New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Automatic 37mm Stainless Steel Watch, Blue Dial Fifty years later, slimmer silhouettes and cleaner dials look fresh.

Updating a watch that has marked a brand's identity for 50 years has freed the brand from the onslaught of quartz in the 1970s and spawned a whole new genre, the luxury sports watch, a subtle balancing act. Too many tweaks, and you risk changing its gene pool; no change at all, and you perpetuate the dinosaur. As our readers know, the luxury stainless steel sports watch by Gerald Genta in 1972 was named the Royal Oak, marking the ins and outs of watch design that spawned the most competitive segment in the watch market today one. While the stars of the Royal Oak's 50th anniversary celebration are the RO Jumbo Extra-Thin 16202 and Openworked 16204, the brand announced that the permanent Royal Oak collection will also be updated throughout 2022, including this RO Selfwinding 37mm featuring a new automatic movement. As you'll find out, the facelift doesn't change the look of Genta's dynamic design, but improves its silhouette and enhances its ergonomics for a sleeker, more comfortable experience.

While we'll be looking at two blue 37mm self-winding models, there are 11 37mm models in the collection that benefit from a "new design evolution," ranging from stainless steel, two-tone and solid gold cases to diamonds— Set the bezel and a range of attractive dial colors. It's worth mentioning that the 37mm version of the Royal Oak, a universal neutral diameter, is a relatively new addition to the range, having celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2012. The design evolution involves 34, 37, 38 and 41 mm self-winding and self-winding chronograph models.