Royal Oak Chronograph 39 (first gen)

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph reference 25860ST represents the first generation of the 39 mm Royal Oak Chronograph, produced from 1997 to 2008. Housed in a stainless steel case with the line's signature octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet, it pairs Gerald Genta's iconic architecture with serious in-house chronograph capability. The reference was offered across several dial variants — blue, black, and white — each retaining the hallmark Grande Tapisserie pattern.

Introduced in 1997, the 25860ST arrived as Audemars Piguet sought to bring a dedicated chronograph to the Royal Oak's core 39 mm format. Powering the watch is Calibre 2385, a column-wheel integrated chronograph movement developed in collaboration with Jaeger-LeCoultre and sharing its architecture with the celebrated calibre found in the Royal Oak Offshore of the same era. The reference remained in production for over a decade, establishing the proportions and aesthetic language that subsequent Royal Oak Chronograph generations would follow. Among collectors, the 25860ST is regarded as the purest expression of the first-generation Royal Oak Chronograph.