12 Royal Oak Alternatives For Every Budget

So, you love Audemars Piguet’s inarguably iconic Royal Oak, but you are looking for some Royal Oak alternatives that capture the vibe of the watch at a price point that won’t give you night sweats? You and I, my friend, are in the same boat, chugging along the turbulent sea that is modern watch pricing. Recently, it seems that I have set out on a personal renegade mission to target some of the most well-known watch designs of all time, and offer a sampling platter of alternatives that go down a little easier, with price tags that won’t keep you up at night questioning how yourself and your family will ever recover from your watch collecting hobby. Clearly, my next target is the Royal Oak, which just so happens to be one of my favorite watches of all time. 

For anyone new here, the rules of the road are as follows: below, I will offer up some watches at various price points, from the extremely affordable (under $200, perhaps) watch alternatives from various brands as bounty. These picks will range from blatant copycats (or homages to the Royal Oak, if you prefer) to other, more wild-card picks that, in my point of view, demonstrate a key ingredient of the design at hand, though it might be less obvious at first glance. In the Royal Oak alternatives recipe, those key ingredients are an integrated bracelet construction (or the appearance of one, with the help of a quick-release strap mechanism), bezels with complex geometry, and an overall feeling of sportiness. Of course, if you are one of the chosen few who can readily afford the real deal, go right ahead. I don’t throw the word icon around lightly, so this is in no way an attempt to discredit the strengths of the Royal Oak. But in that case, this roundup is not for you, and, yes, I am jealous. 

History Of The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 

Given that an illustrious history is often the cornerstone of what makes watch design stand the test of time, it is par for the course to touch briefly on the origin story of the Royal Oak. To further dive into the history of Royal Oak, I will refer you to this article we’ve previously published that tackles the subject more in-depth. Like many of the big Swiss watch brands, the legacy of Audemars Piguet goes all the way back to 1875, and the brand was already well established before the Royal Oak hit the scene. But still riding high on the boom of the post-war period, and faced with the boldness and innovation in the watchmaking world of the late 60s, the watchmaking house was looking for its next big thing – something that was dramatically different from the established watchmaking codes of the time, something that would be on the forefront of the experimental attitudes and stylings of the decade to come. 

As you are likely anticipating, there is another icon that enters the story at this point, none other than the design darling of the watch world, Gérald Genta. By the time that Genta got the fateful late afternoon call that would lead to the Royal Oak’s initial sketch, the designer had already been collaborating with AP since selling his first initial designs to the watchmaker in the 1950s, and had two smash-hit designs under his belt with the Universal Genève Polerouter and the Omega Constellation. The collaboration between AP and Genta was also reaching a fever pitch in the late 1960s, with Genta contributing several designs that demonstrated the complex geometry and architectural influences that are a hallmark of their collaboration (and Genta’s design portfolio at large), even including an oyster shell ladies handbag with a thin watch inside, which won an honorable Prix de la Ville de Genève in 1967.

So, back to that famous late afternoon call. As legend has it, Georges Golay rang Genta at around 4 pm with a strange request, “Mr. Genta, we have a distribution company that has asked us for a steel sports watch that has never been done before – and I need the design sketch for tomorrow morning.” The designer got to work, but in the panic of the tight deadline, Genta actually misheard the request as “a watch that had water-resistance like never before.” This ended up being one of the most successful acts of miscommunication of all watch time, leading Genta to draw inspiration from a diving helmet (a scaphander helmet, to be precise) he had seen during his childhood. The sketch was created in the course of a single night, complete with the integrated bracelet that would forever change the world of watches, the octagonal shape with eight exposed screws, and the monohull case construction, and guilloché work dial. This design would lead to the debut of the sketches of the Royal Oak to be unveiled at the 1969 Basel World fair (before Basel was Basel, technically), while the first commercially available models would be released in 1972. 

Given the audacious design and audacious price tag (the RO was more expensive than any steel watch previously available on the market), the initial reception of the Royal Oak was lukewarm, and the passage of time was necessary for the design to achieve its well-earned praise. There have been numerous riffs and complications added to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak family, and now, we can recognize it as the blueprint for the first true luxury sports watch.  

Tissot PRX 

Now that we’re caught up on our history lesson, it feels right to begin with what I’m calling my “Captain Obvious” pick on this roundup. The one you were expecting this whole time, the watch we know and love: the Tissot PRX. 

As you likely are already well aware, the Tissot PRX is the largely accepted gateway drug to the world of Swiss-made, mechanical watches, and its stylistic connection to the Royal Oak is undeniable. Though the bezel is thin and rounded, which differs from the familiar octagonal bezel of the Royal Oak, the tonneau-shaped case and integrated bracelet style of it all make it the first no-brainer alternative. The textured “waffle” dial is another win in the PRX’s favor. Now, the brand has riffed and expanded on its fan-favorite PRX in just about any and every color and size you can dream of (most recently releasing a quartz-powered micro-mini take on the line in 25mm), though I would say the 40mm Powermatic 80 models are the most beloved of the bunch, and closest to the 39mm sizing of the original Royal Oak. For under $1,000, you’re getting that luxury sports watch look, a Swiss-made mechanical movement with the Powermatic 80 caliber, and pretty impressive water resistance of 100 meters. Though this is not the most affordable Royal Oak alternative on my list, you’re still getting a whole lot of watch for the price. 

G-SHOCK GA-2100

Now moving into another obvious choice as a Royal Oak alternative, but at a much more affordable price, we have none other than what’s been fondly nicknamed the CasiOak. The G-SHOCK 2100 series has achieved the status of a watch icon in the streetwear world all on its own, but its distinct octagonal bezel is what’s made it so closely tied to the Royal Oak.

There are countless riffs and iterations of the brand’s 2100 series out there, with pricing for its resin models starting at just $99. I would say the GA2100-1A1 is the cult-classic of the bunch, but if you have a little more wiggle room in your budget, maybe take a look at the brand’s fine metal and full metal expansions if you want something that more aptly captures the steel sports watch vibe. Since we’re working with G-SHOCK here, we’re well within beater watch territory, and, of course, the GA-2100 models all feature the rugged shock resistance, water resistance, and extensive functionality we’d expect, along with the ease of being quartz powered. 

Breda SYNC

Now onto something a bit quirkier, a bit more off the beaten path, Breda is a brand that has quickly become one of my brands to watch. If I said it before, and I’ll no doubt say it again, but there are few brands out there that are making products that really speak to a youthful, stylish consumer base, at a price point that a younger generation of watch wearers can actually afford. And though most of their pieces are under the $200 mark, they don’t look like it in the slightest. 

Breda’s Sync, though it isn’t expressly a sports watch, does capture the vibe and look of what I typically think of as a luxury sports watch, really due to its integrated, tapered bracelet. The 25mm dial with a bubbly, rounded bezel is positioned within a case that’s shaped almost like a puzzle piece, which fits in seamlessly with the bracelet links. I think what makes this watch feel much more premium is the brushed finishing on the case, dial, and bracelet, which adds a sense of visual continuity and harmony. The basis of Breda is that it's a unisex-forward brand, the majority of the links on the 28mm tapered bracelet can be removed to fit smaller wrist sizes, and are on hinge mechanisms to fit the wrist more snugly. The Breda Sync is powered by Miyota Quartz, but that’s to be expected given the $195 price tag for this Royal Oak alternative.

Bulova Super Seville

If you are quartz-phobic, I will give you your trigger warning here. But quartz and all, I think that Bulova’s Super Seville line is one of the best-looking in the brand’s contemporary catalog, and severely underrated. 

Why I’m making the connection here with the Royal Oak really boils down to the integrated style bracelet here, even though there are other options from Bulova that might have more complex, Royal-Oak-adjacent geometry for their case and bezels (like the brand’s decagonal Series X). In my opinion, I just think the Super Seville looks better and is more wearable. The Super Seville also has its 1970s style influences working in its favor. This watch is a versatile 38mm in diameter, is powered by a high-precision Precisionist quartz movement which has a whopping 262kHz frequency, and retails for $695. For stone dial fans like myself, I highly recommend checking out the Super Seville collaboration models with Complecto. The Turquoise dial model is obviously my favorite. 

Citizen Zenshin Mechanical

I would consider this pick somewhat of a sleeper in the Citizen catalog. I have quite literally not seen anyone talk about this one, even though you’re getting that sports luxury style, titanium construction, and a mechanical movement for just over $600. Maybe I’m just completely out of the loop on the Zenshin Mechanical discourse. 

For the sake of transparency, I will admit that the dial design is not my favorite on the Zenshin Mechanical. My bias is toward the more minimal side of the spectrum, and if it were up to me, I would have done away with the power reserve indicator and that text on the left of the dial. But despite my stylistic misgivings, the eight-sided case, integrated bracelet, and price point do work for the purposes of this article. This Zenshin Mechanical model measures 40.5mm in diameter, has snorkel-proof water resistance of 10 bar, and is powered by the 8213 automatic mechanical movement with hacking. At the time of writing, this piece is on sale for $468.75. 

Autodromo Group B

We have another quirky pick from a small brand here with Autodromo’s Group B. If you like the Royal Oak but happen to be a fan of Rally Racing or vintage cars in general, and want something a little different, I think this one might be up your alley. 

What’s fun about smaller, independent watch brands for me is that they really need to have their own distinct, punchy identity to set them apart from the pack, and Autodromo is a brand that is unafraid to be bold, experiment with color, and has a self-assuredness about what they bring to the table with their distinct DNA. The Group B is among their most popular creations, and what gives me the Royal Oak vibe in this case is, of course, that integrated bracelet that transitions seamlessly from the tonneau-shaped case. Though they’re definitely different, somehow, the notches in the bezel kind of remind me of the exposed screws on the Royal Oak as well. Another ingredient working in the Group B’s favor is its thin profile of just 9.9mm. The Autodromo Group B is 39mm in a bi-metallic composite of titanium and steel, is powered by the Miyota 9015 Automatic movement, and is priced at $975. 

Christopher Ward ”The Twelve”

Though I wouldn’t venture to call Christopher Ward’s The Twelve collection a Royal Oak copycat, I will say the line does tick the majority of the prerequisite boxes to qualify for this roundup of Royal Oak alternatives, and the brand itself cites the Royal Oak as a direct inspiration behind the design. 

As its name hints at, the bezel on this watch is twelve-sided, so the complex geometry is accounted for, and, of course, the sporty integrated bracelet that flows seamlessly from the case is another check. The textural dial is also another detail that I would consider in the vein of the Royal Oak aesthetic as well. I’ve gone with the 40mm take on The Twelve for the purposes of this roundup, which is powered by the Sellita SW-200-1 Automatic movement, which is on display through the sapphire crystal caseback. 

Nivada Grenchen F77

Though Nivada Grenchen is a brand with its own history to lean upon, I would say we’ve entered Royal Oak dupe territory here in the case of the F77 line (though the brand technically does claim that they released their own F77 integrated sports watch in the 1977, after Royal Oak mania began to catch on, so this is officially a heritage re-issue). I am not mad about it, and it is exactly the use case for my purposes. 

Octagonal bezel? Check. Integrated bracelet? Check check. Textured dial? Check. Exposed screws? Checkmate. Well played, Nivada Grenchen, well played. Something I also like about the F77 is that there are a variety of dial variations to choose from, including stone dials (hello, aventurine beauty), and you can also choose between either a date or no-date model, depending on your personal preference. The Nivada Grenchen F77 is 37mm in steel, water resistant to 100 meters, powered by the Swiss-made Soprod P024 automatic movement, and priced at $1,290. 

Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic

It might be a little uncouth of me to say, but the Alpiner Extreme has always kind of looked to me like if the Royal Oak started dabbling in steroids. Maybe this should be an inside thought, but I can’t take it back now…

Again, many key design ingredients are present. It’s kind of like if the Royal Oak was competing in the X Games. The Alpiner Extreme is a little beefier, a little more obviously rugged-looking than some of the Royal Oak alternatives (and the RO) on this list, but this is not a bad thing at all, and if you are going to put Extreme in the name of a watch, you better mean it, I guess. Instead of an octagonal bezel, the case of the Alpiner Extreme itself is where the geometry shines, though it's in a kind of unconventional rectangular shape, which mixes smooth lines with sharp angles. I will say that either side of the watch gives the impression that there are more angles on first glance. Of course, the integrated bracelet is present, and so are the exposed screws on the bezel, but there are six on the Alpiner Extreme versus the Royal Oak’s eight. The dial in this case is boldly textured with a pattern of interlocking triangles, and I quite like the pop of red with the triangle on the seconds hand. The Alpiner Extreme is a little on the larger side with its 42mm diameter, is water resistant to 200 meters, and is powered by the AL-525 caliber automatic movement. 

Baume & Mercier Riviera 

I will warn you here that we’re entering the more steeply-priced picks on this list, but given that the entry point of the Royal Oak is typically around $28,000, I would say I have some wiggle room in my budget here with our Royal Oak alternatives. Until recently, the Riviera collection with its 70s-era sports watch DNA has been the collection that Baume & Mercier has been putting most of its time and energy behind, so there are quite a few sizes, dial options, material constructions, and additional complications to choose from.

For my purposes here, I’m going to focus on the 36mm blue dial Riviera, as it strikes me as the most versatile of the bunch, and I would say it wears larger than its diameter might suggest. The Riviera shakes up the geometry of our formula here a bit with its dodecagonal case shape, but we do have four exposed screws, and a textural dial with a wave pattern going on. It also, of course, ticks the integrated bracelet box with its three-link bracelet, is powered by the Swiss-made Sellita SW200 automatic movement, and is priced at $2,900. 

Zenith DEFY Skyline 

I do kind of cringe at comparing a Zenith, which has its own illustrious legacy behind it, of course, to another brand, but that is the challenge I’m facing, and the Defy Skyline fits the bill to earn a spot on our list of Royal Oak alternatives. This 41mm Defy Skyline was released as a part of the line’s refresh from a few years back, which translated elements of the brand’s heritage Defy line into a new identity for the 21st century. 

Starting with the case, this Defy Skyline features a dodacagonal bezel positioned within an octagonal case, which gives the whole thing a very architectural look and feel. This model features a blue dial that’s embellished with a pattern of the four-pointed star, a date window at three o’clock (which is, thankfully, color-matched to the dial), and a 1/10th of a second indicator at nine o’clock. A huge plus for the Defy Skyline is that it is powered by the brand’s high-frequency El Primero 3620 automatic movement, which beats at 5 Hz, and has a power reserve of 60 hours. As I alluded to before, we’ve moved into higher ticket watches here, and this Defy Skyline is priced at $9,200, which I wouldn’t call affordable, but it is remarkably less than the Royal Oak. 

Girard Perregaux Laureato 

I’m going to finish this round-up of AP alternatives (which you can learn more about here) with something more in the realms of haute horology with Girard Perregaux’s Laureato. This pick is also one with the scariest price tag ($14,300 scary, to be exact). But when you are a vertically integrated maison that manufactures all components of your movements in-house, and have been in the watchmaking game for over two centuries, I suppose you call the shots on your pricing. 

The Laureato is probably Girard Perregaux’s most well-known design, with roots tracing back to 1975, and the brand was somewhat at the forefront of the integrated sports watch phenomenon, very close on the heels of the Royal Oak, you could say. Aside from its integrated bracelet, the Laureato also features that famous octagonal bezel, as well as a ‘Clous de Paris’ pattern on its dial. This model is 42mm, though the brand has other sizing options, including 36mm, and is powered by the in-house manufactured automatic Calibre GP01800 with a power reserve of 60 hours, and you can appreciate its fine finishing through the sapphire crystal caseback.