How well do you think the design details of a RO age?

[macrowatch]

Curious for others thoughts. I was flipping through the coffee table book of AP watches and it struck me that while the recent AP RO's over the last 3-5 years have been mind blowingly innovative design wise (think full ceramic and openworked ceramic) that the flip

I was flipping through the AP coffee table book yesterday and struck me how modern and different current AP RO look compared to their predecessors. Obviously at the extreme you have full ceramic or open worked ceramic, but even smaller details like how the tapisserie looks makes a vintage RO look very out of date IMHO -- dare I say even 'old' looking. This is compared to the feeling I get looking at vintage sports Rolexes where while the dials may look aged, with less innovation and changes, the vintage Rolex dial doesn't look as 'old'.

So I'm feeling while I love the current designs of the modern AP, especially as a recent convert to wearing ROO, I sometimes wonder if these designs will age too quickly and become sore on the eyes (made outdated by even more innovative AP watches to come).

[AK797]

I know what you mean about the smaller more dotty taps on the earlier models, they are very much of their time and some do love them for that. The modern taps on the RO I think are pretty inoffensive so should age well, and the case and shape of the Gentas, altho unorthodox, do very much stand the test of time and have now redefined watch architecture, so no worries there.

With the ROO, the 42s are still classics to my eyes as the original, but they have been updated to the 44 and 43 style and so do look a little quaint/pedestrian by comparison; the next level I guess would be the Concept case or some such futuristic design, but they don't do it for me and many others so I'm pretty happy that the current ROOs will age well.

[sgwatchguy]

Not a RO you see often. For good reason.

I sometimes wonder if the open worked models will age well.

[fsprow]

I think the early Genta designs are essentially perfect and are likely to stand the test of time. I love the 15202 and would relish it in ceramic if that became a reality.

I agree with Genta that the Royal Oak Offshore is a disservice to his design and expect he would feel the same way about openworked, tourbillons etc.

[GS93108]

I seem to be contrary to everything in life. I've never owned a RO, only ROOs, the design simply didn't appeal to me. However, now that they've jazzed things up with ceramics and frosted and so on, not only my attitude has changed but so has my wife's. Thus, for me the RO isn't dated - it's just about to come alive and into my life...

But, in all seriousness, I don't think the design has fared to badly, it's certainly looking pretty good at 50 years old, so did the e-type and so did Cindy Crawford, some things just age well.

[VogelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by sgwatchguy

I sometimes wonder if the open worked models will age well.

I'll take my chances, AP willing

[ts3]

I believe that the RO and the Nautilus will become a lot less fashionable again compared to the past say 5 years. Design trends are cyclical, at best that is. Some stuff never comes back, but hardly anything stays en vogue forever. It is anybody's guess if the cycle on Genta will turn in 2, 5, or more years but I expect a time when we'll be looking back shaking our heads.

[huncho]

to be honest the RO design looks outdated period, and i'm a huge AP fan. i think the bracelet is by far the best in the game and the RO line is pure art, but if you take a step back and look at it as an outsider it blatantly looks like a watch from 50 years ago. for that reason i don't see it ever becoming outdated. if it's still accepted and highly sought after to this day then why should we expect much to change there

[macrowatch]

Originally Posted by fsprow

I think the early Genta designs are essentially perfect and are likely to stand the test of time. I love the 15202 and would relish it in ceramic if that became a reality.

Totally agree Fsprow! Proportions of the jumbo are perfect (relationally from the octogon to the squares to the date window to the hour markers). All other RO iterations just seem...slightly off in one way or another? Take the 15300, I love the size but hate the AP logo placement at the 12'oclock location.

Originally Posted by ts3

I believe that the RO and the Nautilus will become a lot less fashionable again compared to the past say 5 years. Design trends are cyclical, at best that is. Some stuff never comes back, but hardly anything stays en vogue forever. It is anybody's guess if the cycle on Genta will turn in 2, 5, or more years but I expect a time when we'll be looking back shaking our heads.

I sometimes think about car designs about if it will just look today or if ti will age will and have staying power looks. Like GS93108 said it best, some things age well. Will refrain from making any statements about Crawford 2.0 in a public forum.

But like when the Audi R8 came out, I wondered will this design language still be fresh and contemporary in 10 years or will it look dated? And for me at least, I find myself surprised to say it still looks fresh 13 years later.

Originally Posted by huncho

to be honest the RO design looks outdated period, and i'm a huge AP fan. i think the bracelet is by far the best in the game and the RO line is pure art, but if you take a step back and look at it as an outsider it blatantly looks like a watch from 50 years ago. for that reason i don't see it ever becoming outdated. if it's still accepted and highly sought after to this day then why should we expect much to change there

@Huncho, 2 years ago I would have agreed with you 100%. But what pulled me into the AP brand was the AP ceramic openworked. And so I dare say the older AP's RO look dated not because the design language overall got dated, but because AP made the styling choices of that time look out dated with it's new innovation.

Maybe what I'm trying to say is that the visual look becomes obsolete with how quickly AP updates the look. Versus say the slowness of Rolex in updates. I hazard a guess that the current SS White Daytona, I think in 30 years it will still look good -- not because it's a good looking watch, even though it is, but because at most there will be what, 3 iterations of the watch to compare it against?

@sgwatchguy, I have that exact same feeling (dare I say fear) about the current openworked. And not because I think it will look bad in 10 years as a stand alone watch, but that they next one will make the current one look bad. That's the feeling I get when I look at the 15407 vs the last gen RO openworked. And of course yeah, I think that YG RO dial....blah...

[sgwatchguy]

Originally Posted by VogelPhoenix

I'll take my chances, AP willing

So will I my friend, so will I …

[AperolSpritz]

I disagree with some of the comments here.

My main point is that the RO by definition cannot look like a 50 year old watch as, imho, it was so ahead of its time when it came out in 72.
This essentially means an icon was created by Genta back then. And it will never age.

What has aged is some details, some variations of the watch, like those RO with different strap attachments that look very outdated or some of the dials. The font of the date window is also something that you see aging (but maybe more a detail).

But for me the main RO line - initial RO, 15300/15202/15400/15500 essentially age very well or they don't at all...

The mere fact that all watch brands are coming up, even today with refreshed or brand new sport watches with integrated bracelets is the sign of that. No one tries to copy outdated designs, and the mother of all these watches is the RO, Genta's masterpiece (my view of course but also his). Even the Nautilus is a follower...

[Burlington]

I tend to think true quality never ages, it just becomes classic.

[sgwatchguy]

Originally Posted by macrowatch

@sgwatchguy, I have that exact same feeling (dare I say fear) about the current openworked. And not because I think it will look bad in 10 years as a stand alone watch, but that they next one will make the current one look bad. That's the feeling I get when I look at the 15407 vs the last gen RO openworked. And of course yeah, I think that YG RO dial....blah...

Well said and I’d agree. Simple classic designs are ageless which is why the 5402/15202 endures.

[Images and Words]

To me, RO is like a 911. Minimal changes that make it look fresh even when you think there is nowhere else to go.

[gliazzurri]

Originally Posted by Images and Words

To me, RO is like a 911. Minimal changes that make it look fresh even when you think there is nowhere else to go.

Agreed. Design stands the test of time.