The ¡°first luxury sports watch made of steel¡±: This is the title of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, which came onto the market in 1972 and will soon be 50 years old. Rolex submariner replicas for sale The year it was released was not an easy one - all watch trends pointed towards quartz, and yet Audemars Piguet introduces the Royal Oak. The name says it all: The English King Charles II hid from his enemies in an oak tree during the Battle of Worcester in 1651, and the name was later adopted by the Royal Navy for seven battleships. The cannon hatches of 17th century warships inspired designer G¨¦rald Genta to design the clock - not the only icon he designed. The IWC Ingenieur and the Patek Philippe Nautilus also come from the Geneva-born designer.