reads with a depth that the silver and blue variants simply don't match; the texture disappears into the surface in certain light and then reasserts itself completely as the angle shifts, a quality no photograph has ever captured honestly. Applied index markers and the integrated steel bracelet complete a coherent, unbroken aesthetic from dial to wrist. Warranty card dated 2018.

Offered in excellent condition with box and papers.