1992 · Watch
Audemars Piguet
It Takes More Than Money
Gerald Genta designed the Royal Oak overnight in 1971 for Audemars Piguet, and at launch in 1972 it priced a steel sports watch at 3,300 Swiss francs - on par with gold dress watches and roughly ten times a steel Rolex Submariner. The campaign line 'It takes more than money to wear a Royal Oak' answered the obvious objection head on: instead of justifying steel costing gold money, it reframed the price as a filter, implying the barrier was taste rather than budget.
