Released in 1972 and designed by Gerald Genta, watchmaking's most famous designer, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak was the first stainless steel luxury sports watch ever to exist. Released as a tactic to survive the quartz crisis, the Royal Oak can single-handedly be thanked for AP's existence today due to its astounding success, albeit it wasn't an overnight hit. Its sizeable tonneau-shaped case, signature integrated bracelet, octagonal bezel, exposed screws, and steel construction failed to win over collectors until a few years later. Today, the Royal Oak is one of the most highly-coveted timepieces in all horology as its previously dismissed design details have permeated across the industry and into watches like the Patek Philippe Nautilus, Vacheron Constantin Overseas, Rolex Oysterquartz, amongst many other legendary timepieces.

Watch is in excellent overall condition. Case exhibits only minor surface wear, with razor sharp chamfered edges. There is minor surface wear, and the bezel is sharp and well defined. Original tritium dial in excellent condition, with only minor signs of aging. Luminous on the dial has darkened slightly, and the hands are slightly lighter than the dial indexes. Bracelet has 20 links total, 6 of which are removable. There is minimal stretch.

With the current popularity of the Royal Oak, it can be quite difficult to find one in a moderate price range. The ref. 56303 is not one to overlook. Although measuring at 33mm, it does not wear small, especially if one is accustomed to vintage pieces. A fair comparison in size would be the Rolex Air-King model.